Daiana Feuer on July 28th, 2017

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South African-born Garett van der Spek fantasizes about dream-like sub-realities while writing songs about the uncertain future facing a society that suffers from self-inflicted isolation, class-based hopelessness, and the unraveling emotional consequences of addiction to technology. That’s the good stuff to take away from his new Prism Tats EP, “11:11.” He says, “Most of these new songs came from taking in what’s going on in the world today, and being afraid of the future we’re headed toward,” which he wrote following the release of last year’s self-titled debut. The single “Used To Be Cool” arrived just a few days before the EP became available today via Anti- Records. Spek says the song is about “growing bored of listening to the egomaniac recount their glory days, back when they were young and high.” It’s got a catchy guitar-driven pop swagger. He says, “Stylistically it’s loosely inspired by “Let’s Dance” era Bowie.”

The L.A.-based songwriter feels that “11:11” is his most “diverse batch of songs” he’s ever assembled into one record, “the result of drawing from various styles and influences to experiment in the studio.” If the two songs released so far are any indication, a definite 80’s pop-rock sensibility is prevalent across the board, propelling his lyrical cynicism to fist-pumping heights. 

||| Stream: “Used To Be Cool”

||| Also: Stream “Brainwaves”