Hullah – Chasing Trains (2022)
There are times when you feel like a passenger in your own life, as the world moves around you while you stay still. Hullah has created the soundtrack to these moments with ‘Chasing Trains’. Using an atmospheric combination of electronica, trip-hop and electronic pop, he reflects on the grind of modern life and the misery that causes us to feel, like we are not in control.
While diving into this serious topic, the single creates a late-night bus journey vibe that encompasses the vastness of cities and the closed spaces of the vehicle. This nocturnal spirit is something that crosses all of Hullah’s music. While one half of the electro-pop duo Futuretape, his solo songs offer introspection and insight into the navigation of everyday city life.
The twilight and late-night vibes of the music fill the melody of ‘Chasing Trains’ from the first note. There is a feeling of stillness within the melody even as the world rushes around you. The electronic notes of the melody create the twinkling lights of the city reflecting on wet pavements and the movement of people through the streets. The music is packed with a trip-hop tone that reaches out into the distance with a rather endless feeling. Every note adds to a tired feeling that has been artfully woven into the music, making you feel that there is no light at the end of your current path, only more of the same. At times, the chittering tones push at you like the crush of a busy street, before the higher tones twinkle with the emptiness of late nights in the city.
As the melody seems to move at its own pace around you, the vocals create an anchor point. As you listen to Hullah’s performance, you stand still while the rest of the world moves at double speed around you. There is a weariness to his performance that perfectly captures what a lot of people are feeling. Through his performance, he fills your sense with the weary misery of going through the motions in the city, day after day. This is lightened on the chorus as he realises that he needs to change things to alleviate the misery he feels. His performance has a vibe to them that reminds you of the deep thoughts that hit you as you stare out the window on a bus or train in the evening.
Hullah brings the weary misery many people feel to life through the anchored feeling of the vocals and trip-hop movement of the melody in ‘Chasing Trains’. The melody creates the movement of the city that seems endless. Hullah’s vocals stand still against the pace of modern life, bringing a weary reflection to twilight tones.
Find out more about Hullah on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
