inbuilt obsolescence – these hands do what they can (2021)
The brainchild of UK-based guitarist Owain Arthur, inbuilt obsolescence is a futuristic melding of blues, pop and rock. A very difficult act to describe, listening to inbuilt obsolescence is like experiencing an acid trip but without the acid. Loop machines and vocal textures find a balance between instrumental and vocal with a psychedelic edge – think “…organic forms of digital processes”. We introduce you to this unique act with his single ‘these hands do what they can’.
inbuilt obsolescence shares that “…’these hands do what they can’ carves out music from electro-noise like a route through a bustling city, a city-scape of sounds mixed binaurally make you feel as though in the middle of it” As I said before, it is difficult to describe this artist’s sound, but he definitely keeps you on your toes with his originality and innovativeness. Using computer loops and a spoken-word execution, ‘these hands do what they can’ capture the chaos of a city but with a personal interjection of frustration.
A conceptual piece, the single explores modern-day life, the state of society and our response to these stressors. The frenzied electronic sounds may seem like a completely disoriented mass of noise, but isn’t that what daily life in the 21st century is? A mass of hectic noise where we long for a silent place? I don’t know about you, but mine certainly matches this theme. Yet, while the chaotic arrangement can trigger stress and confusion, there is a harmonic quality knowing you are not isolated or alone in this.
At first listen, you might think inbuilt obsolescence is completely bonkers without any structure. The thing is, it is the supposed lack of structure that makes his music so intriguing…beautiful, in fact. Being lost in the haze of sound but finding that one element to keep you grounded gives a sense of calm. A feel song, ‘these hands do what they can’ is an intimate thread running through a kaleidoscopic soundscape.
For more from inbuilt obsolescence check out his Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
