Have a seat while an old man tells you a story of how things were like back in his day.  In those less enlightened times, it wasn't seen as something bad to borrow imagery, sounds, or attitudes from other cultures...and it was seen as quite creative and exciting to mix and match those cultural elements.  

Yeah, I know.  That's not how people feel these days.  

So, this latest SoundCloud Exclusive might get me in some hot water (especially here, in Seattle, where we take this kind of thing rather seriously)...because this track is the answer to the question, "Hey, Interbay--can you make a Bow Wow Wow song?"  

I should point out that no one asked me that question, I asked it of myself--so, truly, I only have myself to blame.   

If you're not an 80s kid, like me, you may not remember Bow Wow Wow--but they were part of the MTV-fueled British Invasion of the early eighties, when a bunch of bands with crazy outfits, even crazier hairstyles, and a gloriously unconcerned willingness to mix and match sounds created a new and exciting form of post-punk and pop that we here in the US all lumped together and called it "New Wave."  

I can't share the whole story here, but Bow Wow Wow was formed by Malcolm McLaren, who stole the first group of Ants from Adam Ant...and they both raced to see what combining Burndi Beats, Native American tropes, and Pirate costumes could do on the music buying public.  (Bow Wow Wow got their single out first, but the newly reformed Adam & The Ants proved more popular in the UK.)  

Cultural appropriation isn't the only way Bow Wow Wow was controversial.  Malcom McLaren found fourteen year old Annabella Lwin at a laundromat, wrote some inappropriately sexual lyrics for her to sing as their new front person (and, however tastefully done, got her to appear nude on some of their early single, ep and album covers...)  

How did I make my ersatz BWW-style track?  I started by coming up with a drum part--fast and busy.  It wasn't until I sped up a guitar sample that I got the idea for making a track in their style, so following it up with some sped up funk bass brought it together.  

Somewhat controversially, I added some African tribal vocals...but that didn't make it sound like Bow Wow Wow.  So, knowing that wing wax can melt at these altitudes, Icarus borrowed some vocal snippets from a flexidisc and hopefully processed it enough where it isn't obvious to the bots where its from...  (But if this track suddenly disappears, that's why.)  

Finally, the title is a phrase borrowed from a Bow Wow Wow lyric...and the hook came from me mishearing one of those snippets.  I thought it says "We Found King Kong"--which, I can still hear it as...hopefully you will too!

Storytime is over, so listen to the track!  Hope you like it (despite whatever misgivings you may have--as no ill intent drove this track, but fond nostalgia instead.)

"Apecrazy" by Interbay *SoundCloud Exclusive*

This is a dark-wave / new-wave track inspired by Depeche Mode. The theme is being different to others, and being happy out of place.

Lyrics:

Shadowed I walk alone
My world is dark like stone
They wear colors so bright
I can't join in their light
They laugh and shine so clear
But my heart holds the fear
In their glow I'm unseen
Caught in a world between

Out of place I stand
Where dark is my land
In a world of light
I'm lost in the night

They see rainbows and sun
But for me it’s all gone
Their smiles don't touch my soul
In this dark I feel whole
In their world I’m a ghost
A shadow they have lost
No matter how they try
I’m a dark lullaby

Out of place I stand
Where dark is my land
In a world of light
I'm lost in the night

I know you think I am cold
Invisible
A phantom that you cannot hold
At home in the dark

Out of place I stand
Where dark is my land
In a world of light
I'm lost in the night

I'm lost in the night


Dark

This song was originally written as an acoustic track with just piano and vocals, and has been through multiple levels of feedback to reach its current stage. I have tried to approach overcoming isolation and depression in a way that is generally relatable, and to build to an optimistic conclusion. It's in Db Major, which is the musical equivalent of someone putting on a happy face.

Lyrics:

Did you ever feel that the world's not listening
Did you ever feel that the world just don't care
Did you catch a glimpse of the sky made of diamonds
Did you look again and it wasn't there

When you see through the illusion
And you break through your confusion
You can find the truth in your heart
You can heal as your world falls apart

Did you ever think that you were a loser
Did you ever think that you didn't belong
Did you hear the song in the colors of the rainbow
Did you look again and it was gone

When you see through the illusion
And you break through your confusion
You can find the truth in your heart
You can heal as your world falls apart

You're not the only one that's hurting
You're not alone in your pain
You can find solace in remembering 
That rainbows only follow rain


When you see through the illusion
And you break through your confusion
You can find the truth in your heart
You can heal your world and not fall apart

Yes, you can heal your world and not fall apart

The Illusion

Written, Performed and Produced by Sarah Paradise-Brown

This track is not yet mastered.. it may be a bit quiet... will do another mix before this becomes the final version.  This song will complete my album due for release on 22nd Sept (This year!) 🤪

Sometimes I feel nobody
But a stand-in for everybody
An overachiever’s make-believer’s mind
But in truth I’m dying, dying
To be good enough for you

You know my trophies
The prizes they bring
They don’t win me love
They don’t mean a thing
Those medals will just turn to rust
What matters is I'm good enough

Not good enough for you
I can feel it's true
Got the world in my hands
But I'm losing you
Oh I'm shinning bright
But it's all out of view

Not good enough for you
What more can I do

Love me when I am only
Too old and just sad and lonely
An overachiever’s make-believer’s mind
But in truth I’m dying, dying
To be good enough for you

No matter if my world is falling down
My world is falling down
My world is falling down

You know my trophies
The prizes they bring
They don’t win me love
They don’t mean a thing
Those medals will just turn to rust
What matters is I'm good enough

Not good enough for you
I can feel it's true
Got the world in my hands
But I'm losing you
Oh I'm shinning bright
But it's all out of view

Not good enough for you
What more can I do

An overachiever’s make-believer’s mind
But in truth I’m dying, dying
To be good enough for you

Good Enough For You

I do love it when your brain just locks into an idea and it feels effortless to create something.  

I also like it when MY brain does that, too!  And that's what happened with "Quibble"--the latest Interbay track to drop exclusively here on SoundCloud.    

At 114bpm, it grooves instead of sprints.  The palette of sound colors is limited to just a few and the grind of repetition is a feature on this track, not a bug.  There is progression and there is acceleration, as the energy level of the song does built throughout the tracks length.  

And the lyrics construct a narrative that is about storytelling techniques and escaping a seemingly inevitable fate--"the magic of quibbles."  That sure feels like a worthy topic to make an Interbay song about!  

Is there at least a little bit of Rufus Du Sol influence here?  I think so.  Your mileage may vary, of course.  

"Keep your eyes out for those sly quibbles."  

Heading into the weekend, this slightly dark but still worthy of an enthusiastic dance track feels perfectly timed.  Hopefully you'll give this one a listen, a like, a repost and share.  Add it to a groovy dance playlist.  Leave a comment.  

Most of all, please give this page a follow.  If you'll look, there's nearly 500 original tracks in the back catalog of Interbay here--and all of these have been posted one per day for nearly 500 consecutive days.  That means, so far, every day brings a new surprise present for you to open up and check out--of course, it's always the same...a new Interbay track...but, those tracks sure aren't going to sound the same as each other!  

Worth it?  I think it is...though some may quibble with that admittedly biased opinion.

You should make your own decision.  To do that, you need to listen...and you should follow!

"Quibble" *SoundCloud Exclusive*

Running on water

Crypto Obsession

Mia Wray - Ghost In My Machine (feat. Gabrielle Aplin) (cover)

We are all gods

Amantis

The Bunker

Post-punk, dance, indie, electronic, and mutant pop in various styles (seriously!)--new tracks being posted daily (every day for over a year, so far!)

Interbay is the new project of Peter Greyy (previously of Cremation Dance and DangerScience), based out of Seattle and Phantom Laboratories West.

"Apecrazy" by Interbay SoundCloud Exclusive

Interbay

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