Every week, the Milwaukee Music Premiere sponsored by Density Studios connects the city’s artists with our listening audience. If you’re an artist with a track you’d like us to debut exclusively on Radio Milwaukee, head over to our Music Submission page to learn how.
The track we’re premiering today from Fairy Astronaut has an interesting range of inspirations: video games, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, fellow Milwaukee musician Zach Pietrini. But that first one really jumps out as you dive into the synth-y sugar rush that is “LVL 5.”
In case you haven’t picked up a controller lately, just about every game these days lets you create an avatar — a process in which you cycle through a seemingly limitless number of appearance options. Fairy Astronaut vocalist McKenzie Van Oss doesn’t have quite that much room to maneuver, but as the song sprints through its first minute or so, she’s almost trying on different personalities while delivering the opening lines:
I was playing the game like I was player one
Stakes have been high, I’ve been bleeding crimson
Glory glory Hallelu, I have been saved
Consoled by my console, until faced with the gun
Van Oss (a former professional ballet dancer, so she knows a thing or two about trying on different personalities) starts with a fairly down the middle, almost sweet approach that gets a wee bit darker on the last line. She then seamlessly switches over to talk-singing, first as a moody Brit before giving way to a peppy, “Hollaback Girl”-esque delivery.
After averaging a new avatar every 20 seconds, Van Oss and bandmate Brady Wayne settle into a kinetic groove that’ll be perfect for bouncing around at their next live show — or maybe just soundtracking your next Fortnite session. As the duo explained, the track “illustrates the playfulness of mortality. How you get through the mission is up to you, but we would prefer to do it with a regulated nervous system.”
A tip we could all use, and one you can ponder while you listen to “LVL 5” using the player at the top of the page. You can also catch it spinning on 88Nine throughout today (7:30 and 11:30 a.m.; 3:30 and 7:30 p.m.) and when it gets its official release this Friday, Oct. 17.
