Pink floyd didn’t make much sense to me until recently.

Dark side of the moon was an album that baffled me. I remember the first time I tried listening to it I sat there dumbfounded as I listened to a man laughing, panting, running, and an analogue synth droning a melody in my right ear. I took my headphones off and announced to my dad that I didn’t like pink floyd. I didn’t find the use of seemingly random noises pleasing, and it all just seemed like the lazy implementation of disjointed experimental concepts.

My dad gave me a funny look upon this announcement and explained simply that, “It’s part of the music Will.” I took the time recently to sit down and listen to the album in its entirety and it’s a masterpiece. There was a lot of 70’s art rock that was self indulgent but the effortless transition from track to track, the sense of calm slowly turning into a sense of panic, the manic moments to the slow burning moments, everything in this album was intentional. It’s an album that requires patience but is a truly gratifying piece of art.

This is something listeners (including myself) often miss now. On demand streaming and streamlined stylistic choices in music have made it so that listeners often have little patience with their music and it does a disservice to not only the listeners but the artists who take the time to meticulously craft bodies of composition that aren’t only just assorted tracks, but are pieces of art. 

Enter Absence by Mondaze.

Absence is a nearly hour long album in which most tracks wouldn’t make sense in isolation. The album artfully blends experimental styles in lo fi hip hop, ambience, and soundscape composition. Each track could be dissected in its entirety but for the sake of readability this article will focus on some of the big ones.

The opening title track sets the stage for the album well, giving the listener a taste of what’s to come. There’s not a lot to talk about but the track captures an unsettling tone early. The clever use of stereo with the percs and hats keeps the listener on their toes and adds a bit of bounce despite the eerie atmosphere. The percussion fades out as the synths develop in sound until the track comes to a head with full beat around 4:00.

Empty Without You 2.0 is where the album really begins to take shape conceptually and it does so intimately and directly. Dreamy, carefully crafted synths take the back seat to what seems to be personal conversations between Noah and a camera shy partner. The separate clips show a connection between the two while the melodic elements express what could most easily be described as hurt. The lo fi aesthetic remains throughout the track (and album for that matter) as the percussion comes in and the pads come to the front of the track. To describe this track as atmospheric would be an understatement. Various synths come in to play a few different melodies and while diverse in sound, they stick to a dreamy lo fi aesthetic and blend beautifully with one another. The album thus far has articulated an almost sickening feeling of loneliness and takes a bit of a detour with the track thoughts.

Thoughts sticks to the dreamy aesthetic with mellow, soft, yet very present synthesis. A robotic voice ponders ideas about life and the world as a whole, over top of crowd noises and synths. The track feels busy and larger than life. All the different pieces seem to move in unison but remain bustling and in motion. There’s a smooth transition into a beat that sees influence in trap, lo fi, and synthwave and is ultimately a creative moshpit. The track feels as though it has abandoned feelings of loneliness. It’s almost blissful amongst the surrounding tracks toying with feelings of angst and isolation. The comfortable escape from these feelings quickly disappears however in the effortless transition between Thoughts and Have a Great Day. 

Have a Great Day is the first of a few tracks that features what seems to be a mentally unwell man. The track opens with him explaining via voicemail to a woman that despite their failed attempt at a date, he was going to work on himself and they were going to go out again. He is awkward, shy, lacks social cues, and is obviously struggling to connect with this woman. While the man’s borderline rambling continues, another spacey lo fi beat fades. At this point the track just feels unsettling. As the man makes his case and lays out his plan to self improvement, the lonely and hollow feeling beat sets a depressing mood. You want to cringe as he tries to crack a joke to the recipient but the track fills you with sorrow. It captures an uncomfortable feeling of awkwardness, insecurity, and isolation that everyone has felt before. What’s more interesting about this track however is its placement in the album. The juxtaposition of Thoughts and Have a Great Day provides commentary on the everyday tribulations we all experience. The album expresses thoughts and concerns about ideas we simply can’t comprehend and quickly jumps to a man – who we don’t know, dealing with deeply personal issues that feel as daunting and insurmountable despite their lack of tangible and widespread impact.

Lavender 3.0 is where the album begins to feel truly reflective. The dreamy synthesis remains in this track but it’s true expression is felt through a piano. The melody feels dejected but also hints at a bit of acceptance. Despite the incredible feeling of sorrow and loneliness that persists the album begins to acknowledge these emotions. It’s with the acknowledgement of these emotions and the reality that’s created them that the stage is set for these emotions to grow out of control.

Residual expresses another shift, this time towards anger. The dark sound design and synthesis feels bitter and as though all the feelings expressed up to this point were finally being pointed at something. It’s through reflection and meditation on the emotions expressed thus far that this feeling of anger is able to form. The track seems to take influence from synthwave but has a dark and twisted atmosphere. Once again the album sets the state well for further progression, and not only for progression but for its climax. 

Sadstation is easily distinctable as the tipping point of this album. Up to this point it had built tension with feelings of loneliness, sorrow, depression, and general angst. All these feelings channel towards what seems to be complete and utter desperation as the man leaving voicemails reappears. He’s looking for any chance he can get and lacks any and all self awareness. His downward spiral is apparent as he tries so hard to grab the attention of this woman who is long past him. The creepy synthesis is unnerving and feels confused. Everything is falling apart and this is ultimately expressed in the second half of the song. The second half to Sadstation feels as though it’s given up. All the emotions expressed and articulated throughout Absence come crashing down into what feels like the first real step towards acceptance. A sad piano melody accompanied by slightly off beat lo fi drums feel upset, but surprisingly tranquil. The sense of peace expressed in Sadstation  blends nicely into the last few tracks that wrap up the album. They feel very tranquil and as if there’s some kind of progress being made towards happiness. It’s a bittersweet way to close that album.

After speaking with Mondaze my impressions of these tracks and their narratives were confirmed. He was telling a story about his teenage years and his struggles relating with peers, heartbreaks, depressing lows, and rebound highs. 

This was one of the first albums I really engaged with as a listener and focused on the narrative and it honestly blew me away how accurate my interpretation of this project was. Upon finishing the album it felt like I had sat down and had a conversation with Noah. These types of albums are important. Absence’s songs in isolation wouldn’t make much sense and could just be chalked up to cute experimental/lo fi records but all together form something completely different. As listeners, it’s important to take the time to appreciate truly expressive bodies of art. Albums that not only feel like a compilation of tracks but cohesive bodies of work that hold artistic value.

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