Emmannuel & The Unlimited Consciousness refuse to be your Daydream with their latest single — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Bringing forth a track that captivates and challenges, the audacious New York City outfit unleash their second single onto an unsuspecting world. Building together the raw frustration of untethered distorted guitars and the atmospheric, tension building soundscapes of experimental electronic music, the single takes on an otherworldly position that is defiant of norms and pioneers fresh new perspectives.
Vocally, we are treated to an angelic glow that is let loose into a mindset of frustration and struggle, creating a distinct eeriness that is fuelled by celestial harmonies and agitated melodies. It’s within this we find the core of Emmannuel & The Unlimited Consciousness, the track seems rooted in breaking rules, pushing boundaries and awakening listeners to new emotions that even they weren’t aware of. Each element serves the purpose of diving deeper, whether that’s the flurry of woodwind or the non-stop percussive pulses. It’s inspiring to see such affirmation and assertion from a fresh artist.
Musical mastermind Emma Anne Johnson shares: “Daydream or nightmare? This song serves as my visceral metaphor for gender dysphoria. I am constantly struggling with the many masks the world expects me to put on. More specifically, gender roles are required of me in order to have a job, be a ‘daughter’ or just be a something someone understands. The journey of the song is symbolic to my relationship with my struggles of how being ‘a woman’ have led me to suicidal tendencies. ‘No I’m not your beautiful daydream’ is my response to all the people in my life who don’t see anything besides the surface.
“The end of the song calms down and becomes lighter, introducing hope and possibility for loving myself, even the weeds and the webs and ugly stuff. My sensitivities and oddities that once moved me to anger earlier in the tune, turn into softer, sweeter and more compassionate words. A quote from the writer and philosopher Andre Gilde is the last phrase in the final verse: ‘To love the rose, respect the thorn.’ Maybe I don’t have to be pretty all the time or even constantly hold myself to the standard of being a ‘woman’ at all? Maybe I am a woman one day and the next I am a man and most days I’m just a human? On a primal level, we are all just animals and all have it all — the good, the bad and the ugly. No matter what is shown on the outside, we all have struggles.
“From finding a stable living situation to finding myself- none of my struggles related to gender have felt justified until the process of creating this song and video: This is an abstracted vision of me conquering my animalistic suicidal tendencies assigned at birth. No I am not your beautiful daydream, I have just as much ugly as anyone else.”
Emmannuel & The Unlimited Consciousness are the brainchild of interdisciplinary artist Johnson, hailing from the vibrant artistic enclave of Brooklyn. Drawing inspiration from the pioneering sounds of Fiona Apple and PJ Harvey, Emma does not confine herself to any singular creative box, choosing instead to fearlessly explore the fusion of grunge rock ’n’ roll’s distorted guitar tones with the enigmatic allure of electronic waves of synth.
Johnson is a true polymath, channeling their creativity into visual artworks, new media immersive installations, and sound art, all rooted in a profound appreciation of a glitch — a sudden (usually temporary) equipment irregularity or malfunction. Johnson’s artistic journey promises to continue pushing boundaries and redefining artistic expression with upcoming installations and performances scheduled at The Wassaic Project in New York and SoWa x MassArt in Boston.
Check out Daydream above and below and follow Emmannuel & The Unlimited Consciousness on Instagram.
