"Danse Macabre", the latest single by TRANSGALACTICA, is one of their most bold works up to this point. It fuses classical music, pointed social criticism and experimental sound in a way that is lovely and jarring. The band appropriates the waltz form here and gives it a darker, more accusatory cast, with an unexpected bridge taken from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. It’s all taken from Camille Saint-Saëns’ well-known orchestral work of the same title. The result is both freaky and compelling, a song that transcends the limits of what modern music can achieve.
"Danse Macabre" is unlike their other guitar-centred releases in that it lacks the more familiar instrumentation of a typical band. But it makes heavy use of synthesisers, eerie textures and surprising sound effects instead. The waltz time of the beat provides the song a playful but spooky base, and it feels both old and new at once. Their absence of guitars and drums only serves to draw out the classical influences on TRANSGALACTICA even more, contributing to their notoriety for fearlessly pushing boundaries.
Cognitive scientist Steven Pinker philosophically influences the song's lyrics, which touch on concepts of reason, logic, and human advancement. TRANSGALACTICA examines the problems of bad thinking, such as denial, marginalisation and distortion, but also an overwhelming negativity towards the state of things in general. In exposing those errors, "Danse Macabre" prods listeners to think more rationally and to keep in mind that, even as the globe frets, people have achieved amazing feats.
The singer’s delivery of the lyrics reflects the tension present in the words, which range from sad to angry. This dramatic theatrical performance shows us the philosophical denotation message of the track and feels less conceptual. The somewhat eerie themes the classical vocal song has may still be both smart and gut-punching. It forces us to consider and pay tribute to human resilience.
With “Danse Macabre,” TRANSGALACTICA demonstrates yet again that they are not content with comfortable formats or conventional ideas. They manage a song that is meditative and musically progressive in its amalgamation of waltz rhythms, classical allusions and ruthless denunciations of illogical philosophies. It’s a powerful reminder that music is not here only to entertain us; it can make us contemplate things in new ways and cast doubt on the world in which we live.
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