Night time Stalker is an fascinating selection of title for 1st Base Runner’s fifth EP, given the Netflix bioseries of the identical identify being so widespread. These of us sufficiently old to recollect, particularly in the event you lived in Southern California on the time, could have much more of a visceral response to this EP and the music connected to it. Apparently this was on objective.
The resurrected true crime Netflix story of serial killer Richard Ramirez, tagged by the media within the 80s because the Nightstalker, signifies that GenX children of Los Angeles and Orange County who had been informed to maintain their home windows closed at night time advert nauseam at the moment are not the one ones conversant in stated story. It’s unknown whether or not 1st Base Runner was impressed by the sequence or is, actually, a kind of GenX youngsters, however Night time Stalker is definitely his darkest providing to-date.
With lashings of goth bands like Bauhaus and post-punk acts like Pleasure Division, Love and Rockets and Tom Waits heretofore prevalent in his music, it seemingly wasn’t a really troublesome transfer for 1st Base Runner to tip over into darker territory. Night time Stalker is nonetheless a reasonably stark change. Solely a bit of little bit of the attribute shoegazey guitars are left on this EP. Even then, in tracks like “Within the Neighborhood” and “Darkish Drive By way of the Canyon” the guitars are tuned in direction of the maudelin and/or eerie digital sound design, which supplies this work a way of insanity and desolation solely hinted at in earlier works.
One other 1st Base Runner signature has all the time been that even in essentially the most emotionally troublesome tracks, there’s been a small trace of hope or appreciation, principally in the best way the harmonies meld collectively to create and uplifting tilt to the music. That trace continues to be there in Night time Stalker nevertheless it usually feels at battle with the creepier components of the tracks, so as a substitute of concord we get discord or, as with the title monitor, confusion and concern. This monitor lives as much as is title, and genuinely appears like a sonic illustration of what the within of a serial killer’s thoughts would possibly really feel like. It’s visceral, pogniant and makes a powerful case for not giving in to intrusive ideas. One may say there’s a bit of reduction with closing monitor “The Serpent and Area,” however one may additionally see it as merely the peace and launch those that have given in to their demons really feel as soon as the evil deed is completed.
As with all !st Base Runner releases, Night time Stalker was launched with a lovely and comparably visceral video for the monitor “Darkish Drive By way of the Canyon,” directed by the prolific Dilly Gent of Son&Inheritor Productions and Radiohead fame. Dilly has been artistic director on various 1st Base Runner’s video tasks however this has been the primary one she’s shot hands-on. With the juxtaposiion of terrifying and stylish motion and imagery within the video and the kind of movement cease vs compositional shot vibe she created, it’s protected to say it was choice that she picked up the digicam. A posh monitor like “Darkish Drive…” wanted a fragile and expert hand with the video to match what the artist was attempting to say, and Gent captured it completely.
It truly is sobering, the extent of high quality and creativity 1st Base Runner has managed to maintain over the past two years since he launched his preliminary “All Ideas” single and subequent Seven Years of Silence album. The again story behind this challenge and every little thing Tim Husmann, the artist behind 1st Base Runner, has been by way of would point out he seemingly has many extra tales to inform. The truth that he’s dug even deeper on Night time Stalker to discover the darker components of humanity means he’s removed from completed.
Night time Stalker is out now and could be streamed on Spotify. Try 1st Base Runner’s YouTube channel for extra lush movies and extra on his story.
