The best dystopian literature is only fiction because it hasn’t happened yet. Stories like Fahrenheit 451 or The Handmaid’s Tale point to a future that isn’t just possible, but flat-out likely, considering our current trajectory as a species. These books aren’t just stories, but warnings; their authors not just novelists, but prophets.
Emlyn Ellis Addison is one of these voices, but on his new album as Clocolan, It’s Not Too Early For Each Other, he’s not transporting us to the future. Through a kaleidoscope lens of dusty, Boards of Canada-inspired electronica, Addison means to convey what it’s like to be here right now, facing the planet-wide environmental crisis that will surely only worsen with time. It’s a strange sort of limbo, enjoying Earth’s natural beauty, imagining it simply gone within a few hundred years. Clocolan never preaches though, instead communicating through cryptic spoken-word samples and beautiful but emotionally-detached synth melodies.
Watch the fractal-filled video for “Now You Are,” and preorder the album here, it’s out in cassette and digital form this Friday. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Extinction Rebellion.
slowbreathingcircuit.com 