When we last heard from Matt Baum, he was in the midst of unleashing his debut LP, Upgrade, an 8-bit chipwave odyssey that drew its inspiration from arcade classics and ‘80s electronica. Written under the moniker Watch Out For Snakes, the instrumental album was both a means for Baum to explore his love of minimal synth experimentation and to create a deeply personal sci-fi adventure based on the rare genetic disorder he was born with.
Scheduled for release this November, Scars marks the follow-up Upgrade, and it will once again find the songwriter interweaving reality and fantasy. According to the album’s press release, the record will use a “body horror and intergalactic warfare narrative” as a means to engage with themes surrounding life transitions, including the dissolution of his own crumbling marriage.
Today, we’re excited to bring you the premiere of the album’s first single, a hyper-kinetic, tension-ridden collaboration with fellow synthwave devotee Gregorio Franco. Where “Rip ‘Em Up!” take place in the album’s story arc is difficult to tell, but it certainly carries all the drama of a wild chase scene building towards its climax. Bristling with nervous energy, the track bursts forward on the back of a jittery staccato groove that serves as a sort of mobile homebase for Baum and Franco’s sweeping melodic excursions. It’s a spellbinding journey that is equal parts thrilling action and foreboding apprehension, with the end result landing somewhere between neon-flecked futurism and a dust-choked flight into a post-apocalyptic sunset.
Listen below.
Scars releases Nov. 9. Pre-orders are available here.
More Info
Web: watchoutforsnakestheband.com
Bandcamp: watchoutforsnakestheband.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @watchoutforsnakestheband
Instagram: @watchoutforsnakestheband
SoundCloud: @watchoutforsnakes
Twitter: @watchoutforhsss