Life Fire in Peopledom – Death Chest Etiquette (EP Review)

It’s quite rare to find people inspired by sci-fi of the past these days, turning it into tangible pieces of art. I’m sure there are many instances of inspiration out there, but only a select few get to transform the inspiration into a legible series of musical pieces. ‘Death Chest Etiquette’ by Life Fire in Peopledom is one of the few exceptions I have to my initial statement.

‘Life Fire in Peopledom’ is the solo moniker of Michael Tokarz, a compelling and proficient musician who crosses genres and boundaries with his forage into art. He has been the main bassist of many math-rock, prog rock and post-rock bands, with his longest stretch being the bassist of San Francisco-based math rock band ‘We Be The Echo’ and his most recent stint being the bassist of an Oakland-based post rock band called ‘Scramble Kids’. ‘Life Fire in Peopledom’ has been his solo project since approximately 2002, being his outlet to put out music that didn’t quite fit into the box of the genres of the bands he participated in. Life Fire has had previous releases, such as The Thicket which garnered excellent feedback from one of our reviewers. In today’s review, I will be analysing his latest release called ‘Death Chest Etiquette’ to see if it matches up the superb artistry from his previous releases or perhaps even supersede it.

‘Death Chest Etiquette’ is available through this link: https://www.lifefireinpeopledom.com/music , it is the first and foremost release displayed upon entering the webpage.

Before getting into the musical analysis of this EP, it is necessary to note the footnotes and inspiration behind the album and how it contributes to its soundscape. Quoted by the artist, the narrative theme of this record is loss. Loss, especially in the context of someone intertwining their life and romantic prospects with someone you know will die soon. This album is a way to capture the emotions the survivor of the deceased seeks to convey, in a non-logocentric manner. The stylistic theme was developed through influence from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick. It is a sci-fi film characterising the space-age zeitgeist of that time, where spaceflight was humanity’s common goal but it was a goal no one had dared to traverse before. In fact, many people were cloaked in a cape of fear, as much as space was a studied territory, the possibilities that spaceflight posed to man without sufficient protocol and precaution could lead to instant death.

In a way, the theme of this EP is a reimagined situation in which one of the scientists on a mission in the film, Dave, is assumed to be in a heterosexual marital relationship and it attempts to play out the mental toil and mental journey that his wife, Betty, might’ve went through assuming that her husband was not likely to return from his voyage. In fact, the cover art represents a wish box, a symbol of the love that will endure when the body does not.

The first track, The Afters, starts off very synth heavy. It almost sounds like it is a modular synthesis instead of a digital synth. If this robust, lush sound is indeed done from a digital synth, it would be very impressive. Either way, the fullness of the sound and the manipulation of the waves paint a picture of musical futurism. It’s like as if the synthesizers characterising space-age music had a remastered, new-generation approach. It puts me in the mind of Kraftwerk, with the ambient chord build-up reminding me of some of David Bowie’s work in Low (1977). In fact, I find that a lot of the EP mirrors the melancholic digital buildup reminiscent of that album. Perhaps it is due to a very similar thematic inspiration- loss and the space age itself, as the movie analogue to Low was ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’ with similar tones.

I really like sounds with a short decay, and the synthesizers produce exactly that. The tinges of tambourine in the song as well as the addition of a drumset, along with a type of polyphony in the melody and slight addition of triplets give it a very ‘fast-paced’ feel. Listening to this, it feels like as if one has accepted the reality of technological advancements but their thoughts and train of mind is in a scramble. It reminds me of a more space-oriented version of ‘Jet Lag Slave’ by D-Nox & Beckers. The addition of sparse-like synthesizers also add on to the space-age feel of the track. I highly recommend this track.

The second track, Our Sons and Daughters are Heroes and Martyrs, starts of with a very dissonant pattern analogous to mystery shows and films of the 60s and 70s. The sprinkles of twinkle-sounds and synthesizers in the background give it a very transitionary melancholy-to-determined feel in the track, reflective of the title. The jazz guitar in the track give the track a highly nostalgic feel. It sounds as if it was paying homage to those who have already left this plane of existence.

The background synthesizers oscillate between hyperfuturism and space-age futurism, which I find pretty fascinating, being that they are two different interpretations of the future itself. The bass in this track is immensely prominent, providing a comforting backbone to the soundscape itself. It caresses the main instruments very, very well and add more emotional depth to the song.

Towards the middle, and reaching the end of the song, all the various instruments come together in a singularity-like fashion. It is like all the efforts of the forlorn have collapsed and indeed, reached an astronomical singularity. It also gives the song an emotional peak- akin to when intended grief becomes so high, it is euphoric. Another highly recommended track.

The third track, Ta Ra, Terra, plays more with the soundscape of mystery and anticipation. One of the quirks of this album is how amazingly well not only the music fits the theme, but how well crafted the titles of these tracks are. Terra, a new landform, and the anticipation and novelty of reaching new domains in other planets, or even other domains of space…

It starts off with an ear-catching guitar riff, with a syncopated synthesizer in the background. The guitar gives the sensation of intent and ambition, while the synthesizers paint a picture of sheer mystery and unknown territory. This track is quite chilling, but at the same time, relatable and exhilarating. Could it be related to the perceptual cacophony of mania?

The bass in the track adds on to the finality of the sound. All I can think of, as I hear this track, is as if someone was riding the Lunar Rover Vehicle into a territory they had not remembered to map or track in the first place. I find this track immensely exhilarating, for some reason. The guitars towards the middle of the song wrap the song up in tender resolution, but the tambourines amp up the excitation of the track. There is also some commendable polyphony in the guitar’s notes as well. The circular feel of the main melody towards the end of the track give it an unfinished resolve- a genius move. Highly recommended as well.

The fourth track, Dance of the Universe, wraps my brain up in sheer pulsated fascination. It’s like as if the synthesizers in the song were meant to mirror the pattern of neurons firing pseudo-abruptly, with many nodes connected at once. This track is truly a treat to the brain, just like its title. It puts me in the mind of a more compositional-friendly version of Galen Tipton’s work. I find this track very dynamic as well, with the synthesizers putting you in the realm of neurons/particles/space rocks, but the bass carrying the story-telling and emotional journey of the track itself.

The tempo of the drums simply add to the excitation of the track. The addition of stylistic snares and hi-hats somehow colour and complement the complex syncopation of the synthesizers itself. The usage of jazz guitar and surf-rock like musical patterns also draw the song back to its initial, space-age and wavey influence. I really like how the added sprinkles of synths make the song extra ‘tingly’ in sound. It has build-up, and resolve, oscillating as if they were in a call-and-response sequence!

A sparkly, exciting, chaotic and wonderful track. This might be my favourite track from the EP. I may have a completely different interpretation of the track than intended, but it is definitely competent from a production and composition standpoint.

The last track, Lists, starts of with brain-grabbing synthesizers once again. This, to me, is one of the most Kraftwerk inspired tracks out of all the tracks in the EP. The melancholic and descending chord structure reminds me of ‘Das Model’, but with a more tender and heartfelt flair. The instances of a switch-sounding synthesizer give this track the feel of dying neurons and nodes, if the previous track was to be interpreted of that of a cacophony.

It is actually very tender, even though the instruments in this song would typically be ascribed to ‘colder’ musical techniques. The bass simply glides through this song, giving it an emotional depth that one would struggle to correctly describe. I like how the drumming and percussive elements of this song go through various different time signatures at different times of the song, giving it a contemplative and succinct feel.

This track is honestly a perfect end to the sequence of the whole EP, even in terms of storytelling order. It fades out not just technically, but also emotionally- just like the stages of anticipated grief.

All in all, I think this body of work is simply genius. I wish this artist would get more recognition for his work. The way the songs stylistically and technically fit the intended theme is simply unmatched, and the elements of futurism and existentialism in the emotional variability of the instruments really appeal to me. The manipulation of synthesizers in this album is also another plus point for this body of work, as it employs techniques that sustain the authenticity of sound without sounding cheesy or generic. This album does not lack character, at all. I really recommend this album.

Score/Outstanding: It is quite rare for me to see people take on the artistry of contemplative, semi-ambient synthesizer heavy music with a space age influence especially in this day and age. Life Fire in Peopledom has taken a bold step in expanding upon their creativity with this theme, and stylistically as well as technically satisfies the criteria for a wholly-good work of art.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

Follow Life Fire in Peopledom On:

Twitter
Buy The EP
Subscribe To Youtube
More On The Website