Sunday, June 8, 2008

Rigas: Born Not To Run



Bruce Springsteen's 1975 release "Born to Run" was an album that epitomized the times. The album's poetic prose mixed with classic rock styling spoke of youthful independence and became the soundtrack of a generation. Swedish artist Rigas known for his abrasive yet danceable synth heavy electronic music has penned an updated version of The Boss' classic entitled "Born Not to Run". Despite what the title suggests the track is in no way a remake, but rather a modern take (with tongue planted firmly in cheek) of the overall feeling of the youth today.

The song deals specifically with the claustrophobia of youth, constant boredom and a pervasive dead end feeling. However, the robust synth, keyboard stabs and bass accents don't allow the song to get bogged down in its own seriousness creating a contrast to the heavy lyrics with a danceable bass line. Rigas' voice is a half yelled high pitched shriek that matches well with the track. The video depicts is a bleak black and white urban landscape. Rigas is draped head to toe in white as he nonchalantly runs through his verses (even checking his cell phone at one point). The video and his attitude match perfectly with the feeling and message of the song.

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