Choices I make will haunt me forever
I’d rather remain at the crossroad
Remain undecided
Undecided, for now
In the hush of midnight solitude, each choice we have presented to us looms like a trembling flame, casting shadows of consequence across uncertain walls. Life, fragile as breath upon a windowpane, compels us forward even as we falter, afraid to misstep into the boundless dark of possibility. Our hearts strain beneath the weight of infinite paths, haunted by the specter of what might have been, paralyzed by the chance of regret. Yet, in this turmoil lies the grace of our humanity: to risk, to fail, to seek redemption amid our flawed decisions, moving ever onward through the uncertain night toward our quiet destiny.
Amsterdam-based bedroom beatmaker, Raf Duran, dives deep into digital depths, wrestling inner woes with synth-laden solace. His compositions capture the chaos of our crumbling climate, the specters of sentient AI, impending extinction events, and whispers of World War III. Yet amidst these dire themes, Duran spins dancefloor delights that draw listeners into a bittersweet boogie, conjuring echoes of Kraftwerk’s clinical coolness, Ladytron’s luscious layers, DEVO’s dystopian decadence, and Pet Shop Boys’ poised pop polish.
Following last year’s spirited single, Violence In Your Eyes, Duran returns with Undecided, a softly stirring synthpop reflection resonant of Bronski Beat’s heartfelt Smalltown Boy and mid-tempo Pet Shop Boys elegance. Here, he confesses to the quiet crisis of choice, the subtle terror of steering life’s path wrongly…a digital diary of indecision expressed in lush, luminous layers of sound. It’s existential electro, intimately inviting listeners to embrace their uncertainties on a rhythmically restless ride.
The minimalist video, directed by photographer Maarten Nauw, enhances the track’s introspective essence. Filmed partly in Paris, a city renowned for reflective wanderings and contemplative strolls along the Seine, it captures the restless, melancholic charm of aimless exploration. Nauw’s visual narrative, sparse yet evocative, frames the city’s timeless streets as a backdrop for overthinking life’s intricate crossroads, seamlessly mirroring the delicate balance of anxiety and allure woven throughout Duran’s music.
Watch the video for “Undecided” below:
Additionally, Undecided is complemented by two tracks traditionally considered b-sides, though, in today’s streaming landscape, perhaps best regarded as a mini-EP in their own right. Both songs, Decision Time and Avoidance, delve deeply into themes of procrastination and the anxiety surrounding crucial choices. Decision Time delivers a contemporary blast of futuristic synthpop, while Avoidance evokes a nostalgic nod to early-Eighties textures reminiscent of The Human League.
Initially, Avoidance seems to echo the lead track’s introspective uncertainty, yet it intriguingly doubles as a subtle commentary on society’s collective inertia in confronting the climate crisis. Closing the trio fittingly, Decision Time pushes listeners beyond indecision and avoidance, urging them to confront the inevitable moment of choice head-on.
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