Atka - "Lenny"

Photo by JSD

"Lenny" is a weird song to attempt to describe. The latest from London-based German musician Atka is both a mainstream alt-pop-rock song that is going to get compared to artists like Florence and The Machine, but it has these bizarre electronic elements that come across like a bedroom or lo-fi version of drum and bass. When "Lenny" starts, it sounds like it's going to be an experimental electronic track, but it slowly morphs into a huge indie pop song. The hugeness of the song sweeps in almost out of nowhere, with the electronic element fighting its way back in from time to time. It's the kind of song you're going to want to play back instantly just to make sure you heard it right the first time.

Atka says of her new single:

"This is a song about how one man's tunnel-visioned obsession with finding meaning turns everything around him into a swamp of meaninglessness that also sucks in everyone around him. It’s witnessing empty repetition right in front of your eyes and the helplessness and all-limbs-dropping-to-the-floor exhaustion felt as a result, when caring for someone who is depressed. And ultimately it’s about the absence of being perceived by that person and one’s drift into a ghost-like state. When no one is watching or sees me - do I even exist? Lenny is about 'reverse-paranoia' if you want it."

You can watch the video for "Lenny" below. The Eye Against the Ashen Sky is due out November 3. For more on Atka, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook.