Atka - "Eye in the Sky"

Photo by JSD

London based German musician, songwriter, and producer Atka's latest single was inspired by Nabokov's novel The Eye. "Eye in the Sky" explores the loss of self while knowing that we're always being observed by someone else. The song is a haunting avant pop track that pierces deep into your psyche without you even having to be aware of the subject matter. It's slow pace adds to the song, particularly the way the song's unique instrumentation wanders in at will. "Eye in the Sky" gives the listener such an unsettling feeling that you can't quite put your finger on, which is the perfect feeling for a song about always being watched.

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

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.