Baron Bane – “By the Waves” (audio) (Premiere)

“By the Waves”, the latest tune by the Swedish outfit Baron Bane, is described by the group as “a dark and dreamlike story about losing your grip on reality and being pulled out by the waves into the unknown.” Far from the kind of flowery language music writers — this one included — often lean on, this description gets right to the brooding heart of “By the Waves”. Opening with a dark, pulsating cloud of distortion and bass drum reminiscent of Porcupine Tree, the band then brings in a moody piano chord progression that frames the song. Then the march-ready drums enter, matching the rhythm of the piano. This builds an intensity that doesn’t let up until the track has reached its last second — when, one would imagine, the unknown has finally been reached.

Baron Bane tells PopMatters this about the song: “‘By The Waves’ is actually one of the first songs we wrote for this album and I recall being crammed in this small, temporary location because our main studio was currently under construction. This tiny studio space only contained a piano, a guitar and a computer. These specific circumstances triggered the creation of this song.”

Baron Bane are working on their next album, the followup to 2011’s LPTO.