The Sound Of "Paradox Room" by ARPRAXIS Is Not What It Seems

Finding such complicated yet interesting art is hard nowadays, but here’s an exciting treat for those who dig music that sounds bright and lively but means the exact opposite: “Paradox Room” is a six-part EP that when their true intentions and meanings are revealed, your head is bound to spin round and round.

In collaboration with other artists, ARPRAXIS, whose experience with making music dates all the way back to the nineties, wanted to make something different with this record as he aims to “make it sound like the most fun you’ll ever have”.

There’s a ton of distinct sounds and effects, as to be expected from someone who specializes in DJing. It fills up the space completely, not leaving room for dead air in any of the tracks at all. Sandy Dee is featured in three songs, namely “Dream State”, which feels like someone had utilized a soundboard, mixer, and the whole medium of creating music as a whole to unload their thoughts.

“Jewels Gems”, as the name suggests, uses the metaphor of anything shiny to describe online presence, with the urge to please and inauthenticity coming with it. ARPRAXIS described it as “if TikTok collaborated with the Dalai Lama to make a reality show about humility”. The melodies are catchy, upbeat, and generally danceable, with it opening with “this ain’t no song about love, no love”. Likewise, the line “wanna stay with what’s mine” in “Eyeball Centric” is resoundful and powerful especially in a time like today, where corporations and technology quite literally control us. It is then arranged with another unique set of sounds, making every song unpredictable in a good way.

Moving forward, “Flipped” with Rosie Roux captures the feeling of confusion pretty well. It’s somewhat exaggerated, to the point where it’s pretty intense in some spots, with the cosmic-esque transportation to put oneself in another’s shoes. In simple terms, this song is about being flabbergasted in the form of sound.

The synth progression is the highlight of “Never Mind the Bullocks” that features Little Joe, as it guides the rhythm and the flow of it all. From the title, you could probably guess that it’s a fun, witty, and carefree song, to which you’d be right. It never hurts to take a break, to have fun and giggle amidst the reality of life, and this song embodies that feeling fully.

On the surface of listening to this EP, these tracks will sound like club music and club music alone, but what’s special is the thought hidden underneath. Could you imagine bobbing your head to one of the songs, and your knowledgeable friend just goes, “Oh, this one’s about how technology is slowly corrupting the human mind. Fun, right?” Point is, it’s more than what it is on the outside, and it’s what makes “Paradox Room” worth looking into.