And like Stories, its limited success in wrestling deeper expressiveness from those tropes magnifies the tragedy of his death. Like Bergling’s 2015 Stories, not to mention the True Stories doc, Tim suggests a talent constrained by both mainstream EDM formalism and its culture. With its predictably uplifting builds and studiously bright melodies (some purchased: “S.O.S.” interpolates TLC’s “No Scrubs,” Blacc singing “I don’t need my drugs” in place of the original’s “I don’t want no scrub”), one might reasonably come away from Tim as the testimony of a man determined not to succumb to darkness. But the music here isn’t so easy to read. In “Bad Reputation,” singer Joe Janiak describes feeling “lost out at sea” and “down, down, down low,” sleeplessly worrying his toxic mood and reputation is “gonna follow me wherever I go.” By “Ain’t A Thing,” an exasperated voice (Swedish singer Bonn), declaresĪnd all the parties will be long, long goneīergling’s songs were never known for their emotional complexity. Flexible soul man Aloe Blacc, who voiced Avicii’s monster country-EDM crossover “Wake Me Up,” here testifies to insomnia, pleads to a lover to “help me put my mind to rest,” and notes “a pound of weed and a bag of blow” as an apparent second option. The opening track “Peace of Mind” complains of society “moving way too fast for me,” and the need for “a little bit of silence.” On the single “S.O.S.” (streamed 179 million times on Spotify in its first 2 months, not counting remixes or the 40 million who viewed the tearjerking fan testimonial video). However reflective the lyrics may be of Bergling’s mindset during his final months, anyone inclined to read Tim as an extended suicide note will find supporting material. Thematically, the mood tilts dark, which is certainly on trend in the pop world. But the music on Tim is in step with what Bergling had been doing in recent years, namely, trying to meld EDM’s on-the-ground bliss with pop’s in-the-ear bliss. Of course, as with any posthumous release - especially one trading at this scale - there’s financial incentive at work, and no main creator to ask about intent. Still, many songs feel like stems: half the 12 tracks are three minutes or under just two extend past four. The press release suggests Tim was near-complete before Bergling’s death, and his co-producers have taken pains to justify the project (in one case, salvaging MIDI data to duplicate notes exactly as Bergling played them). And his apparent suicide, following a decision to quit touring in the interest of self-preservation, was similarly crushing to a huge fan community. His relentless drive, meteoric rise, elfin beauty and substance abuse issues brought to mind Kurt Cobain. Emma Bowman adapted it for the Web.Tim Bergling’s struggles were laid disturbingly bare in the film Avicii: True Stories – the story of a superstar DJ-cum-pop star whose fame and breakneck touring regimen left him a physical and emotional wreck. NPR's Dustin DeSoto and Liz Baker produced and edited this story for broadcast. "It became almost like a comfort to work on these songs and to have them, to listen to, to remember and to think back on the whole process how they were put together." "That song sums up the record for me," he says.Īnd Falk has managed to treasure the positive memories. It's an up-and-down contrast that's mirrored in the mixed emotions Falk felt throughout the album's production. "And the contrast between slow and fast should be the thing." "Then, when the melody drop part came, it would almost be double tempo," he says. "The rest of it was all about him."Īvicii - who in 2016 announced his retreat from the world tour lifestyle after years of hard partying had taken a toll on his health - wanted to write a song that felt really slow, Falk says. "It was one of those songs that finished because Tim couldn't decide what should be the verse and what should be the chorus," he says.Īvicii's slow piano is heard in the track's intro. The Two-Way Electronic Dance Music Superstar Avicii Dies At 28
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