Deep Dive: wolfbabycup – NPC

NPC by wolfbabycup is a dark and atmospheric piece of music, one where the pop aesthetic of Saint Etienne meets the brooding tones of Ladytron and TR/ST.

After getting an early hearing of the NPC, we asked them to take us on a Deep Dive of the song, to which they graciously agreed.

Genesis of the song and lyrics 

I often experience this thing called sonder, where you have this realization that everyone around you has a life as vivid and complex as your own.

For me it’s a powerful, almost overwhelming empathy that washes over me and makes me want to know what they are feeling, if they are ok, what they are trying to do, what makes them feel good, what are they worried about, what are their dreams?  All the hate and division we are seeing in the world is the consequence of not just loving each other and really seeing each other. 

Instrumentation and recording

We started playing with this industrial-sounding arpeggiated synth and fell in love with the sound. We kept it minimal and layered in some simple 80s synthwave-sounding melody. We created and recorded this in our garage.

Making the video

We are working on a video showing people just doing their thing, sharing something about themselves or their lives that they want people to see and hear and feel – both the good and the bad. We are going to try to make the viewer feel that feeling of sonder and hopefully be able to develop that capability to tune into that and use it to connect with the people they come in contact with.

Where does this particular track fit within your wider body of work?

The theme it deals with – exploring existence and feelings and questioning – is at the core of our music. But we mostly focus on our own relationship and private world. This one feels a little more political, more focused outward than usual.

What are you up to in the coming months?

We’ve been releasing singles over the last year; we have a few more songs to finish, and then we are planning to collect them all into a proper album, and then we can close out that chapter and start the next one. We’re having fun playing local shows and making new music and connecting with people around the world through music. 

You can listen to NPC more music from the duo over on Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Spotify. Keep up with all the latest news from wolfbabycup by following them on Instagram or signing up to their mailer.