Obsidian is a nod to peers like Burial or Machinedrum, with a distinct sonical focus on the theme of isolation and loneliness. While preserving his anonymity, Rookley gives a deep look into his most intimate thoughts with the release of his new single, accompanied by a short text about how he found his way to deal with problems arising from social distancing:
“Get used to talking with your ghosts and your memories and the pain will slide away leaving you in peace. At least that's what happens to me.
Isolation is powerful: you just need to choose which way you wanna go.”
Rookley has his roots in Italy but started at an early age to produce electronic music based in his small apartment in Brooklyn, New York. His music evokes a dense atmosphere of neon city lights, dark, rainy Manhattan alleyways and the nostalgia of observing the beauty of a metropolis and its inhabitants.
There is no face to the Rookley project. The artist refrains from all superficiality, choosing to put all the focus on his sound, creation and artistic message.
The story of Obsidian are experiences made during the Corona quarantine in Italy, where hundreds of people in his small town were struck by the sickness: The tranquillity of isolation is reflected in his song, as much as the fight for an clear and unweakened mind shows through the ephemeral vocals he used for his composition. Droning synths accompanied by industrial percussive elements shape the dark, soothing yet charged aura of the track, while the soft, longing vocal samples draw the listener into a world that could be straight out of one of Lorn’s music videos.