By Charlie Maybee
Miami based alternative R&B singer and rapper, Ike Rhein, has returned with his second single of year, a moody track titled “Violin.” Along with the track, he has also released a brand-new music video that sways in somber blue tones.
Building on a discography of songs primarily focused on love and relationships, this song explores notions of selfishness when it comes to romance. “The song captures the turning point in life where a person starts to notice their self-worth and self-value.” Ike Rhein continues, “It shows that the best way to see value in other people is to build value in yourself.”
Throughout the music video, we see Rhein in a state of contemplation as he rides around aimlessly in his car. We get some glimpses of burning violins and cellos in the background as he repeatedly comes back to the mantra, “The noise won’t go away / So Imma play it like a violin”. As we see him talking through complicated feelings with an unnamed woman, the vibe mood swings between seduction and depression.
There’s no clear resolve to the situation by the end of the video, but “Violin” does manage to explore the gray area of romantic relationships where you can simultaneously be attracted to someone while also feeling isolated. These problems won’t go away on their own, so Rhein spins his beats and rhymes to make sense of this complicated state of being betwixt and between.
“Violin” is available on major streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, Deezer, Pandora, and YouTube. You can also find it on the Alchemical Records Multigenre Mixture playlist on YouTube and Spotify.
Charlie Maybee is a dancer, musician, educator, and writer based in Charleston, South Carolina who currently teaches with the Dance Program at the College of Charleston. His primary work as an artist is with his performing collective, Polymath Performance Project, through which he makes interdisciplinary performance art that centers tap dance as the primary medium of expression and research. He also currently plays rhythm guitar for the Charleston-based punk band, Anergy, and releases music as a solo artist under the name Nox Eterna.
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
