Local Artist, lost spaces Explores An Edgier Persona With His New Track Release ‘face the dark’

By Quinny Tan • 13 Jan 2023 in Features

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lost spaces, the local artist that gave us the heartfelt bops of 2022 and is known for his indie-synth pop music, isn’t stopping anytime soon.

The artist, Sam Lopez, began lost spaces as a means to escape from the world and sort out the mess in his own mind, which I’m sure many of us can relate to.

In 2022 alone, he’s played at Edelweiss and House of Guinness shows, was the supporting act for Indonesian star Ramengvrl, and played alongside every Malaysian’s favourite boyband, Midnight Fusic.

Aside from live shows, he’s also been releasing new tracks and given us ‘daydream’, ‘DOMO (dancing on my own)’, ‘touch/feelings’ in collaboration with JAIE, and ‘Over and Over’ with RESORT, yue., and h u e.

But his latest and first track of 2023, ‘face the dark’ takes a different turn. It provides a change in pace and evolution of lost spaces and his sound, exploring an edgy and gritty persona.

Sam wrote this song as a release of pent-up frustration with failing relationships due to his slightly existential, angsty outlook on the world. He drew inspiration from his favourite anime – Bleach, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Chainsawman – building the soundscapes of the song to match the aesthetic of these shows.

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As the chorus goes, “We can go on and on until we reach the night, but could you face the dark?”, it reflects on the darker side of pursuing a creative career. He reaches out from his loneliness yet pulls away from people, afraid to hurt the ones around him.

Having grown up with pop-punk roots in the early 2000s, the song heavily borrows from that era, blending that with his usual indie synth-pop sound that has been a distinctive staple since the artist’s debut in 2018.

Listening to the song itself, the intro paints the scene of a dark, ambient basement party where the main protagonist is searching (or hiding), for someone in the crowd.

That combination with the lyrics, “Like a memory replayed with a cassette” sets you in the mood for some heavy existentialism and reminiscing. Yet with the pop rhythm, this one’s sure to be a track to play while you’re cruising on late-night drives.

The constant repetition of “could you face the dark?” puts listener’s in Sam’s shoes, questioning if anyone around him could embrace his darker sides, and if he could face them himself.

With the numerous levels of meaning this track has to offer, you’d get hooked instantly and find it hard to stop replaying.

Check out the sure-fire chart topper on all streaming platforms, out now! And expect new music every month from lost spaces until his album officially drops.