Photo: Lola Noir

Tim Koh shares the psychedelic protest smash “Rational Anthem” and announces debut album

We recently fell in love with Tim Koh‘s debut solo song “Fall Into Your Dream”, where he brought all of his years of working with the likes of Ariel Pink to the fore in his own unique way. We’ll get to hear a full album of his idiosyncratic style when he releases In Your Dreams on September 18 through OGenesis Records, and today he’s shared another song from it called “Rational Anthem”.

The pointed new song is a reaction to all the horrific events of recent months, and Koh had this verse to share along with it:

Keep your bags packed and ready to go at all times.
get a haircut and disappear. One sound, Ommm.
become an infusion. the past and the future are indistinguishable.
a post modern lobotomy. I was having a bad air day.

Unbridled liberation from systematic oppressors.
confront the armed paratroopers with a teddy bear.
black voices lead through space and time.
the time is now. We’re gonna change the World!

“Rational Anthem” is not an in-your-face protest song, it’s a fluttering slice of jangly indie that makes use of Koh’s predilection for sonic depth and psychedelic production to give flight to its message. We follow his thoughts up into a birds-eye view of the world, where he sees destruction on the horizon, but rather than downcast, he’s determined: “Yes we are, we’re gonna change the world,” he repeats. This infectious and hope-filled statement lifts the spirits and gets stuck in your head, digging into your mind until you’re convinced that revolution is coming.

If “Rational Anthem” doesn’t sound like a particularly angry protest song, then the single’s cover art and the GRAPHIC video of police brutality at BLM protests that accompany it certainly make his rage clear. You’ve been warned – watch the video below.

Tim Koh’s debut album In Your Dreams comes out through Tim Burgess’ OGenesis Recordings on September 18. You can find Koh on Twitter and Bandcamp.