Plucky Amsterdam indie outfit Personal Trainer have dropped a new song called “Key Of Ego”, a high-wired, hook-jammed tune that loosely examines founder and cheerleader Willem Smit’s own ambivalent relationship with masculinity. “I would rather see myself as a question-type-of-guy than an answer-type-of-guy. For me, that translates to being a vague-gesture-type-of-writer. Which I like, but can get really insecure about. I’m not too sure what ‘Key Of Ego’ is about yet, but I think it has something to do with masculinity, machismo, and shame.”
“Key Of Ego” is a firecracker of everything: rumbling basslines, gang vocals, synth breaks, distorted guitars, a horn section, and even a sample of an orchestra performing a Bach piece. Disparate sounds collide during the single’s near five-minute runtime, encapsulating in one song what has made Personal Trainer such a thrilling prospect thus far.
After collaborating with none other than Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus whilst performing in closely related outfit Canshaker Pi, Personal Trainer offer a more freewheeling method of operation for Smit. It’s a more impulse-driven project with a revolving cast of scene dwellers, with a prime directive to create wholesome mischief together. On stage, Personal Trainer is jam-packed with familiar indie-rock hijinks amplified into a big-hearted pop direction.
Listen to “Key Of Ego” below, visually adorned with nifty stop-motion animations.
