hi. hey. so, the new erk and academics track dropped december 26, 2025 and it’s, uh, hella good.
i mean, that’s not surprising obviously, i really like both of their work and the work of the random bastards collective to which they both belong, based out of umeå, sweden. as i’ve spoken about in previous little pieces i’ve written – i get that for a lot of people, music and media in languages unfamiliar to them, may not immediately hit, but again, i really must challenge anyone who’s curious to check out this collective’s work. there’s something about it, and really everyone within it, this realness, this, like.. depth? i can’t kinda stop myself from saying that, but really, i think that’s why i like it, it’s real music made by real people, it’s got this kind of perfectly imperfect vibe and a lot of self reflection to it.
“liften” is a good example of this, of course, and while my own swedish isn’t good enough to catch the entirety of the song’s meaning, it’s talking about having some difficult conversations with people, difficult conversations about the past, talking things through, mending fences, a desire to bury the axe, etc. i like things like this, because, as i have aged, i’ve really began to understand that one thing most of us are vastly uncomfortable with is, is being wrong, and feeling ashamed.
shame is such a sharp cutting emotion and it can be so devastating to one’s own psyche – most of us would do anything possible to get away from it (i mean except for the freaks who are into that but that’s a whole other blog post). admitting when one is wrong or fucked up and trying to make amends for that is a powerful act – it takes having some pretty big ol’ balls.
i’ve been in that position myself, and things get fucked and messy and you wanna kinda just say “hey let’s just take a lift, talk it out, grab a beer etc”. there’s people in my life right now that i would like to say that to. it’s a rough feeling, and i think that’s what brings a lot of emotion into this song, i mean, at least for me personally. i think we all regret when we fuck up and things get tough with our friends and loved ones.
anyways it’s hella good. and it’s going on my january 2026 playlist.
and i drew a lil doodle while listening.
anyways heres the links: random bastards | spotify | youtube
hospital vespers 