Indie songwriter and producer H-dMan Such brings the chilling meditative incantation of Slovak DIY studio work, Room Thirteen (The Key You Hold) which is a lyrical treat taking an intimate confession and turning it into something enormous. This song does not simply sound but smothers and makes an atmosphere in which each listener becomes a witness and a participant of something extremely personal.
There is a compelling intensity in the vocal style adopted by H-dMan Such. His gravelly baritone, allied with a finely tuned reverb, is able to render layers of emotional depth which, albeit distant, are always right there in front of you. They are all pregnant statements with implications of stories that one cannot count all but at the same time are made accessible to magnetize the listeners duly into the emotional essence of the song. It has a dreamlike melodic structure which is also melancholic yet resilient at the same time.
The musical score is restrained on an advanced level. Atmospheric guitar work offers a backdrop to the song with rhythmic content such as tribal-infused percussion and solid bassline setting up impossible resistance. The entire sonic textures are reminiscent of the ambient vastness of Spiritualized but with the electronic soul that is reminiscent of early Depeche Mode. The analog approach of production involves the use of all the instrumental voices to have a place of their own, giving them a warmth and dimensional clarity.
H-dMan such Themes of isolation and yearning are explored in such a way that both the philosophical and the cinematic aspects are present. The outcome addresses general themes of disconnection and want, and as a result, the music is more intimate than it is universal, inclusive, and broad. As the song makes its way through a number of curated playlists in Spotify, Room Thirteen is a potent artifact of the artist wholly dedicated to the idea of going through with his vision, converting raw emotion into a transcendental experience.
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