Hidden Beams drops new Single/Video

Hidden Beams might not be the only solo-powered experimental pop project making some productive noise in 2020, but if you listen to the new single and music video “Hidden,” you’ll definitely understand why Carlos Argon’s latest work is attracting the buzz it is at the moment. There’s a fragility to the words he laces into the music in this track that immediately alludes to a deeper emotional narrative at hand – and one that lyrics could only slightly touch on in this setting. He’s pulling out the stops to give us an immersive but surprisingly minimalist effort in surrealism here, and I personally think it’s some of the more provocative content you’re going to see in the month of October. 

URL: https://www.hiddenbeams.com/

The postmodernity in “Hidden” is often concealed by the seamless polish that washes over the strings from the moment they first make an appearance in the master mix to the very instant the music fades out of focus and we’re left with a bitter silence in its place. While it’s obvious this was deliberate, I don’t know whether or not the tension this scheme inevitably creates was; nonetheless, it’s something that keeps me on the edge of my seat anytime I give the song a spin. 

Overall, I would say this single was produced as straightforwardly as an experimentalist like Argon could allow for, given his complete vision and obvious priorities as a recording artist (as they’ve been presented to us here, at the very least). The true multilayered component to “Hidden” has nothing to do with studio cosmetics and literally everything to do with the way this composition was stylized right out of the box – which, in my estimation, was to stimulate us with as many tonal fireworks as it does textural riddles supported by an equally poetic lyrical narrative. 

I would have liked a little more from the vocal in a few of the more cathartic twists in “Hidden,” but this is precisely the sort of forgivable sin I could only wish to come across in my examinations of mainstream pop in 2020. There’s so self-righteousness getting in the way of our understanding the monolithic emotional core in this single, and that alone sets it as far apart from the FM dial as a song should be allowed to travel before slipping into the realm of inaccessible underground material (the best of which occasionally rivals major label output at its most commercial). 

Distro Kid: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/hiddenbeams/hidden

While I’m just now getting to know the Hidden Beams project alongside everyone else hearing “Hidden” for the very first time this October, I already am looking forward to hearing more of what Carlos Argon can compose for this new journey. There are countless possibilities lying ahead, and depending on how he chooses to shape the sound he’s already produced here, I think there’s a good shot Argon could win over some mainstream love a lot sooner than some of his zanier contemporaries ever could. He has the right chops, and now it’s just a matter of putting them to work the right way. 

Mindy McCall