Some of the aesthetic qualities of the song reflect this, for example the layered and harmonised vocal loops are indicative of the thousands of voices in her head. The lyrical content is a big factor that makes this song so identifiable to it’s target audience. With lines such as “I’m hearing voices in my head and they’re not mine” and “a thousand voices howling in my head” it’s apparent that this song deals with the internal struggles of the writer and the mental issues that they are facing. This, tied with their extremely effective use of synthesizers, and lyrical content that is actually thought provoking as opposed to completely mindless, shows that they’re conscious that audiences want more than just an electronic beat and auto-tuned vocals.

Their use of live instruments and various effect pedals shows a high level of musicianship, and incorporates rock elements into their music. Phantogram have incorporated some of the best elements from a number of different genres to create a track that challenges the way electronic music is commonly perceived. It’s very common for electronic/pop music to be shallow in the sense that it doesn’t generally deal with heavy social issues, instead it’s usually just music to dance to, however Black Out Days doesn’t conform to this stereotype. Lyrically, Black Out Days deals will mental instability but is backed by an upbeat track with a driving beat and an irresistibly catchy melody. Phantogram are an electronic rock duo who incorporate a layered mix of live and synthetic instruments to create wall-of-sound type live performances. Black Out Days is the second track on their 2014 album ‘Voices’, which primarily identifies with a 16-30 year-old target audience.Īt a time when mainstream electronic music commonly comes under fire for being one-dimensional music with little substance, Phantogram have broken these stereotypes by creating a blend of electronic and rock music with powerful vocals and lyrical themes that are relevant to youth culture.

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