When the world ends, will you think of me? In a broad sense, this is the question that B Sides From The Bedroom: The Unextinguishable Throwaways asks and answers. With a whopping 22 songs, the latest album from Aurora-born-and-raised rapper ReSrface is an experimental compilation of “throwaways:” music that was shelved, forgotten and rediscovered, cut from previous projects, or unfinished–all recorded in his bedroom studio. In his own words, it’s a “Demo tape” of music he “never intended to release.” But in taking stock of his backlog, he began to visualize how the orphaned tracks could be reconfigured into a larger narrative. On B Sides he weaves these songs into two parallel storylines, a heartbreak and an apocalypse, thematically connected by the devastation they leave in their wake.
Let me first explain that using some insight from ReSrface. Here’s what the abstract concept was in the artist’s mind: a rapper at the peak of his career (we shall call him Future ReSrface) survives an alien invasion leading to the end of the world as we know it. He travels across a post-apocalyptic no-man’s land, grieving and reflecting on the life he lost while navigating an uncertain future (check out the visual for “4 Score Intro”). But on B Sides, this dystopian scenario translates as an allegory for a breakup, where the loss of a past life is framed as the end of a relationship. There are lots of potential links to explore here. A breakup can feel like the end of the world (Or at least, the end of a world). Losing the future you imagined for yourself is its own kind of heartbreaking. The urgent feeling of nostalgia on B Sides is triggered by a sense of impending doom. When unable to face the future, of course we turn to the past and seek solace in memories. On songs like “SPEED DIAL” (featuring the ethereal Brooklynn), “Rainy Clouds,” and “Loving Too”, they’re memories of young love. The turn-up tracks like “Been Saucing,” “Ancient Shooter,” and the certified banger “Nu Uh” represent Future ReSrface reliving the highs of his former life. “I’m Breathing,” “Don’t Be Surprised” (a totally unexpected but very satisfying pop punk song), and the final track “Makes No Sense 2022” approach acceptance and allow Future ReSrface to move on from the past–whether that’s a past love or a past life.
From a lyrical standpoint, this elaborate two-sided plotline isn’t obvious. It’s not like he’s directly referencing alien invasions or post-apocalyptic survival tactics. Instead, this layer of the story is added sonically through ReSrface’s production choices (the whole album is produced by him except where otherwise noted), using unconventional audio motifs (like rain, thunder, car alarms, static electricity, mechanical clicks and beeps, waves crashing, explosions, screams, giggles, and newscaster soundbites) to build the universe where these songs live. The distortion of everyday sounds evokes the eerie ambiance of a post-apocalyptic world, but the lyrics themselves yearn for the life that preceded it. That duality feels like the crux here: a longing for the past competing with an acceptance (and ultimately a triumph over) a bleak future.
Known for his deft hand with obscure samples, ReSrface takes retro-sounding samples with an emphasis on romantic strings and combines them with electric guitar riffs and futuristic synths, underscoring the clash between past, present, and future. Every time I hear a sample on a ReSrface beat, it feels instantly familiar. So I always ask him where they come from, and without fail, there’s no way I could’ve ever actually heard the original. Do you understand how powerful that is? ReSrface is able to create such an intense atmosphere of nostalgia that I suddenly feel sentimental towards a song I don’t know at all. He may not consider B Sides to be as polished as some of his other projects, but I think that’s what makes it so compelling for me. If you’re going to pour unfiltered emotion into your music, you might as well serve it bloody and raw. Especially if the alternative is to just keep it to yourself. Freed from the pursuit of perfection, ReSrface delivers his most poignant, honest, and personal release to date.
And does he regret putting it out? No. As he told me, the album “Has fully served its purpose” by dragging him out of a creative rut. Now he’s working on a short film to accompany B Sides (which will really lean into the apocalypse concept), plus a few individual music videos, an EP experimenting with a totally different sound, a feature-laden album, his own performance series On The Lawn, and God knows what else. I feel like he’s back in touch with the guy who wrote (two years ago, on “Makes No Sense 2022”), “Way too much heart/So I keep a dream nobody could tear apart/I think it’s destiny, I speak and they see the spark/So yes I am a fiend for rapping and making art.” Be a fiend for your art! I spend a lot of time with artists, and I know they spend a lot of time in their heads. So let this be a lesson: do the weird thing if it feels right. Drop long, meandering projects if it helps you tell a story. Record songs that only make sense to you. Who cares!
What you think no one will connect with could be your most powerful message. ReSrface almost cut “Makes No Sense 2022” from this project, and it’s my favorite song out right now. The cheerfully irreverent finale to B Sides is a much-needed affirmation that better days are ahead (even though it was written two years ago and we’re still waiting for them), and it’s been on repeat for me since E*ection D*y. (B Sides dropped on Halloween, but this whole album really hits different after the renewed sense of existential dread bestowed on me courtesy of U.S. politics.) I’ve been using the chorus as a self-soothing mantra, and it has genuinely carried me through the past few months. These aren’t throwaways at all. B Sides yanks on the heartstrings in a way few highly-curated studio albums manage to do. Hell, when the world ends, I’ll probably still be bumping this album.
B Sides From The Bedroom: The Unextinguishable Throwaways is out now on all music platforms.
And just a sappy little P.S. to finish this off: I’m so fucking proud of ReSrface, man. If I can put you on to one single Colorado artist, it’s this guy. If you have the chance to see him perform, GO. He just gets better and better, and I can promise y’all aren’t even ready for what he has in the chamber.
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