“The Midnight Sun” is the latest single from Detroit producer Peace to Mateo. The track is inspired by the Twilight Zone episode of the same name. The song mimics the heightened reality of the 50s science fiction anthology with earnest admiration for the slightly askew. Combining a feverish collection of guitars, scratches, and drum breaks, the heat is broken by shadows of cool, cascading synth lines.

The plot for the Twilight Zone episode follows an artist named Norma and her landlady in their New York apartment building as the Earth slowly drifts into the sun. The episode culminates in a surreal twist ending, with the artist stating “Isn’t it wonderful to have darkness, and coolness?” and her landlady responds “Yes, my dear. It’s… wonderful.”

On what drew him to the themes presented in the episode, Mateo states “When I was younger, every New Years Day they’d play a marathon of The Twilight Zone on the Sci Fi channel. I think watching those episodes at age 10 or 11 played a formative part in my narrative and visual tastes. My favorite episodes were The Midnight Sun and A Nice Place to Visit, so when I found an audio version of the former on cassette at a Goodwill, it inspired me to explore those themes musically.”

The song kicks off the forthcoming album “Slow Trip Home,” which ends a spiritual trilogy of instrumental albums that Mateo has been releasing since 2015. Written primarily on a Casio MG-510 MIDI guitar, the album is a return to form for the instrumentalist/producer.

“I started making music in high school, recording my Stratocaster directly into Garageband and writing riffs over the stock drum loops. In college I shifted my attention to making hip-hop beats with a MIDI keyboard, which later evolved into making electronic music. Now it feels like I can combine those three eras of my writing process, making the Casio MG-510 the perfect instrument for me.”

Slow Trip Home arrives late April on the Naturally Digital record label. Pre-orders now available on Bandcamp

Written and Produced by Peace to Mateo
Mastered by Eddie Logix
Cover Photo by Sidd Finch

© 2024 Naturally Digital

1. The Midnight Sun