With the release of “Streetlights,” we have found our next sonic storyteller in Canberra-based producer Jackson Night, whose haunting soundscapes could easily serve as the epic score to your favourite romance film.
“Streetlights” is a haunting, echoey exploration of suburban isolation, complete with intricate layering and a rock band’s full backing. As Night’s guitar strums open the track, his lyrics evoke the feelings of damp-eyed cul-de-sacs and hazy memories.
But it’s the hypnotic progression that hooks you, building gradually towards an almost orchestral climax. With a subtle vocal performance and minimal lyrics, Night takes you on a soundscape adventure that feels both introspective and cinematic.
Inspired both by shoegaze post-rock acts such as Sigur Ros, Arcane Roots and Leaving Time, Streetlights was written during the height of the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, and sees Night reflect on the numbness and confusion he felt at the time after relocating back to Sydney. Though it marks his most recent release, Streetlights is actually the first song in Night’s discography, adding to the producer’s previous singles Faith and A Temporary Sense of Control.
The former single, released in February of last year, draws lyrical inspiration from the likes of Frank Ocean and Bon Iver, while A Temporary Sense of Control makes use of electronic synthesisers and drum machines. While those previous singles outline the trajectory of Night’s catalogue, Streetlights finds him at his most cinematic, serving as the climax in a three-part sonic epic.
Elsewhere, Night has released projects under the moniker Arclight, with a self-titled EP arriving in 2020. The producer also collaborated with his sister Wiska to release the singles Tryst, To Rest and Broken, and has mixed and mastered work for the screen composer Daniel Duque. With an impressive list of credits to his name and a stellar trio of singles already released, Jackson Night is just getting started.
Listen to Streetlights below, and keep an eye out for the release of Jackson Night’s upcoming solo project due out soon.
