Cinematic and cerebral, Theodore’s “Man and His Tools” is a mesmerizing deep-dive into the self full of hypnotic drive, alternative angst, and intimate energy. The first single off the Greek artist’s forthcoming fourth album is a kaleidoscopic, urgent immersion.
for fans of Radiohead, Hayden Calnin, James Blake, The xx
Stream: “Man and His Tools” – Theodore
A sense of urgency underscore’s Theodore’s first (and likely only) single of the year: After nearly two years spent living through a pandemic, we’ve all been asking ourselves questions about our purpose and place in the world; where are we going, what do we want, and how are we going to get there? Theodore explores all this and more in a song full of raw fervor: Cinematic and cerebral, “Man and His Tools” is a mesmerizing deep-dive into the self full of hypnotic drive, alternative angst, and intimate energy.
I don’t feel anything, I’m getting numb
And when I need to see I use my thumb
Drifting away seems alright
I like to feast with junk when I’m bored
I feel I’m stuffed but I want more
Drifting away seems alright
And if you lose me from sight, shame subsides
But if you stand by me
I wanna run away with you
I wanna sail away with you
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering the music and Theodore Selekos-directed video for “Man and His Tools,” the lead single off Theodore’s forthcoming fourth album The Voyage, out in March 2022. A conceptual space-themed album, The Voyage will serve as the follow-up to 2018’s third LP Inner Dynamics and a slew of singles Theodore released over the past two years.
A Greek multi-instrumentalist, composer, and performer active since the early 2010s, Athens-based Theodore has never been shy of experimentation, sonic exploration, and reinvention. The artist’s first three albums are all distinctive records unto themselves – unique musical experiences that track the multi-dimensional growth of this trailblazing artistic force of nature.
What if it’s right what if it’s wrong
I wanna lie my way up to this world
Drifting away feels alright
I wanna stall you know I wanna crawl
I wanna fake my smile to profit more
Drifting away feels alright
And if you lose me from sight shame subsides
But if you stand by me
I wanna run away with you
I wanna sail away with you
Turbulent and dramatic, “Man and His Tools” blends Theodore’s progressive and alternative styles with an increasingly accessible pop sensibility.
The artist’s melodies are as catchy as they are cathartic. His verses rise to tense highs that find resolution in choruses full of moody release. He builds a vast soundscape out of a deeply vulnerable core: Akin to the work of artists like Radiohead and Hayden Calnin, “Man and His Tools” is experimental and expansive, yet just as human and rooted in the present.
“‘Man and His Tools’ is the starting point of The Voyage,” the artist tells Atwood Magazine. “The inspiration for this song comes from Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is a reflection on how the very first tools (as seen at S. Odyssey’s 1st chapter the dawn of man) have evolved into those that are contributing to the destruction of the earth.”
Director Theodore Selekos helped take the song to the next level for its music video. “Influenced by the spacey elements of the song in combination with the retro era accompanied by a tone of melancholy and dark elements, we wanted to show a man who suffocates in his own daily life,” he explains. “As the track goes on, the protagonist receives multiple messages. While trying to skip them, he eventually ends up accepting them and at the same time his own destiny. In the end, after moving away from the urban landscape and his miserable routine, he is faced with the admission that the transcendence to something new is now a one-way street.”
For Theodore, this is just the beginning of The Voyage – an album that marks a new era for his art and artistry. Stream “Man and His Tools” exclusively on Atwood Magazine, and lose yourself in this visceral song.
And now this hole I dug it’s getting deep
I need this constant noise to get some sleep
Drifting away to feel alright
I need to sail away to see the sun
I need to go I need to run
Drifting away to feel alright
And if you lose me from sight shame subsides
But if you stand by me
I wanna run away with you
I wanna sail away with you
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Stream: “Man and His Tools” – Theodore
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