SIGN OF LIFE - SINGLE RELEASE 06.12.2019

'Sign of Life' - single due for release 06.12.2019

Just a few months ago my uncle Keith recited a new poem he had been working on, a piece titled 'Sign of Life'- this was by no means a new thing for uncle Keith to do, he'd always had a way with words and was born with a writers heart, not just any writer, but almost teetering on the Shakespearean type of traditional English writing- according to my mom, he used to pace the room in their modest childhood home in Port Elizabeth- avidly reciting poetry that he had written.

Coming of age, he continued writing in his own time, between his photographic profession, his fantastical drawing style and even between his passion for the horses (the racing kind), by the time my brother and I came of age and actually started taking our music seriously, Keith would often recite a new poem or perhaps dig out a piece of dusty paper with an older one he had written, whether old or new, his writing has always held the perfect structure to be in balance with a song or piece of music, and Aden (my brother) and myself often took to translating ,without too much effort, the writings and poetry of Keith, into sweet music, where those poems would transform from words on a piece of paper into a whirling dance of energy through sound. My partner, Faye has also played a part in bringing some of these poems to life through her own beautiful compositions.

When a few months back, Keith recited 'Sign of Life' -a piece about a yearning, a longing for real human and spiritual connection within this new and somewhat impersonal digital age we find ourselves in, a sad and brutally honest look at where we have come, and where we may be going- I instantly felt the emotions stirring up, I recognized those feelings, something I had felt for so long, but could not find the words, I would often deal with these feelings through frustration, impatience and anger, and now my dear uncle, a man in his seventies, a man, like most of us, who has been submerged into a totally foreign world to the one he grew up in, was now reciting this heart-wrenching poem to me.

I quickly asked him to recite the poem again and without haste, scribbled the words down in my diary, a few days later after work-shopping some ideas, I went into my studio, set up a few microphones, and put the lyrics to a piece of music I had been working on, it took a good few hours of recording the textures and different instruments in the very house I had grown up in, in the tropical Eden of my hometown, a few days of mixing and listening and in no time 'Sign of Life' had become a little more than a poem, it had been given something more than words, and in a way, in itself became a real sign of life.

The thing about 'Sign of Life' is that It doesn't matter your age, your background, your culture or your world view. The words invoke so much emotion and deals with a subject that is constantly shoved into all of our faces on a daily basis in these times we are living in, the digital revolution, it serves as a reminder to look at ourselves, at our loved ones, at our community and the world around us, and somehow, someway, connect to the real source of life.

The release date for 'Sign of Life' is the 6th Dec 2019.
The single will be available on South Sea Records and all major digital platforms.

Keith Erasmus - Lyricist for 'Sign of Life'
Photography by Andre Swart

Sign of Life

"There's a signal and a siren that is running through my mind.

There's a gadget that connects me to all of humankind.

There's an entity that tells me everything I need to know,

and an artificial additive to everything they grow.

But I need a sign, some sign of life,

an act of human kindness.

Some shred of hope to make it right,

and love to cure the blindness.

There's a mode of entertainment to suit my every need,

and a logical explanation for every act of greed.

There's a recurring memory of the way it used to be,

when children had a childhood and a sense of history.

 But I need a sign, some sign of life,

an act of human kindness.

Some shred of hope to make it right,

and love to cure the blindness."