This year’s autumn has covered the sky not just with grey, but with a test of resilience. Sometimes, the only thing left for me to do is seek warmth and energy in music. It was during one such moment, while in a half-sleep search, that I stumbled upon a track that mirrored my inner state and, at the same time, offered a way out. This is “Runway” by Melancholic Bird, my fellow countryman from Ukraine. And it turned out that this chillstep is like a sound instruction manual for my flight despite the turbulence.
The composition begins like a soft yet deep inhale. Initially, I hear cautious, melancholic echoes of vocal samples, like the muted whisper of memories. In the background, a quiet, philosophical piano unfolds. It sounds as if it already knows all the answers but has decided to continue its journey. And then — abruptly, but not aggressively — the beat and percussion burst in. It’s like a stream of cold water rousing me from the autumn dormancy. The piano gains new conversationalists: ringing, high notes that create the elusive feeling of cautious optimism. I don’t feel certainty yet, but I see that the strip for acceleration is ready.
At the track’s epicenter, an almost cinematic pause occurs. A gentle fade-out, the cutting of frequencies—and the sound becomes quieter than the beginning. This is a true “island of respite,” a moment where my breath catches from the emotions experienced. Deep reflection. And then, into this fragile silence, the familiar atmosphere bursts in again. But now it is filled not with cautious hope, but with genuine relief. The rhythm accelerates, the vocal sample repeats with more confidence, as if my expectations have already come true. Gentle pads, like the cosmic tails of comets, stretch out this pleasure. The beat and percussion become just the tempo with which I move towards the final point of my own inspiration, for I am already drowned in the melodies that heal.
“Runway” is incredibly pure energy. It doesn’t aim to push you into depression, even though it is capable of bringing a lump to the throat. This is the music that forces one to feel alive, to realize the full depth of sorrow, only to then rise above it and take flight. And for that, for the opportunity to turn melancholy into a runway, I want to thank the author.
P.S. If you enjoyed this journey into the world of deep and melancholic chillstep, I also recommend diving into the atmosphere of future garage and saxophone in our article about Kaiori Breathe – “Wounded Animals”.
