Realma is an intimate musical alter-ego of an independent Serbian-Chinese polymodal artist, composer, and songwriter. Rejuvenating with her most recent single, “Down the Railway Spine,” the production teeters on the verge of experimentation between a pop sound reminiscent of a movie and a soundtrack appropriate for a video game. The intense orchestration, which is pulsating and action-packed, is combined with some unusual voice and instrumental elements blended with synth embellishments.
Through songwriting, Realma addresses the mundane in all its light and dark hues, using it as a transformational weapon of escape and reverie. The varied influence of multiple musical genres results in songs with otherworldly sonorities and tales that highlight a range of subjects. Her music has an unmistakably postmodern and atavistic tone that is both melancholic and empowering, realistic and cinematic, and always slightly witchy. The project was the result of a comprehensive audiovisual collaboration with a global network of up-and-coming, independent, and award-winning artists.
The artist was battling PTSD following a traumatic, personal event when they made “Down the Railway Spine.” The song’s title comes from the nineteenth-century phrase “railway spine,” which doctors first used to describe inexplicable symptoms that people in train accidents would endure. At the time, they didn’t realise these symptoms were signs of early PTSD. In this way, the song symbolises Realma’s continuous struggle with an enormous range of mental health symptoms, many of which are antagonistic and conflicting, such as anxiety, depression, emotional numbness, and agitated panic episodes. A powerful song that at times evokes the atmosphere of a cinematic boss fight is created out of the conflict, both musically and lyrically.
Speaking of the track, Realma comments, “Down the Railway Spine is a song that delves deep into my innermost dystopian moments dealing with PTSD. Both the lyrics and the music describe those dark times when I’d been fighting a whirlpool of emotions in episodes of mental deterioration. Yet, there is also a heroic tone to the music, something undefeated, where I address those pieces of us that remain courageous and continue to defy even the eyes of the worst downward spirals. While there is some affinity towards gaming styles like epic tracks from League of Legends, this single is much more experimental with a distinctly experimental edge and highly irregular 7/8 rhythms pulsating throughout. I’m also thrilled to be collaborating again with the award-winning animator, Mihajlo Dragas, whose animated 3D music video represents a unique visual interpretation of the song with poignant characters and powerful storytelling.”