As Ukiyo’s latest release, ‘Make it Better’, echoes in your ears, it’s easy to drift off on a dreamy journey through the clouds, eventually making your way to a futuristic landscape of tall, neon buildings flashing below in a blur of colours.

A pulsating, electronic track, ‘Make it Better’ takes the listener through a musical journey of what it’s like to live with anxiety, and to eventually breakthrough into something beautiful.

Starting soft and quiet with a steady synth line, the track immediately begins to paint a calming scene which eventually becomes coupled with the reverbed lyrics, ‘Inside, inside, I don’t know where I’ve been.’

It creates a mystical feeling that displaces the listener, letting them slip into a relaxed state.

‘This time, this time, it will be different,’ the lyrics state with conviction as the song begins to build. 

The enticing synth slowly drags the listener out of its trance and suddenly snaps them back to reality, almost jolting them awake with overwhelming noise.

The verse aims to represent the stressful feelings of anxiety as the lyrics attempt to declare triumph once again over the now blaring instrumentals.

Approaching the chorus, the instrumentals continue to build until they reach a breakthrough moment, getting to their pinnacle and finally becoming this beautiful mix of energy and inspiration.

It’s a turning point for the piece and represents the victorious moments of getting through anxiety and enjoying life.

When the chorus finally kicks in after the overwhelming build-up, it provides a rewarding sensation for the listener and it simply lets loose.

“I wanted to turn my feelings of anxiety into something beautiful, with the building, whirring synths in the verses representing how I feel in the moment and the chorus recreating the feeling of getting through it,” Ukiyo explains. “I’ve found myself blasting this song in the car ever since. It feels good to finally have a lot more days feeling like the chorus section.”

And the song captures that just perfectly.

The constant dynamic of struggle competing with breakthrough continues and makes for an exciting, vibrant and adventurous musical story that inspires listeners to take on their own anxieties and look towards a brighter future.

Ukiyo’s upcoming self-titled EP, Ukiyo EP, is set for launch on November 13 and will feature ‘Make it Better’ along with a collection of new songs from the Perth artist.

‘Make it Better’ can be streamed right now, and while you listen, pre-order or pre-save Ukiyo LP today!