Preoccupations – MUR

Preoccupations share two outtakes from their Ill At Ease album sessions, released earlier this year. The Calgary post-punk band released “MUR” and “PONR”, both tracks that didn’t make the final album. The tracks are available digitally and as a limited 7-inch on Born Losers Records.

“MUR” leans aggressive and anthemic. Bandleader Matt Flegel describes it as translating overwhelming helplessness into sound, building tension until it breaks into an unburdening of rage. The track comes with a found-footage-style video featuring distorted clips of police and military forces.

“PONR” takes a different approach with sprawling new wave textures. Flegel sets it in a distant future where nostalgia’s dead. You discover relics that feel new and incredible, not knowing that superior versions existed before. Eventually, you grow tired and burn it all, trying to create something better. It’s about disappointment and the human need to tear things down and start fresh.

Ill At Ease arrived in May as the follow-up to 2022’s Arrangements. These two tracks showcase different sides of the band’s sound: one is explosive and direct, while the other is atmospheric and dystopian.