Lo-fi bedroom Synthwave / Electronic artist Animalweapon (née Patrick Cortes) returns with his latest single “Deserve” (Polychromatic Records). The track tackles relatable mental health issues of anxiety and depression. Says Cortes,  “‘It’s about realizing that you don’t deserve to let depression or trauma or anxiety ruin your life, which is something I’ve known I’ve been doing for a very long time, brought into even sharper relief when I recently started going back to therapy with a firmer commitment.”

The lowkey, shimmering track starts off with simple synth and kickdrums that allow Cortes’ vocals to take the spotlight as he reflects on anxiety and self-sabotage. Culminating in a pastoral soundscape of percussion, synths, and a choir of backing vocoders that ebb into a textural catharsis, Cortes drives home the narrative of the song; that he deserves happiness; not to be held back by trauma and depression. 

The track is a self-realization of sorts, allowing him to examine his own impulses and actions. He explains, “It’s about coming to terms with the idea of ‘Hey, what if I didn’t self-sabotage all the time? At what point have I had enough? What if I just allowed myself to believe that I deserve to be happy?’”