My ears have been having an affair with Luis Dubuc’s Mystery Skulls for a long time now. I’ve sneaked the logo in once or twice, and MS headlined during James and Stacy’s last date. Luis’ voice and beats keep me going while I create. Unlife often comes to life (or unlife) to the sounds of their first album and the Bandcamp release of their first tracks.

 

I often listen to particular songs on repeat to get into the heads of different characters. Almost all of Unlife’s main characters have their own Mystery Skulls theme. Karrie’s theme, “Magic”, from the album Forever, came to me just as she was being developed as a character. She’s been disappointed and hurt in so many ways, from her loss of her relationship through the loss of her health, dreams, and ultimately her life – and yet her tenacity carries her through. It pairs perfectly with “Magic”’s chorus: “Never give up on / Never give up on / Magic, Magic, Magic”.

 

For me, Stacy’s theme is “Amazing”, off the 2011 EP. “What you got, girl, is something so amazing / Just one smile, girl, is something that can change me.” It described James and Stacy’s relationship. And Jenners and Radar have a joint theme: “Dream”, off the Bandcamp release ULTRA RARE Vol 1. I very much interpret it as being about a young love, and everyone loves Radar – no one more than Jenners.

 

“Ghost” has been James’ theme for a while, but I was so happy when Josh put it into this interlude. There’s something about the song that moves me. Stacy, a Mystery Skulls fan (or so I imagined as I slapped the Skeletor-faced sticker on her laptop) has been “feeling like a ghost / And it’s what [she] hate[s] the most”. Stacy doesn’t exactly leave with an “Irish goodbye”, as Luis puts it, but she’s off on a new adventure. It’s great, and I’m just charged about it.

 

Enjoy your trip, Stacy. See you soon.