Calgary, AB art duo HAIR CONTROL (Ryan Bourne & Rebecca Reid) share “TV in the Afterlife,” an anthemic synth-pop workout jam that transcends both the celebratory and the existential. Ebullient art pop with dream-drenched ‘80s-inspired textures, the track transforms apocalypse anxiety and digital-era disconnection into a strangely uplifting, physically charged release.

Originally written by Ryan as a three-chord guitar sketch with a post-punk edge, the song first appeared in earlier form on his Plant City record. Revisited through HAIR CONTROL’s lens, it evolved into an ‘80s-leaning synth pop piece with Rebecca stepping in on lead vocals, reshaping it into what the duo affectionately dubs their “existential workout jams.”

Lyrically, “TV in the Afterlife” muses on waning attention spans, engineered isolation, apocalypse anxiety, the threat of technofascism, and the consolation, as well as the existential horror, of “never being alone”. Rather than settling into dystopia, the track pushes through it, arriving at a defiant celebration of human connection – a kind of sexy, spiritual illumination realizing itself in spite of the trouble we’re in.

Production leans fully into HAIR CONTROL’s signature aesthetic: immersive, psychedelic, and dance-forward, where lo-fi instincts meet expansive electronic design. The result is both playful and profound, balancing satire with sincerity in equal measure.

Arpeggiated synths, pulsing rhythms, and layered hooks turn existential weight into something almost physical. “TV in the Afterlife” is a song that registers as much in the body as it does in the ears.