DARKER LIGHTER – “BE”
A SPILL EXCLUSIVE VIDEO PREMIERE
Today, Darker Lighter — the captivating project of Los Angeles-based songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Salar Rajabnik is releasing his highly anticipated self-titled debut record. Recorded at the legendary Studio 606 with Grammy-nominated producer and engineer Robert Adam Stevenson (Paul McCartney, Queens of the Stone Age, The Kills, Jeff Beck), Rajabnik brings years of experience from behind the scenes in the indie rock and post-punk worlds. With a resume that includes collaborations with icons like Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, and Kim Gordon, Rajabnik now steps fully into his own sound.
Darker Lighter is Rajabnik’s cathartic exploration of loss, heartbreak, identity, isolation, and political unrest — a deeply personal and emotionally charged debut. Following the singles “Nice To Meet You” and “Open Up, Sunshine,” the album arrives today alongside the release of the focus track, “Be.”
Performing every instrument himself, “Be” is a richly layered and evocative track, blending heavy guitar riffs with a soaring string arrangement. Rajabnik’s lyrics—”you’re on your own, you should have known” and “living in a house won’t make it home“—echo the album’s central themes of longing, disconnection, and the elusive search for belonging. It’s a poignant reflection on the age-old truth: wherever you go, there you are.
Salar Rajabnik (Darker Lighter) on the track, “”Be” is one of the most deeply personal songs i’ve ever written. It’s about a feeling I get often; which is that I find myself feeling out of place. Whether ideologically, artistically or socially, often due to being unwilling to compromise my identity or principles. Themes of biculturalism, socio-political alienation, the fallout and consequences of activism and more influenced the meaning of the tune. The ultimate conclusion of the song is that “The price you pay is who you have to be.”
ARTIST QUOTE
How does it feel to shift from collaborator to solo artist, and to present something as personal and fully realized as your debut under Darker Lighter?
“It actually feels quite natural. A lot of my collaborations in the past were me consciously & enthusiastically choosing to play a support role, understanding how that works within the context of a band or being a session player supporting someone else’s vision. However I’ve always had the Darker Lighter sound/vision/concept in my head, long before I found that moniker. So it was just about acquiring the resources to realize that vision, to have the finished product match that concept. However, playing those support & collaborative roles certainly helped enrich the shift to making it happen.”
Darker Lighter
Darker Lighter
(Independent)
Release Date: May 2, 2025
Purchase Darker Lighter HERE
Purchase “Be” HERE
Artist Links
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BEACHES – SECOND OF SPRING
