Chaos, Crowds, Hungry – Proletarian Poetry open the battle
The song ‘Hunger Games’ hits me like a cool breeze in the face – direct, clear, unadorned. As the opener of the 5‑track EP Times Of Trouble, Proletarian Poetry, hailing from Sweden, shows what synth pop can be in 2025: minimalistic, cold, with clear EBM influences.
I admit that with such a political artist, I am initially sceptical as to whether the message will be presented too bluntly – even the band name raises this expectation. But musically, ‘Hunger Games’ wins me over. The one-word lines in the verses (‘Chaos’, ‘Crowds’, “Hungry”, ‘Thirsty’) leave plenty of room for interpretation and thus develop an intensity that I perceive not as a wagging finger, but as an oppressive image of a dystopian reality.
The chorus with the recurring line "It's like the hunger games / No place for the weak" strikes me as a mantra-like statement that has burned itself into my mind. Here, Proletarian Poetry not only takes up a scenario from literature and pop culture, but also creates this feeling of despair and helplessness in sonic form.
Listen to "Proletarian Poetry – Hunger Games" on Spotify
Listen to "Proletarian Poetry – Hunger Games" on Bandcamp
Lyrics of "Proletarian Poetry – Hunger Games"
Chaos
Crowds
Waiting
Waiting
Hungry
Thirsty
Hungry
Thirsty
Waiting
Waiting
Increasing
Desperation
It’s like the hunger games
No place
for the weak…
They watch amused
and then
raise their guns…
Chaos
Crowds
Tired
Stressed
Waiting
Terrified
Terrified
Death
Weeping
Paniched
Hungry
Thirsty
Waiting
Paralyzed
Paralyzed
by stretch
It’s like the hunger games
No place
for the weak…
They watch amused
and then
raise their guns…
It’s like the hunger games
No place
for the weak
They watch amused
and raise their guns
and shoot.
