Charlatan by Mike Vorpal is a searing piece of post-modern commentary wrapped in darkwave textures and guitar-fed dread. As part of his debut solo EP, Memes, the track continues Vorpal’s exploration of existential tension in the digital age, this time targeting deception, manipulation, and the hollow performance of authority.
From the opening moments, the track oozes unease. A vocal sample plays at the beginning, transitioning into layers of synths and faint guitar rhythm like a warning signal, while cold, sharp lyrics cut through the haze with surgical intent. Vorpal’s delivery is both distant and pointed, almost like a voiceover from a dystopian broadcast. The track builds slowly, layering ambient shadows over post-rock structure, until it swells into truth, clawing its way out from under years of noise.
True to the spirit of Memes, the song feels timeless and timely, drawing from grunge aggression, darkwave mood, and experimental flair. Think Nine Inch Nails meets Andy Stott in a fever dream curated by late-night paranoia. With this tune, Vorpal sonically becomes the mirror that reflects it, cracked and uncompromising. A track for deep listeners and late-night thinkers, Charlatan cements Mike Vorpal as one of underground music’s most unsettling and necessary voices.
