Animals In Denial's Latest Track "Operator" - Disconnect Never Sounded This Alive

Every once in a while, a song comes along that feels like a transmission from another world. Something familiar yet unsettling. “Operator”, the latest single from Animals in Denial lives in that strange in-between space. It’s a track that pulses with cyberpunk energy,a fusion of steel and skin that blurs the line between connection and collapse.

It starts out with dark synths, urgent beats and a tension that builds beneath each verse. But beneath the digital polish is something deeply human - a story of distance, heartbreak and the ache of reaching for someone who is no longer there. It's a rare thing - an industrial song that still manages to bleed.

The song’s origins reach back decades. Its beat was born in the mind of Animals in Denial founder Christian Imes when he was just 14, after seeing the movie The Matrix for the first time. Back then, it was just a rhythm looping endlessly in his head as he rode around Canton, North Carolina dreaming of making music.

He didn’t have a synth, a sampler, or even the know how to create what he heard but the idea never left him. Years later, equipped with a lite copy of Ableton Live, Acid 4 and a handful of Sonic Foundry samples, he finally brought that teenage rhythm to life.

The original demo came together in just 30 minutes. It was a rush of sound and emotion that Imes says poured out fully formed. But "Operator" didn’t truly find its final shape until he brought in Steven Seibold (of Hate Dept and Pigface) for mixing and additional production. Seibold’s influence can be felt throughout with the careful layering of synths, the balance between aggression and melancholy and the subtle tweaks that make every moment hit harder.

Recording vocals in Seibold’s home studio was, for Imes, a full-circle experience — Technical Difficulties was one of his favorite albums, and the chance to collaborate with its creator adds a quiet sense of triumph to the story behind the song.

Seibold helped reshape the track’s dynamics, suggesting small but crucial changes including a new delivery in the third verse to break up the monotony, and extra harmonies in the chorus to give it lift and depth.

Those details matter because they turn "Operator" from a solid industrial track into something cinematic. It’s a song that feels like the soundtrack to a moment of revelation, the kind that happens long after the heartbreak, when you finally see things clearly in the glow of a computer screen during the night.

Interestingly, the final mix stripped away one of the song’s most traditional elements — the guitar. A version with guitars still exists (on M-Theory), but their removal gives "Operator" a cleaner and more focused sound. Without them, the track feels weightless and synthetic like it’s floating somewhere between analog memory and digital dreamscape.

Lyric wise, the track is direct. It tells the story of a long distance relationship that unravelled - one that lived through phone calls and instant messages, where connection was fleeting and the illusion of closeness masked a growing void. The "operator" becomes both a metaphor and a memory: the voice that once linked two people now reduced to a ghostly echo. There’s bitterness in the song, but also reflection.

What makes Operator so powerful is its duality. It’s cold and clinical in its sound design, yet heartbreakingly warm in its delivery. Imes sings like someone trying to keep his composure in a storm of machines, his voice rising and falling between resignation and defiance.

With this track, Animals In Denial show that industrial music does not have to be purely mechanical. It can have a heart too. The song is dark, cinematic and utterly human. It's the sound of heartbreak filtered through the circuitry of memory, and a reminder that even the most synthetic landscapes can carry a pulse.

About Animals In Denial

Animals In Denial is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist and producer Christian Imes, who fuses alternative rock, industrial and electronic music into a bold sound. What started with a guitar at age 14 evolved into a fully realized solo project, with Imes handling everything from songwriting to production. Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asperger’s), he credits his unique perspective with shaping his intensely personal, cinematic approach to music.

Taking inspiration from life, technology and nostalgia, Imes writes tracks that often begin fully formed in his mind before hitting the DAW. His latest work, including the 2024 release "Crash Course Vol. 2: Tickets to Dreamland" reflects a willingness to experiment - this time integrating AI elements to push sonic boundaries.

Outside the studio, Imes is a family man, often jamming with his kids and finding support in his creative partnership with his wife Jeanine. With Animals in Denial, he continues to channel vulnerability, storytelling, and innovation into a sound that is both raw and futuristic.

Find out more about Animals In Denial on their Website