Track Of The Day: David Bowie - 'Killing A Little Time'

Despite him being my ultimate hero, it's difficult for me to write about David Bowie, especially now. Why? Because I feel like none of my words could ever do the man's extraordinary music justice. The immortal icon's final studio album 'Blackstar' was released just 2 days before his death earlier this year, and now we have a few additional parting gifts from the master of innovation. At the same time as recording 'Blackstar', Bowie was also working on the musical 'Lazarus', which as well as an array of classic tracks from his unmatchable career, also features three brand new, unreleased songs. I found these tracks online a few days ago and had been desperate to listen to them. But I couldn't bring myself to do it because I knew it was the end; the last time we'd ever hear anything new from him

These tracks were recorded at the same time as the 'Blackstar' sessions, and of all of them, the dark, raging, snake-like 'Killing Just A Little Time' is the one that knocked me out instantly. Packing together jazz, breakbeat rhythms and dub sounds, the term "raging against the dying of the light" has never seemed more apt. Since these are the first Bowie songs that haven't been heard until after his death, it's impossible to listen without hearing the sound of a creatively invigorated master grasping onto life by the throat and using the time he has left to astonish the world one last time. Like many of the man's incredible songs, this one is almost impossible to sum up in words and does the sort of things that only a song written by Bowie could.

"This symphony, this rage in me, I've got a handful of songs to sing, to sting your soul, to fuck you over, this furious reign..."

The 'Lazarus' soundtrack album is out now on CD, vinyl and in digital formats.

David Bowie - Killing a little time from Di Chi on Vimeo.