Photo courtesy artist

Just in time for the weekend, West Coast musician-producer Underbelly has released an intriguing new single "Midnight in a Broken World."

At first listen, it's a seemingly whimsical cut, but its foundation is an ominous one. According to the Santa Barbara-based artist, the song title is a reference to DJ Shadow's 1996 song "Midnight in a Perfect World," which "was the track that got me into producing," he says.

"I wanted to channel the political turmoil of today by combining the swing of J Dilla with the cinematic quality of DJ Shadow," Underbelly tells Variance of the track's dark meaning, adding: "The title is also a reference to the Doomsday Clock, which is now at two minutes to midnight, the closest its been since 1952."

As the world tries to make sense of 2017 America, "Midnight in a Broken World" seems like a timely offering.

Listen to the new song below.