Live and Destroy LP: Votre Amour est Mon Dieu

“Minuit Machine, a synth wave band based in Paris, is the association of Hélène de Thoury’s electronic melodies and Amandine Stioui’s vocals. The project was born in September 2013. The sound of the French duo, based on powerful electronic drums and the accumulation of dark synth lines, is a mix between all their inspirations that range from minimal wave to electronic rock.” You can find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/minuitmachine/timeline.

I learned of this band through Soir Zine's plans to publish an interview. Amandine's voice is andric, and her performance on Live and Destroy is rounded, full and soaring, with a gentle emotionality. Hélène chose an interesting sonic range for the texture of the keys. This LP, released in October 2014, bleeds out the deepest colored sanguine. Its pulse changes often, taking a shot of adrenaline one minute then slowing down to a phlegmatic cadence. Upon first listen, the album sounded too similar amongst its songs. However, I noticed they are all subtly different, although with Hélène's characteristic progression of dark and brooding chords. Profound, full of sonic and lyrical depth, the melodies throughout subtly shift and change to give each song its own character but similar effeminate, damaged spirit. This is perfect music for dancing in the shadows. I purchased a signed vinyl copy from Desire Records, autographed in silver. The color of the disc is a beautiful marbled black, resembling an iris, with a white halo in the center. The signed copies are probably all out by now, but you can still purchase a physical copy on https://www.facebook.com/pages/desire/249426295197 or a digital copy on http://minuitmachine.bandcamp.com/.

The cover reads "Hope you enjoy! Helene" and "Much love, Amandine". The vinyl copies also come with a digital download code.

I have a bit to say about each track, so I will provide a one-by-one commentary. The ladies posted the full lyrics to Live and Destroy on Facebook, so here is the link to that: https://www.facebook.com/notes/minuit-machine/live-destroy-lyrics/834449993263614 .

1. Love is God: A soaring, profound track to start the wounded, considerably downtempo Side A. Some words can be mistaken for other words, but being that Minuit Machine tends toward ambience, the fact that Amandine's vocals sometimes get lost in the sound adds another dimension to the meaning of the actual and misheard lyrics. I heard “Save me from my sins” and

"Your love is God
I was just a pagan
Makes me wanna hope
I will never fall again..."

2. Ego: A song anchored by deep tones that sound like rattling metal pipes, against graceful, airy keys. It chronicles a dialogue between two people, the narrator of the song talking to the other with punitive, arrogant language, befitting the song’s title. One has to wonder if the attitude behind these words is more defensive than aggressive.

“You’re just a fraud

I was your ego

Don’t wanna be your dog

Don’t wanna make you proud…

You want me… Unwant me

You love me… Unlove me...”

3. Comedown: The pacing of this song demonstrates a pushing and pulling between lethargic and urgent force, even within the lyrics of desperate craving. Synths dart back and forth like lasers. Two wills battle within the mind, and this song is like an anthem to rejuvenate those fighting who are exhausted.

“Daylight, don’t leave me hanging

I’m innocent, why don’t you kill me now?”

4. Trauma: Amandine's vocals glide and echo over dark glistening synths like shadows passing over forms. A calmer tempo with shuffling sounds of percussion, the melodies slink around in the dark. The lyrics embody bitter regret and dismay regarding someone. The narrator wishes she was numb, but the musicality of this track - and the entire record for that matter - to differ.

“As I lay in my bed

I wish I could feel pain

But I stay wide awake

With this hole in my head…”

5. Midnight Love: One of my favorite songs off the record. Grandiose, throbbing and imposing, it uses subtle wailing melodies throughout that recall sirens. The narrator gently coaxes someone close to stop resisting and to let her win over their will. Her voice rings out and is swallowed up by the melancholic instruments.

"Follow me love into the light
Forget the day, embrace the night
Just one more ride before the dark
I’ll take you home before midnight..."

6. Alienation: Side B is considerably more urgent and impending overall. Amandine chants and wails out this simple hook throughout the song, on top of organ-like synths, giving the song a bellowing vampiric atmosphere. Slightly more rapid but in the same strain as Comedown, the latter being the more melodic of the two.

" I was lost out of space
Floating out of myself
Falling into the air
Stranger in my own head..."

7. Ghost: This is lyrically my favorite track, moreso because the concept of the song has to do with ideas I'm pursuing in my own art. Amandine sings this one with a tender, subdued, desperate passion for the object of her affection. Melodically it is similar to Midnight Love, but not as commanding. The pre-chorus and chorus are memorable and ripe with emotionality.

"Don’t push me away, I just wanna stay
Promise I’ll let you sleep, you won’t know that I’m here
Promise I’ll let you breathe, I just wanna be close
I will not smell your skin, I will be like a ghost..."

8. Sabotage: With a similar hasty desperate spirit as Ego, it reminds me of a spy movie for some reason. The song could be discussing sabotage in the sense of someone sabotaging one's own happiness or what's best for them.

"What is it that makes you want
To go back to that place
When you were wandering around
Searching for your fate?...”

9. Toi et Moi n'existe Plus: A sizzling, deliberate track that stomps through the dull siren-like synths. This is the only song on the album with lyrics spoken rather than sung in French. I have always been fascinated with the way French translates into English, so I will provide a translation (which may sound a little clumsy with the verb tenses, but I tried to fix it from Google Translate. That’s part of the charm of the translation, to me).

"Dimanche, 6 heures du matin/Sunday, six a.m.
La nuit s’achève et j’me sens pas bien/The night ends and I’m not feeling well
Mes souvenirs n’ont plus aucun sens/My memories no longer have any meaning
Enfin je réalise les conséquences.../Finally I realize(d) the consequences…”

10. Apologies: With slightly more elaborate percussion filling the spaces and leaving some, this is a heartfelt song about repenting to someone the narrator has hurt when she had not been acting like herself. This song explores the disowning between the old and new selves, if there is indeed a difference.

"Bring me back, out of sight
I have lost track of time
Please don’t ask me why
I know I’ve caused so much pain
I was losing my head
But I’m back again..."

11. Agoraphobia: If this sounds familiar, it’s from their EP Blue Moon (available on their Bandcamp), and the songs on Side B are more similar to this EP than anything else. This track compiles the general theme of the album: identity, losing it and finding it, all catalyzed by relational disaster, most likely of romantic nature. I can tie this back to Love is God: there is the declaration of worshiping someone’s love toward her, then the rest of the album follows the emotional downfall due to the failure of her god, ending with Agoraphobia's comparison of old and new self as well.

"Now I’m afraid I can never be whole again
I try to face it but it’s starting all over again
I used to love being surrounded by the crowd
I used to hate the smooth comfort of my bed..."

Even if some of the songs sound too similar to each other and even if lyrical content becomes repetitive, it doesn't have to be a problem because the overall sonic character of the album is just so pleasant and deliciously dark to listen to. I can personally relate to the conceptual premise of this album, and if anyone else can, one can appreciate this lovely coldwave release.

Nina Belief: So Unfamiliar

You can find Nina Belief's Facebook page here.

I came to this show with no prior knowledge of Nina Belief's music or career. I had however been meaning to visit Monotone - a second-Saturdays party featuring minimal electronic music - and her performance seemed like it could be interesting, all the more reason to go. The venue was in the bar lounge behind Moonchine Bistro on Biscayne Boulevard; a small dark dance floor that glowed red like the underbelly of a steampunk city. I met her an hour or so before she went on. She was wearing the largest shoulder pads I had ever seen outside of high fashion, and her black hair was tied up tight into a "sculpture-roll" do. She was very pleasant and friendly, with an intense gaze, as I soon found was a part of her that also played into her midnight performance. The tight-packed crowd of no more than 80 people, impressed, said things like, "She's really into the music" and "She's so good, she's programming all that live, nothing was pre-recorded!" About eight or nine songs were played, and Nina Belief efficiently and quickly transitioned between them, taking us through passages of analog keys, resounding bass, rapid snare rhythms, electronic howls, fragile high registers and other sounds that, as I watched her turn knobs and press buttons, amazed me with the way they fell into place as music. The way she compiled them into layers was mesmerizing to watch and listen to. As her calculated movements were driven by the music, she belted out lyrics that seemed more pensive and despondent than probably caught by most people present. At the end of her set, I purchased her second LP Shivers, from which she told me afterward she played three songs. Her final song, a slow throbbing composition, was the first track on the album, titled Little Disasters. I look forward to listening to more of Nina Belief, and to see her again performing in Miami. You can read her interview with Soir Zine in Print Issue 3 coming at the start of 2015.

We tried to get the best photos we could, but her music was so captivating we had to sway our bodies at least. Photo credit to my friend Ian Duffy.

See some snapshots of previous Monotone events at http://www.oninstagram.com/profile/monotone_miami.
Nina is on this record label: http://www.no-emb-blanc.com/.

Die Alone EP: Waiting for Nightfall

"Songwriter + musician specializing in nu-gaze gloom-pop." You can find her on Facebook at https://m.facebook.com/jennieveemusic.

From Toronto/NYC based project The Vicious Guns, Jennie Vicious - now Jennie Vee - has now come out and released her solo Die Alone EP earlier in October. It embodies a new refreshing spirit, and a somewhat different sound. Love's Sweet Exile, TVG's only LP, has a more electronic bend, involves more instruments, Jennie's vocals are more throaty in lower registers, but the same warm sweet spirit and full guitar sound of hers carry over to Die Alone. Within five rapid, concise pop songs drenched in shoegaze and post-punk influence, she gently plays with ideas of black and white, light and dark, brokenness and inner peace. Layers of rapid guitars radiate like the residue heat found in a West Coast sunset, and layers of singsong, languid melodies echo through the ether. Her lyrics hold remnants of all kinds of heart ache, bittersweet and nostalgic at the same time.

1. Die Alone: Energetic guitars roll out as percussion glides on the sound waves of the bass. This song thinks about the singular state of man's heart, "You live alone, you die alone..." before coming to a slurring stop.

2. Wicked: A song of unrequited love and warning, where angelic voices breathe on guitars laced with the kind of energy one would call "running on steam". "There's no rest for the wicked, no sleep for the blessed..."

3. Red Flags: A slower ballad with more frank, heart-on-sleeve lyrics. "All my life I've been struggling to pay attention to the small things and big decisions..."

4. Say Goodbye: A heartfelt song with a dainty rhythm, that captures the point at which one decides to finally work on getting over someone they love. Repeating to herself the title of the song, in order not to divert from her realization. "I'll cry until I'm satisfied..."

5. Gone Away: A sister song to Say Goodbye, with a darker-colored tonality. "I would lay down sprawled out naked in front of you..."

A chapter of Jennie's own life is setting like the sun, evident from this debut, as she waits for night to fall, to eventually bring a new day and new opportunity to heal and be better.

You can purchase the EP for $4 at jennievee.bandcamp.com.

Nightcrawler: Far from Terrible

Photo credit: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/mobile/m/nightcrawler/

Dan Gilroy's Nightcrawler (2014) is at its heart a study of a peculiar contemporary character who turns off viewers by his perceived lack of empathy and humanity. If you've heard others say "it sucks" or if you believe so yourself, consider the nature of the film and its intent. All throughout, the viewer has a one-faceted view of Louis Bloom: his business side. We may see glimpses of him in his home, but every action that is documented has to do with his pursuit of a  job, career goals, or thought processes behind his steps of development as an employee and owner of Video Production News. Otherwise, information about the character is ambiguous or not presented. He has no family, friends, other hobbies we know of. I left the theater wondering why such a man would be driven to do that kind of work, and what predisposed him to lack such humanity that his boss and partner noticed. It is evident that the film purposely left details such as these vague. One could interpret the film as a commentary on our society's dilemma wherein we have narrowed a person's identity to their career, their character to their work ethic. Other themes such as voyeurism, personal boundaries, anti-social behavior, tainted reality through a camera eye, greed, ethics, and the internal corruption of news media are explored, however the heavy focus on the worker aspect of Bloom's character - in fact being the only thing displayed - supports my identity hypothesis.

Photo credit: http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/tiff-review-dan-gilroys-nightcrawler-starring-jake-gyllenhaal-rene-russo-20140906

The movie chronicles an intimate, up-close progression of a character who does not understand personal boundaries of other people. Louis Bloom, performed quite well by Jake Gyllenhaal, is a socially inept, intelligent, persistent man who is a natural at fawning naïvete. From a thief to a neophyte crime "photographer" to an expanding news gathering company, Lou talks to every person he encounters as if they are a co-worker or business partner. His interactions grow more cold and awkward as his greed for recognition and "success" is more visible. (I think the movie also asks us to think about what we define success as, in careers and in our lives on a grander scale.) Other praiseworthy acting performances are Rene Russo as Bloom's unofficial gore-whore boss, and Riz Ahmed as his insecure but eager assistant.

"...On TV it looks so real..." Photo credit: http://www.craveonline.com/film/reviews/755577-tiff-2014-review-nightcrawler

I especially found the score and cinematography interesting, different from the usual crime/drama thriller. Cinematography was directed by Robert Elswit. Shots were characterized by wide angle lenses, standstill views, beautiful landscapes at twilight and dawn, and almost centered portrait and full-body shots; all in all, almost artistic. Art direction was given by Naaman Marshall, and original music was I by James Newton Howard. The score on one hand was sunny and optimistic, pleasantly juxtaposing the setting of the story at night, and contrasting the gritty subject of L.A. crime. At other times it was minimal and conducive to building suspense. The film built suspense wonderfully, with lingering shots of characters with gears turning in their heads, and voyeuristic, life-viewing through camera-viewing a camera-viewing life angles. The cop car chase at the climax was especially suspenseful, considering a good portion of the film itself wasn't necessarily suspenseful in comparison.

Photo credit: http://youtu.be/nC95NXEQruQ

In conclusion, the ambiguity and open-ended nature of the plot allowed Nightcrawler to be structured by a character rather than the story, and definitely does not detract from its quality as a piece of cinema or entertainment.

Quarter Horses: Morning In Antiquity

"Quarter Horses is a self-described “gospel noir” group based in Miami, FL." You can find them at https://www.facebook.com/quarterhorsesmia.

This past Saturday the 22nd, local band Quarter Horses brought a taste of self-labeled “gospel noir” to Miami Book Fair International, performing a morning show in a portable auditorium on NE 2nd Avenue called The Swamp. The group was founded in 2012 by percussionist Emile Milgrim and consists as well of Novy Græy for lead vocals and guitar, and Jonathan Trigoura on bass guitar and keyboard. The group performed two covers, six songs from their first LP in the works Leitmotifs, and one song from their upcoming EP Sub Rosa Victoria.

Spruced up in dapper black vests, grey and blue dress shirts, with matching arm bands, the three humbly and eagerly began the performance with their rendition of “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus.” After realizing both of his guitars were on, Græy asked the crowd if he could restart the song, to which everyone responded happily. They then introduced us to swirling feedback, minimal ritualistic chimes of the tambourine, and incantational vocals, before diving into rhythmic grungy bass lines and blues-guitar sounds. Several songs such as The Näcken and The Love of Souls were composed of variegated drum parts and interesting time measure changes, steadily and effortlessly executed by Milgrim. Trigoura’s supporting vocals complemented Græy's voice quite nicely, who himself possesses a sonic continuum, from a Gregorian bellow full of stamina to a pure, gliding ethereal falsetto that floated through the temperamental air of the book fair. Nimble on his feet, he danced upon the stage and spastically executed his piercing guitar licks, most notably in the song The Night-Mare. Near the end, their mysterious, sly cover of Tom Waits’ Way Down in the Hole had toddlers dancing and spinning at the foot of the stage and everyone else’s heads bobbing.

If you are familiar with Græy’s work with the art-music collective {in-boxes} - in which Milgrim and Trigoura also take part in - you will appreciate the spiritual basis of lyrical content and accompanying darker, somber tonalities of Quarter Horses’ music. They are an encouraging example of continuity and unity. For example, while Milgrim has the final say for the band’s sound and direction, she has welcomed Græy to write all lyrics and embed concepts close to his heart in the band’s music. This includes the idea behind Leitmotifs: nine Symbolist paintings of his choice were interpreted lyrically and sonically. The result is a unique look at topics such as the end of the age and Book of Revelation in The Haloes, salvation and temptation, relationships, and analogies taken from personal experiences in songs such as Beata Beatrix and Hope. The one song played from Sub Rosa Victoria, titled Amor Est Mihi Stimulus, explored an account of apostle Paul’s writings, in which he speaks of a thorn in his side, drawing parallels to Græy’s own application of the biblical narrative, as well as that of Adam in the garden of Eden before Eve was created, from the Book of Genesis. A song composed of soft and sweet melodies, aching vocals, all circling around a slow tempo, it honestly caused me to tear up, as I listened to the bittersweet situation in the lyrics unfold.

The crowd was attentive and supportive all throughout the set, the dynamic of the show being somewhat intimate anyway. Even when the power cut out on the entire building during the last song, with two minutes left for an outro, drummer's hands coming down, the audience gave robust applause. One of the audio engineers, Steven, was on stage twice sharing his gratitude and praise of Quarter Horses’ excited attitude and earnest heart. Overall the experience was excellent and down-to-earth, though I could have sat there for another hour and a half (!) listening to this gospel noir music of great quality and artistic thought. Please enjoy a snippet of the show and an interview after the show, found on YouTube.

Set list included:

Nothing But the Blood of Jesus

The Haloes

The Night-Mare

Beata Beatrix

The Näcken

The Love of Souls

Amor Est Mihi Stimulus

Way Down in the Hole (Tom Waits)

Hope

Photos taken by the author, please enjoy! (Apologies for the lack of a slideshow option...)

From left to right: Emile Milgrim, Jonathan Trigoura, Novy Græy, me

 

St. Vincent: OMNIPRESENT

Photo credit to Jared Howard.

The lovely, hypnotizing St. Vincent graced Miami, FL this past Monday October 7th, at the Fillmore Theater for the Digital Witness Tour. Annie Clark is a quirky woman who is absolutely in love with music and performance, as she couldn't hold back her grin all throughout her guitar solos during the show. Her music is a mesmerizing mix of delicious noise, pop structure, strange wonderings about the world, put-together characters who have gone mad underneath, and facades. Her newest eponymous LP takes her persona and craft to a new level. Clark's presence on St Vincent is confident, elevated, amplified, yet a little distanced, observing all thoughts and fears through a transcendental medium. Her voice reaches the ear as if she was truly a saint bathed in the light of a stage. The art direction on this album also reinforces the concept of spirituality and existentiality being affected by technology. Many regard Clark as a guitar prodigy of our generation, and while she may be very aware of her scope and ability, she presents this album with an acknowledging smirk. Sitting on a silicone throne in front of chicken wire with an authoritative gaze, she represents hollow glory, her bleached hair like a fuzzy halo. With this album she also makes commentary on the digital age we live in, regarding cyber-bullying, being connected-yet-alone through the internet, and seeking personal approval via social media. If we function in a virtual world, are we really living? is what Clark the perspicacious 'guitar goddess' tells us.

Accompanying Clark onstage were "architect-of-sound" Matt Johnson, a "tamer-of-the-grid" in place of Daniel Mintseris, and the faithful Toko Yasuda. Donning a silver bob, Clark began skittering and tiptoeing across the stage in little black boots. St. Vincent's stage presence is simple in appearance yet more elaborate than ever before. She has added choreography that can be described as isolated, robotic lurching, mixed with dainty touches, meant to be interpreted symbolically by the viewer. The set list (in loose order) opened with Rattlesnake, Digital Witness, while following these included: Cruel, Marrow, Every Tear Disappears, Surgeon, I Prefer Your Love, a batshit crazy performance of Krokodil, Cheerleader, Prince Johnny, Huey Newton, Regret, Birth in Reverse, Laughing with a Mouth Full of Blood, Actor Out of Work, Bring Me Your Loves, and ended with Your Lips Are Red. Between songs every so often, Clark recited personal anecdotes regarding a failed bedsheet hot air balloon, psychically paying for her purchase at a 7/11 after 11pm, superimposing celebrity faces on people in public when she forgot her glasses, and seeing children as tiny adults. Within these stories were themes of unfulfilled hope, poor assumptions of people we do not know, and her funny ways of looking at the world which were meant to correlate to the songs that followed. She humorously assumed that Miami folk share with her the fact that her favorite word is 'orgiastic'.

Songs that sound poppy on studio recordings now had an extra kick in person from her ratty abrasive guitar. Notable performances included I Prefer Your Love, Prince Johnny, and closer Your Lips Are Red. Elegantly composed on her steps, Clark's silky performance of I Prefer Your Love was heart-wrenchingly transparent. Empathic for her mother and seeking her approval, she bowed her head in somber sorrow at the end as she reached for the deep resonating notes of, "Little baby on your knees, 'cause the world has got you down..." Later, atop the pink pedestal, she sang a choir of pleas for a friend in Prince Johnny and at the end, fell from grace, tumbling down the steps in stop-motion lighting until she unfolded into an upside down crucifixion. Frightening red and sickly green lights interplayed for the first movement of Your Lips Are Red. During a guitar solo that felt like it lasted forever (in a good sense!), Clark attended to the entire length of the stage, letting the crowd touch her guitar and play its strings as she held chords. She then sprawled across the stage floor underneath chaotic blue lights playing, and after slowly rising, she eventually began to sing "Your skin so fair, it's not fair." As her guitar wailed til the end, I felt the loss and intangibility of everyone in the room, of Clark herself. This had to be the collective consciousness concept she talked about halfway through the set.

Photo credit to Jared Howard.

I teared up at least three times during this show, moved by her treatment of the songs, her skill, the thoughtfulness put into choreography and anecdotes, and the weight of the stories and ideas behind the songs which are sometimes overlooked on the album. If you watch performances of her new songs on various talk shows and venues, you will become able to identify her choreography and see how it lends to ideas of an empty, impersonal, mechanical society; or how her simple gestures can imply disturbing assumptions, such as when she drags her fingers across her throat. I was shellshocked after the show and I'm still trying to process all that happened. This is definitely an artist to respect, who creates magnificent, innovative and unsettling under-the-surface music.