Hélianthème – Le Pêcheur & Le Dôme De Verre
There’s a prevailing theory that not only have the greatest stories already been written, but practically all stories. Every truth that has ever needed to be told to future generations has already been locked up in a book, a song, a witty parable.
But don’t despair. This, likely, isn’t because the modern world simply lacks creative genius. There’s plenty of that around. The real reason is that all of us run into the same problems as our ancestors and need to apply their old solutions to our new predicaments.
Those who are able to study from the past have a leg up over the competition. Hélianthème, Northern French pirates playing folk music about bravery and daringness know where to look to find their compass. But the route that they take is entirely mad eup of the group’s own choices.
The wonderful thing about Hélianthème’s “Le Pêcheur & Le Dôme De Verre” (The Fisherman and the Glass Dome) is that it uses old folk motifs without appealing to your feelings of nostalgia, and digs up metaphors of adventurers going against the elements, without delivering the sad conclusion that you might expect. No, Hélianthème’s musicians are brave enough to create contemporary folk music and hopeful enough to offer a happy ending to the tale. All of our adventures have played out before in a different time, but all of us must dare to bring our unique touch to the story.
Rebecca Sykes – i am (not)
If you have the power and the will to complain, hold on to it. That’s a mighty wonderful thing. It may well be the “freedom” that so many songs have been written about, and it’s the first thing that gets taken away before repressive rulers decide to turn you into just a cog in a machine.
The fact of the matter is that the greatest artists did plenty of complaining. Yeah, some did it while answering questions on the news. However, the vast majority just used it for their work.
Most of the greatest works of modern art are just people asking themselves how things got to be this way and worrying about what will happen unless they step in to change them. They’re not different in that sense from Rebecca Sykes or her painfully honest confessions.
Great artists see the world for what it is and feel the need to change themselves because of it. That’s how Sykes feels as she her murmured vocals on “i am (not),” sound as powerful and rage-filled as violent screams. It takes a lot of bravery to sketch yourself in as great detail as this, and a great amount of talent to make the most personal insights feel like universal truths, and Rebecca Sykes just has that ability.
