Sleepkit – Oxygen On The Autobahn
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Can you really tell one lie so many times that it begins to resemble the truth to anyone who will hear it? While it’s tempting to believe this, especially in this day of rampant lying by politicians and champions of industry, this isn’t true. If the lie is see-through, it will just cause the recipients to judge the liar with a particular brand of vitriol.
The same goes for music. Yes, for the rest of your life, you will be forced to hear that week’s number one hit on repeat wherever you go. But, if you’re not prone to hypnosis, the effect might simply be one of annoyance.
In fact, it takes some great musical architect to play with repetition in such a way that sounds are not just drilled into the listener’s mind but seems to drip down into his bones as well.
Of all the groups of artists who’ve attempted this, none have done it better than the 70s German electro-rock musicians. Sleepkit‘s “Oxygen On The Autobahn” is a loving, well-prepared tribute to those. It’s Kosmische Musik in the Canadian frozen North, sounds murmured by computers like a mantra.
l’éphémère – Dérobé
Similar artists: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Soap&Skin, Chelsea Wolfe, Beth Gibbons
Genre: Gothic / Dark Wave, Dream Pop, Alternative Rock
Life doesn’t allow either pauper or prince to simply lie down and accept whatever happens. It crushes those individuals! There’s not a lot of time to waste, regardless of how many silver spoons fate may have served you growing up.
Maybe that’s why the folk tales about vampires have always been so popular. At their core, they involve the idea of letting oneself prey to the elements. It’s a kind of romantic twist on the idea of giving up. No wonder vampire romance films continue to be so popular.
Ideas about simply giving yourself up to love and letting yourself go within the whirlwind of life are nothing new. They were particularly popular in Central Europe back in the 19th Century. It’s only natural that pop-rock music would find inspiration here.
l’éphémère’s “Dérobé” is sweet, vampiric melancholy. It’s the sound of someone making up their bed, closing their eyes, and waiting to be taken away. The sounds, of course, echo goth-rock bands and progressive groups, with the atmosphere that is created just as important as the words and notes being sung.
