In the materialistic, hypocritical apathy of our century, Ralph Buckley is one of those stubborn voices of protest - a modern troubadour of freedom (which in itself has ended up being a fairly relative concept, especially considering the way this world has turned out and what it threatens to become in the future).
Solanum or "nightshades" is the generic name for a variety of plants most of which are terminally toxic; in particular, black nightshade (Atropa Belladonna in Latin) is a subshrub of the Solanaceae family, whose poison is used in medicine to enlarge the pupils of the eyes - an effect provoked naturally by darkness itself, as vision strives to adapt to it.
Sensitive acoustic rock ballads with well-written lyrics and this slightly scorched, unpretentiously appealing voice that conveys pure and sincere emotion. The title, Spanish for "wretched one", adds a touch of mystery but also determines the entire album's tone and mood.
A beautiful and gripping title and an alternation between darker and luminous, tender and energetic themes, with the eponymous track being one of the highlights of the album. The reference to a "canonically" sinister literary character such as Lady Macbeth could not be better accompanied than by blood and roses, both symbols of femininity and metaphors for the dangerous facets of the human soul.
There is no "immaculate conception" in art any more, but on the other hand there is an abyssal gap between this undeniable fact and the currently dominant mentality in the music industry, according to which everything new that is created has to be an almost identical copy of something already known and "officially recognised", so that it "has the right" to fit into a strictly defined category or genre. But genuine music (and art in general) is, and should be, what defines, redefines and/or defies the existing genres and categories; totally indifferent to the established "rules", it forms its own if necessary, only to do away with them when they are no longer needed.
Yggdrasil is, according to Norse mythology, the "world tree" that forms the link between the heavens and the sources of pure cold water and wisdom. A brilliant title for a musical work whose "branches" and "roots" extend into the many different aspects of our world - the heaven/hell of everyday life; the fragility of human relationships; the frightening night of the soul; and last but not least, the potential existence of intelligent life in outer space.
Video clip for the Vanessa & Annabella instrumental by Dead Admiral (from the album Pareidolia, 2009). Poor image quality is due to age and low resolution of source film excerpts.
As is the case with many fortunate events in life, my discovery of Betty Donelly and her universe was exclusively due to chance. While running a search for songs with the word "belladonna" in the title (for some reason that is of no importance at the moment), I came across one entitled The Belladonna Saucer Eyes. The melody and accompaniment brought memories of Marc Almond back in his glorious Mother Fist & Her Five Daughters days, while the vocals and singing style were reminiscent of The Cure - but still, the originality of the result as a total could account for a really unique musical identity. The voice had something tormented yet powerful in its "texture", the lyrics told a strange, melancholy story, an unexpected melodic twist in the last phrases of the refrain took me completely by surprise. I was hooked.
3908 is the fruit of an unexpected, if not improbable, collaboration between two artists whose diametrically opposite musical temperaments promise an intriguing (at least) auditory experience. The extremely minimalistic cover and laconic, enigmatic title do a really good job at disguising the tumultuous richness hidden within. This is an album that should by all means be seen - and most importantly, listened to - in conjunction with the personal view of art expressed by each one of its contributors.
Days of December 2008. Violent riots in Athens as a reaction to the killing of a young student by a policeman. The beautiful historical city center reduced to ashes, ruined properties, vandalized buildings and monuments. Who protects us from the protectors of all flags and ideologies? A video that does not try to take sides nor explain anything, but simply records (and deplores) one of the most irrational events in Greece's modern history. The patriotic poem What Is Our Homeland? by Ioannis Polemis (1862-1924) takes on a bitterly sarcastic twist, juxtaposed to those images of hate, destruction and despair.
