Delve into the World of Art

Welcome to my online den. This blog gathers a wide and wild array of creative works relating to pop art—movies, songs, books, and so on. Enjoy the ride!

Soyez les bienvenus dans mon antre ! Vous trouverez ici des petites merveilles de créativité artistique qui gagnent à être connues. Bonne lecture !

October 01, 2014

Howling Metal, s'il vous plaît

Time to bash your ears again with an explosion of raw music. With a French touch.

French metal
Métal!
Most readers wouldn't be surprised that the French metal scene exists, but there is a saying that goes Nul n'est prophète en son pays meaning that it is sometimes harder to gain recognition in your own homeland. This saying is particularly true for French metal as most French-speakers tend to think of it as a pale imitation of American heavy metal. Nothing could be further from the truth.

French metal has a unique je-ne-sais-quoi. A distinct flavour in the lyrics. Rich like red wine.
The songs abound with double entendre and are often socially engaged and enraged.
 
Enough talking. Let me introduce you to some of the leading misfits.

Drink the words of Métal Hurlant. Howl with the pack!

Masnada - Their album Maîtres du Je is a true gem. Unfortunately the band never quite came into its own. They remained underground even in France.


Lofofora - the biggest name in French metal for the last 20 years. My personal favourite: Vice et Râle. Getting the drift about the double entendre now? You might wanna check out the lyrics for this song. They are exquisitely libertine to say the least.



Another big name would be Mass Hysteria. More ecclectic in their style, the band came forth with its trademark powerful energy blasts.


This post doesn't delve into subgenres such as gothic, death or black metal. So no mention of, well the more obscure bands. Pun intended :)

February 23, 2014

Breaking the mold

We've reached an interesting time in music. And I'm not talking about bottle-blondes twerkin' dat booty or reality shows to find the next talent or turd. Nope, drop the dope. I'm talking about real music made by real artists.

I remember thinking when I was a teenager in the 90's how on earth could music evolve further. Well, it never stopped evolving, and it dawns upon me now that it always will. As our brains grow more complex (well at least for some humans), a world of infinite possibilities opens up for us to relish the delicate intricacies of the ever-blooming garden of sound.

The system is going down. Big time. The rigidity of genres can no longer contain creativity unleashed. Conformity to genres is a gonner. As the Revolting Cocks would put it: We don't need no cock control. So preacher, leave those kids alone. They've grown up anyway. Lemme introduce you to some of them:


Aesthetic Perfection

Aesthetic Perfection is driven by the genius of Daniel Graves. The music is a complex blend that draws mostly from electronics, dancefloor beats topped with neo-metal echoes. It oozes a unique energy that is well-rendered by equally creative clips. "Aesthetic Perfection’s Daniel Graves is not one to allow himself, or his music, to stagnate. On the new album, ‘Til Death, we find an artist who, despite an overwhelming outcry for a return an earlier sound, refuses to conform to anyone's expectations[...] With each new release Daniel has shown artistic growth and a fearless approach to songwriting. The result is something all too rare in music; an artist who has developed a unique, recognizable sound, but has escaped the trappings of clichéd formulaic songwriting." As the label Metropolis would put it.




Blue Stahli

Blue Stahli's music has been described as electronic rock and its sole member Bret Autrey as a multi-instrumentalist. What can be said with certainty though is that Bret is one crazy muthafucker and his music is a flurry of aggressive beauty and intensity. Blue Stahli's sound also has a cinematic dimension to it and has been licensed in a number of movies and video games. Things are going well for Bret, but that doesn't stop him from being very close to his listeners. The dude actually personally replies to you on his Facebook page and he keeps it real. I'll let you read and appreciate the artist's vision of his art:

"Music and art speak a wordless language that go far beyond vocabulary and dialect, taking on new meaning with each singular person. Some of the bleakest of these expressions can sometimes be the most beautiful, as they show an understanding and articulation without judgement. My reason for being is to create art for others to connect with, no matter how black the ritual."

Respect.

Open your eyes...

Open your eyes to Art and to the simple, profound magic of existence. 

Sums it up nicely: