Because this pattern dies here,
Because you swore you’d change, not chains
Change, not chains
For Brandon Robert, the creative force behind Night Nail, his new single serves as both a creative triumph and a personal beacon during a period of profound adversity. The narrative within “Fates Explained” paints a picture of an individual navigating the thrumming, neon-lit streets of Berlin. Here, music becomes a balm for the existential disquiet of a population engrossed in the digital haze. As the protagonist discovers the pervasive void within the city’s denizens, he fabricates a new persona, finding liberation in the refracted beams of the sun—an escape from the urban labyrinth.
A foreboding future is depicted where oppressive forces bind and scorn us, our destinies dictated by past constructs. The lyrics lament lost clarity, the pain of stagnation, the end of recurring cycles, and broken promises of transformation.
Channeling the quintessential tones of early acts like The Cure and Depeche Mode, Brandon Robert’s compositions resonate with the complexity of a meticulously woven narrative. His repertoire, enriched by the legacies of seminal groups such as The Chameleons and Wire, reaches further, straying into the realm of the experimental. There, he aligns with avant-garde influences, from the undercurrents of Minimal Man to the innovative stylings of Krisma.
Now, Night Nail unfurls a haunting self-directed cinematic vignette for “Fates Explained,” set against the industrial expanse of East Berlin, just a stone’s throw from the legendary haunt Berghain. The urban landscape of former East Germany stretches into the distance, setting a stark stage. The film captures the starkness of the city’s architecture—a fitting canvas for a tale of transformation and self-preservation.
Watch the video below:
“Fates Explained,” the eponymous lead single from Night Nail’s eagerly awaited album, is poised for release through Metropolis Records, available on CD and across all digital and streaming services from November 17th.
The track emerges from a collaborative crucible, refined under the expert touch of Pete Burns of Kill Shelter, with contributions from Valentina Veil (VV & the Void), Ilija Gavrilenko, and Justin Deactivate. Recorded as the album’s centerpiece, the song represents a labor of love and patience, perfected over the span of eight months against the backdrop of 2022’s protracted, slate-colored winter.
For those eager to secure their copy, the album has been made available for presale on Bandcamp.
Robert’s work transcends mere amalgamation; his compositions stand as rebukes to the constraints of genre, drawing on a deep well of musical heritage while rebelling against its borders. He offers listeners enduring and boundless music, unshackled from the need to categorize or define.
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