Occasionally, one finds oneself ensnared in interactions devoid of fulfillment, where the nuances of emotion and the essence of identity dissolve into the ether. At this point, the person feels a strong urge to begin a journey alone, marked by the acceptance of a path unexplored. This personal odyssey is a steadfast rejection of adhering to the expectations set by others. It’s a quiet rebellion against conformity, which often stifles the human spirit. Sometimes, it even requires some sort of divine encounter to spark such a transformative experience. Fall Shock’s new single, Fake New Model, explores that journey of self-discovery and defiance; while others are too consumed by their own emotions to understand another human being’s inner world.
Fall Shock, an Italian music project, was established in 2018 by producer, drummer, and singer Francesco Kay. Soon after its inception, Francesco forged an alliance with guitarist Markus O., which shaped their distinctive darkwave sound. Characterized by an ethos of urgency and moderation, Fall Shock’s distressed vocals, flickering synths, steady kicks, and mesmerizing guitars, evoke deep memories and ethereal atmospheres. In early 2022, Markus O departed the band, and guitarist DAM joined Kay for the next phase, culminating in the composition of Fall Shock’s latest album, Universal Unit Crime.
“I approached the writing of Universal Unit Crime in a different way…because DAM and I come from two very distant realities,” Kay muses. “I preferred not to tell DAM what to play. I simply explained my mood to him and tried to make him understand that the songs…spoke of something that he too could feel and experience. His approach to writing the guitar parts without knowing what I wanted specifically led to effective riffs of a magnificent simplicity.”
Now, the band has released a new video for the single Fake New Model, directed by Edoardo Bocchi and starring model Margherita Cervo (with makeup by Angie Angelson). In this evocative portrayal, the model transforms from a mere object of aesthetic admiration into a subject of profound contemplation. Initially perceived as a living sculpture, existing solely under the scrutiny of the observer’s gaze, she gradually awakens to her own inner life, as she comes to grips with her existence beyond the superficial layer of being an object of visual pleasure. The narrative captures the transition from being perceived as a passive entity to recognizing and embracing her own agency and depth. She now sits in – and conducts – her own power.
Watch the video for “Fake New Model” below:
Universal Unit Crime delves into the complexities and pitfalls of social media. It portrays a world where individuals lead extravagant lives beyond their means, a choice that is metaphorically likened to a self-inflicted guillotine. At the heart of this album lies Francesco Kay’s profound disdain for the greed-driven younger generation that denies and exploits their elderly parents, parents who are depicted as being in the ‘winter of their lives,’ as fragile as newborns. These themes, among others, are explored in this new chapter of Fall Shock’s musical journey, offering a reflective and critical commentary on contemporary societal issues.
“I won’t deny that this album feels almost venomous; in fact, someone told me they feel such a weird itchy feeling to everything,” Kay asserts. “In this new album, I didn’t talk about myself; that chapter is closed for me. I instead gave space to my disapproval of the ‘crimes’ that I am a witness of in our daily lives. Someone not being accepted because they are different can slowly lead to isolation and self-elimination of oneself, and this album is dedicated to two people in my life who passed away in 2023, left alone by their community and the system to fight their battles.”
Universal Unit Crime is available in limited white vinyl, black vinyl, and Digipack via Manic Depression Records, and features mixing and mastering by Maurizio Baggio (Boy Harsher; The Soft Moon).
Order the album here
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