Under the confines of an oppressive political regime, music can be seen as a menace. It might offer a rare refuge and rallying cry for the oppressed, but it also draws dangerous attention. Authorities, wary of whispers and tunes stirring trouble, might strike hard, silencing musicians with severe sanctions. The melodies that mend hearts and bind souls can also ignite ire, leading to fierce crackdowns on those brave enough to sing out. In these sinister settings, music’s ability to inspire and incite makes it both a beacon of rebellion and a bullseye for brutality.
Maven Grace’s latest track, No Music, dives into these dire depths of defiance. In this video, Henry Jack and Mary Home cast shadows over their dream pop repertoire, darker than their prior melodies. The duo pays poignant homage to the brave souls, their tunes silenced by tyrants and oppressors, who continue to fight in the dark corners of a musical wasteland.
“There are places in the world where music is forbidden,” says Jack. “That is a terrifying thought, and this song is dedicated to all the brave musicians who risk their lives to keep playing under impossible conditions.”
The lyrics unearth a dystopian hell where norms are nothing but dust. They sketch a frightening scene of suppression and control, where personal possessions are pulverized, public spaces are perilous, and a façade of normalcy is a must for survival. Amidst the madness, an ominous question echoes about the endgame.
“The song asks ‘Where do you think this will end?’ but the question is rhetorical,” Jack explains. ‘”The forces of hate and oppression are always defeated in the end. As David Crosby once said, music is love. The question is not only rhetorical. It also hints at a deeper truth, because music is constantly evolving and, in fact, endless.”
The fusion of Eastern scales, European strings, and Latin American horns highlights the universal essence of music. The eerie echoes of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd collide with the raw energy of Rachid Taha’s Algerian rai and chaabi. This blend of eclectic styles conjures a shadowy psychedelia, masking the song’s core message of tenacity and hope in the face of peril.
The video unfolds in stark black and white, a chilling chase through the night. A lone man, gripping a gun and a flashlight, trudges through the murky gloom, his every step echoing with menace. We, the unseen, slink in his wake, shadows lurking and hearts racing. His eerie expedition, fraught with fear and foreboding, feels like a sinister game where we’re the hunted, trailing his trail through the relentless, ruthless night.
Watch the video for “No Music” below:
For Maven Grace’s upcoming album Surface with a Smile, collaborators from their debut, Sleep Standing Up, return, including co-producer Chris ‘Merrick’ Hughes (Adam & The Ants, Tears for Fears), multi-instrumentalist Tom White (Electric Soft Parade, Brakes, The Waeve), violinist Diana Galvydyte (Lithuanian Philharmonic), and bassist Charlie Jones (Goldfrapp, The Cult, Siouxsie Sioux, Shelleyan Orphan).
New additions to the lineup include drummers Clive Deamer (Portishead, Radiohead) and Marcus Efstratiou (Hook & The Twin, Psychid), Craig Chapman on French horn, and mixing engineers Sam Petts-Davies (Radiohead) and Simon Willey (also on Omnichord, Witchshifter, Bizzy Fizzy).
Surface with a Smile is set for an October 2024 release on Helium Records.
To learn more about the struggles of artists under oppressive regimes, a good place to start is the Afghanistan National Institute of Music.
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