The fallen empire
of a king’s funeral pyre
five minutes of fame
I’ve staked my claim
Suburban Spell, alias of new wave maestro Peter Endall, returns today with a new video for “Fools and Clowns”: the third single from Split Levels. The former keyboardist for Australian 80s synthpop band Schizo Scherzo, Endall’s forays into songwriting and producing channel Kraftwerk, Jean-Michel Jarre, Clan of Xymox, and Ultravox…with hints of hazy shoegaze.
“Fools and Clowns” is no different, blending dreamy textures with a stately soundscape, belying the menacing undertow of the song’s subject matter of guilt, stress, and the ‘ultimate release.’ Endall’s bittersweet tenor takes centre stage in this track about the pain of temptation; anchoring the ethereal nature of the melancholic enveloping shoegaze elements.
“The core of the song came when I was watching some overconfident patrons in a club making fools of themselves, and I began thinking about how, given the right circumstances, I am also like that; and how those highly charged moments can quickly turn into ugliness and regret.”
The new single was recut and mixed by Endall and Calaitzis at Melbourne’s Toyland Studios, but this time remastered by Crystal Mastering.
The majestic, monochromatic music video, filmed and edited by Adam Calaitzis (Toyland Studios), was shot along the Great Ocean Road of Victoria, Australia, where the cinematic coastal landscapes starkly contrast with emotional (if minimalist) performance footage filmed in Melbourne. Endall, himself in an urban setting, appears in slow cross dissolves, creating visual metaphor of expansion and contraction of the soul.
“The juxtaposition between the ethereal ocean and the urban environment resonated with the highs and lows of our lives, and how it’s a fine line between the two,” says Endall. “The Great Ocean Road is a truly stunning natural environment; a very unique place.”
Watch the video for “Fools and Clowns” below:
Split Levels was written and recorded over fourteen months; although it came together quickly, the tracks reveal a deft hand of songwriting assuredness that can only come with life experience. Split Levels is available now from Bandcamp, Spotify, and all major streaming platforms.
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