Like most great ideas, it came to them in a dream. Soft Riot’s new video for “Windows To The Wild” materialized during lockdown and the rollercoaster of isolated life. The ideas flowed, but a lack of unifying vision eluded the band, due to the inability to interact or perform live.
“This concept translated itself into an idea about writing and the creative process in general, with that process translating into a metaphor about pouring one’s energy into a writing a book and the frustrations and breakthroughs that come with that creation process,” says the band.
The video itself was shot and directed by Soft Riot in Scotland over the course of a month or two, including the “outlandish” former industrial site of Ardeer, located on the Firth of Clyde just south of Glasgow. William Maybelline of Lebanon Hanover/Qual and MM Lyle of Marcel Wave make cameos in the video as well.
The frenetic, kinetic cinema verité style of camerawork makes for a surrealist experience, cutting between the gonzo writer at work banging away on his typewriter with various vices, and his imagination running amok through the fields. It’s a traipse through time, not landing anywhere in particular but The Land of Weird. A great visual for the track.
Watch below:
The track comes out on a new compilation, entitled Upperwave Selections Vol. 1, available on digital and cassette on 01 December 2021 via Miseria Records, a new Berlin-based record label started by Carlos Grabstein (89s† & Petra Flurr). It features a well-curated collection of artists offering cream of the crop electronic/wave tracks, including contributions by Filmmaker, Oberst Panizza, QEK Junior, Transhuman Rebirth and more.
Likewise, Soft Riot announces a remix of “Corrupt State”, by Steven Jones & Logan Sky and featuring Steve Strange via Etrangères Musique.
Logan Sky was the synth player and producer in the final line-up of the legendary New Romantic group Visage, and was an instrumental force behind the group’s final 2013 release “Hearts & Knives”. After Steve Strange’s untimely death in 2015, Logan and his new musical partner Steven Jones picked up the track “Corrupt State”, an unreleased Visage track which was one of the last Strange contributed to — for the duo’s 2017 release of the same name. Logan Sky approached Soft Riot about re-working the track as a remix. Arrangement, programming and additional synth work was done by JJD. Additional electronic percussion, samples and vocals by MM Lyle (Marcel Wave).
The remix is sluggish, eerie; almost Lynchian via Blade Runner-Vangelis compositions, with scathing lyrics railing against political corruption. The dystopian poetry asks deep philosophical questions, a quavering chorus anchoring the track into stark reality. It’s despairing and yet floats through on a wave of futuristic optimism. A beautiful reworking.
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