Since their inception in 2006, Berlin-based band Mueran Humanos, have played by their own rules and set their own course. The duo, consisting of Carmen Burguess and Tomás Nochteff, have channeled their partnership into a series of intense, passionate records and have built a powerful cult following across the globe. It’s been four years since their last studio LP, and with that in mind, we’re honored to premiere the latest video for “La Gente Gris,” the first single and closing track from their upcoming LP Hospital Lullabies.
The track itself is Mueran Humanos at the peak of their powers, washes of psychedelic synth melodies, hard-hitting electronic percussion, and deep, distorted bass grooves build the foundation for the song, which features dual vocal leads from both Burguess and Nochteff. The song’s chorus, sung in English (a first for the band, who primarily sings in a very evocative, sensual Spanish), was plucked from a recording of Dylan Thomas’ “Love in the Asylum.” The poem plays deliciously into the album’s themes of exploring childhood fears, archaic medical institutions, and deep-seeded nightmares, but instead of dwelling on them, Mueran Humanos balances these explorations with romance, devotion, and moments of innocence.
The video, conceived and directed by Burguess, is plucked from a film that shares its name with the album, a longer piece that expands on the album’s sweet menace. We are treated to a scene of a woman in a white dress (played by Paloma Pluss), sitting in a white room, being prodded and poked, her lipstick smeared by an unknown character. She looks both lost and broken, but yet child-like in appearance, eyes glistening and hazed as these events play out. Towards the end of the song, it appears as if she’s being hypnotized, succumbing to her captor or her lover’s will over time before standing up and seemingly regaining control. As the song ends and silence takes hold, she exposes herself, a much more controlled look in her eyes as the film obscures and fades to white. The piece is both powerful and sensual, unsettling and ethereal all at once, a perfect companion piece that drives the message of the record and Mueran Humanos’ music home.
Hospital Lullabies is due out on July 5th via Cinema Paradiso, and will be released on both vinyl and CD. Mueran Humanos will be celebrating the record at Berlin’s infamous Urban Spree venue, featuring a live performance by the band as well as a screening of the film. Eyes Gone and Operant will also perform, with Philipp Strobbel (aufnahme + wiedergabe) and Sam de la Rosa (Led Er Est) DJing before, after, and between sets.
Check below for the album cover, track listing, and pre-order links:
Mueran Humanos- Hospital Lullabies
1. Vestido
2. Los problemas del futuro
3. Alien
4. Detrás de una flor
5. Guardián de piedra
6. Cuando una persona común se eleva
7. La gente gris
Pre-order via Cinema Paradiso: CD | Vinyl
Photo by Pilar Gost
