Steve Morell - Loneliness
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"Loneliness", a single from 2010, in spite of what its record’s label name might suggest, is a lively foretaste of the album - "The Life And Death Of Jimmy Pheres And His Rise From The Underworld", wherein Steve Morell inhabits a self-invented character, through whom he expresses his views on fears and feelings that sometimes creep over each of us. Thence, Jimmy Pheres rose from the dead to look on his life again.
On the LP we’ll find the original version of the title track, as well as three remixed songs, with a fine line dividing them off – The A side pieces are pervaded with gloomy and eerie atmosphere, whereas the electronically driven compositions on the B side will probably jerk some legs to their dance rhythm.
"Loneliness" is an acoustic ballad evoking the songs of Nick Cave or some of the utmost achievements of "cold wave", though served in an unusual shape. Everything here is based on mesmerizing guitar, deep bass, and Steve’s piercing, enchanting voice, who isn’t exactly singing, rather using a kind of melodeclamation to utter his subversive poetry.
On the one hand, we have a confession full of regret, so typical here, on the other, a praise of loneliness, so to speak, which expressed through Jimmy Pheres’ mouth, is merely a "dress" that gives him a feeling of happiness actually. Thus, it’s a sanctity that should not be violated – it opens one to the realm of art.
Therefore, "Loneliness" can be seen as an eulogy of solitude, with music being the perfect medium to convey it. A subtle piano is not to be disregarded, for it is, in fact, a key contributor to the mystical atmosphere, made up of merely two, yet extremely intriguing and anxiety-ridden haunting notes, interwoven through the album.
Einstürzende Neubauten’s Alex Hacke, undertook to prepare the first remix, in consequence producing a slow-going, metal, distorted bass-line, with eerie sounds in the background, and as mentioned before, the piano line as a kind of embellishment – altogether investing the result with incredibly apocalyptic ambience.
Steve’s processed voice sounds as though it was coming out of the depths of the earth or maybe the world beyond. Somewhere in the middle the guitar draws to a halt while the orchestral sections come to the fore, turning the mournful monotony into entrancing monumentality. A remix, that would have easily fitted a soundtrack for an atmospheric horror movie, perfectly harmonizes with the direction taken by Morell. Thus, no wonder some of the fans might find the next, danceable version quite surprising. Composition driven by lively and bright chords of electric guitar, propelled by a drum machine, has been turned into a dialog between the vocalist and Informer’s Johanna Sadonis (whose voice, merely an addition before; here plays a significant part).This adds a hint of "pugnacity" to the overall catchiness. "Electronic Version" surprises the least. While being similar to the original, it relinquishes the sharp guitar section in favor of a dance-floor beat.
Despite the two years’ gap since the single’s coming out, and until recently, little news regarding the forthcoming album (it seemed as if the project had been abandoned), hopes renewed with a fresh material released in May, featuring Lady Pheres in duet with Monica Pokorna. The EP (available on soundcloud.com) not only lives up to the standard of the single but somehow even gets the better of it. This only whets the appetite for the full length issue of the German producer, who began his career in 1984, and still proves his top form. Let’s hope, he will continue it for a long time to come – after all, it is never enough of beautiful music.
Tracklist:
A1. Loneliness (Alexander Hacke Solitary Doom Re-Mix)
A2. Loneliness (Original)
B1. Loneliness (Punx Soundcheck Remix)
B2. Loneliness (Electronic Version)
Other articles:
On the LP we’ll find the original version of the title track, as well as three remixed songs, with a fine line dividing them off – The A side pieces are pervaded with gloomy and eerie atmosphere, whereas the electronically driven compositions on the B side will probably jerk some legs to their dance rhythm.
"Loneliness" is an acoustic ballad evoking the songs of Nick Cave or some of the utmost achievements of "cold wave", though served in an unusual shape. Everything here is based on mesmerizing guitar, deep bass, and Steve’s piercing, enchanting voice, who isn’t exactly singing, rather using a kind of melodeclamation to utter his subversive poetry.
On the one hand, we have a confession full of regret, so typical here, on the other, a praise of loneliness, so to speak, which expressed through Jimmy Pheres’ mouth, is merely a "dress" that gives him a feeling of happiness actually. Thus, it’s a sanctity that should not be violated – it opens one to the realm of art.
Therefore, "Loneliness" can be seen as an eulogy of solitude, with music being the perfect medium to convey it. A subtle piano is not to be disregarded, for it is, in fact, a key contributor to the mystical atmosphere, made up of merely two, yet extremely intriguing and anxiety-ridden haunting notes, interwoven through the album.
Einstürzende Neubauten’s Alex Hacke, undertook to prepare the first remix, in consequence producing a slow-going, metal, distorted bass-line, with eerie sounds in the background, and as mentioned before, the piano line as a kind of embellishment – altogether investing the result with incredibly apocalyptic ambience.
Steve’s processed voice sounds as though it was coming out of the depths of the earth or maybe the world beyond. Somewhere in the middle the guitar draws to a halt while the orchestral sections come to the fore, turning the mournful monotony into entrancing monumentality. A remix, that would have easily fitted a soundtrack for an atmospheric horror movie, perfectly harmonizes with the direction taken by Morell. Thus, no wonder some of the fans might find the next, danceable version quite surprising. Composition driven by lively and bright chords of electric guitar, propelled by a drum machine, has been turned into a dialog between the vocalist and Informer’s Johanna Sadonis (whose voice, merely an addition before; here plays a significant part).This adds a hint of "pugnacity" to the overall catchiness. "Electronic Version" surprises the least. While being similar to the original, it relinquishes the sharp guitar section in favor of a dance-floor beat.
Despite the two years’ gap since the single’s coming out, and until recently, little news regarding the forthcoming album (it seemed as if the project had been abandoned), hopes renewed with a fresh material released in May, featuring Lady Pheres in duet with Monica Pokorna. The EP (available on soundcloud.com) not only lives up to the standard of the single but somehow even gets the better of it. This only whets the appetite for the full length issue of the German producer, who began his career in 1984, and still proves his top form. Let’s hope, he will continue it for a long time to come – after all, it is never enough of beautiful music.
Tracklist:
A1. Loneliness (Alexander Hacke Solitary Doom Re-Mix)
A2. Loneliness (Original)
B1. Loneliness (Punx Soundcheck Remix)
B2. Loneliness (Electronic Version)
Other articles:
- Lagrima Negra - The Flower of my Loneliness - 2013-01-18 (Music reviews)
