At the end of August we premiered “The Butcher,” a lilting, chirping track from Spectrum, 14th Century, the first of Final Fantasy’s two forthcoming EPs. For the five-track collection, Owen Pallett collaborated with Beirut outdoors in Quebec on so-called “fake fields recordings” during the Flying Club Cup sessions. (Steel drums interact with bird songs, wooden percussion, nighttime crickets, hand claps, horns, shakers, Pallett’s voice/string arrangements.) Lyrically and sonically, Spectrum‘s meant to depict/map-out the fictional land of Spectrum (and, in fact, the EPs packaged like one of those old Smithsonian Folksways records). I’m not sure if this Jesi The Elder-directed video for “The Butcher”‘s supposed to do the same thing, but if so — it’s a bit bloodier than I’d imagined. Then again, I should’ve paid more attention to the lyrics: “Doomsday, the end of the century / In accord with prophecy / Is all your fear, you fire, you family / Written within the Book of Butchery?,” etc.
(via p4k.tv)
“And the bishops will kneel at their alters and sing / Remove their coils, their rings, their jewels / Lay them all down in sacrifice / What of things? What things? What is this thing? / I’ve a temper as shiny as any bling! / And all this attention will gain you no favor in paradise.” Sans visually apocalyptic images, but with words intact:
Spectrum, 14th Century is out 9/30 as a CD EP and 10″ EP in an edition of 1,000 via Blocks Recording Club.
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bloody? yes. rad? most definitely.
That is the craziest shit I’ve seen all year.
you obviously haven’t seen the flying lotus video.
but in relation to this, amazing song, amazing video. People need to wake up to this guy more, he’s so fucking good
Does anyone know where I can actually buy this album? I haven’t found anywhere selling physical (CD or 10″) copies of it.
Really like the song, maybe the best I’ve ever heard from Final Fantasy, but im not feeling this video.
The EP “Spectrum 14th Century” is out as of yesterday in Canada through Blocks Recording Club. It is available at Canadian record stores and on iTunes Canada. It won’t be available physically elsewhere, but Blocks has mail order, Paypal, etc., and ships internationally, cheaply.
Blocks is located here: http://www.blocksblocksblocks.com. Please visit and take the time to enjoy the sounds of the exceptionally fine musicians of Toronto.
The limited edition “Spectrum” 10″ was meant to be ready as well—the Folkways packaging for the 10″ is glorious, might I add—but initial test pressings proved unsatisfactory and we are still waiting for one that is ‘king’.
The other EP, “Plays To Please”, will be sold through the joint efforts of Slender Means Society and States Rights, as part of their famous Pregnancy Series. It will be released on the last Tuesday of October. A limited edition 10″ version will also be made available through Blocks (in Canada again, in the same method as previously described.)
The director of this video is Jesi The Elder. Her video for Katie Stelmanis’ “Join Us” was the reason I tapped her to do “The Butcher”. Please, take the time to visit her website, watch her videos, and listen to beautiful MIDI music: http://jesi.ca
The children in the video are Alice and Charlie Cello Lukashevsky, the offspring of Liza and Alex Lukashevsky. Alex Lukashevsky is the songwriter to which the “Plays To Please” EP serves as a humble tribute.
You can see more of Alex and Charlie here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u4hjMdbl1Q
Thanks for your kind comments.
Sigh. Y`know, I really like Final Fantasy, but the studio versions of his songs are pretty awful. I mean, I loved this song — loved it — when I heard it on this YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWUTA7WCjf8), but this one… yikes.
Final Fantasy + Beirut = Awesome
Owen Pallet is that you for real?
i love this blog? of music. can i get it in the states? brilliant.
i love this song and video
p.s. charlie and alice are my grandchildren
owen pallet, this is great work!!!!!!