Pretty in Pain Beauty and the Art of Female Destruction Breejen

Serendipity. It's divers past Merriam-Webster equally, "the faculty or miracle of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for." It's likewise a force that takes you lot through an unexpected back road that leads to some of the all-time and most unforgettable paths. There is nada that could better describe how the ring Foreign Accelerate come up upon my own battered and thirsty shores. In this instance, the dorsum route in question started at a very homey, used bookstore on the outskirts of boondocks, complete with a metal roof that belied a possible agri-industrial root. Run by a very kind and gentle homo who had offered me a disbelieve as thank you for helping him find an out-of-impress book, the shop was amazing and also short lived.

Nestled among a murder of quondam and oak-steady bookshelves was a teeny-tiny section of VHS tapes. Well into the 2000s, this was pretty unusual simply being a culture-fiend, I immediately scoped it out. Standing out from the wee arcane-applied science pack was a blackness and pink spine with the words Picture Music splayed on the side in a font that was more eighties than Reagan and Thatcher dirty dancing their way to world devastation. This particular record was a rare precious stone of the video-historic period: the music video compilation. An already lost art, the music video comp was a great way to have easy access to not just artists that were getting healthy airplay on MTV and MuchMusic in Canada, but also to get exposed to bands and videos that were not as visible on major cablevision outlets. (Especially in the US.) Picture Music featured artists ranging from Kim Carnes to Helix, Red Rider to Eddie Jobson, J. Geils Band, and, of course, Strange Advance.

Needless to say, I immediately bought it.

There are some gems on that tape but the one that captured and absolutely gripped me, was Strange Accelerate'southward "She Controls Me." I had vaguely heard of the band before and so simply zero could have prepared me for this. The video itself, directed by a production company entitled Cinerock, is striking, utilizing a unproblematic mail service-modernistic set that is as athwart as it is futuristic. The band, consisting of its two core members, Darryl Kromm (vocals, pb guitar) and Drew Arnott (vocals, keyboards, percussion), too as Paul Iverson (bass), and Billy (drums, though for years I always referred to him in my head equally aroused Jon Cryer) are dressed in suits that suitably looks more than like a stylish uniform for a mission that is more in line with artificial environments than anything on Earth. These are not preening boys for a jaded, hormones-laced-with-advertisement-influenced audition, merely men looking anguished while playing a song sporting sophisticated synths mixed with strong guitar while Kromm sings about love and obsession. The viewer is consistently denied seeing the total face of the titular "She," making her more of an obtuse fixation than a whole, cherry-blooded woman. The video is smart but the lightning commodities of the great musicianship, the physical presence of the band coupled with the hitting lyrics….needless to say, information technology was full sonic honey.

She controls the way I feel/She tin make you crash/She can make it real

"She Controls Me"

In a sea of bands that utilized a heavy synth audio and pop sensibility, Strange Accelerate stand up out every bit their ain captains, creating music that cannot be cleanly categorized equally anything except potent. Arnott and Kromm are the songwriters and musicians of by, present, and future generations.

The genesis of Foreign Advance formed in 1979 in Concluding City itself, Vancouver. Kromm and Arnott had previously played together in the mid-1970'due south British Colombian band called Slan. After parting ways, the ii reunited in 1979 and, according to an archived web page from The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia, were making the rounds on the Vancouver bar circuit as a cover band called Remote Control. (Side note, this is as well the proper name of an exceptional album past The Tubes, which was released in 1979.) In Remote Command, at that place was likewise a bassist named Paul Iverson, whom would become on to be a function of the first line-upwardly of Strange Advance.

Behind the hills and scared to hell/Tears were murdered on their cheeks/

They pushed the blankets from their legs and crumbled to their knees

"I Chance in a 1000000"

Fast forrard to late 1982 with the ring releasing their debut album, Worlds Away. From anxiety kickoff, Strange Advance established themselves by instantly forming their own category. In a year where synthpop was king on the charts, the ring seemed to be framed in that subgenre, even at one signal primed to tour with Kajagoogoo in Europe. (Which is utterly bizarre, since the latter was definitely more of a candy-coated and fluff-centered outfit. In that location is cipher incorrect with this, of course, but it is a weird combination of bands.)

Worlds Abroad does have some catchy songs with a strong pop-claw, with "Prisoner" existence the biggest example. But even with that vocal and especially the three singles from the album ("She Controls Me," "Love Games," and "Kiss in the Night,") at that place's something else there. A subtle edge of torment and sweet fixation riddles a lot of the love songs, resulting in work that is never ever in danger of losing any depth. Even in the promotional videos for "She Controls Me" and "Love Games," Darryl Kromm looks more intense than anything. These were men not trying to pose for MTV or MuchMusic, merely real artists creating something special with reverb and resonance with no sell-by date.

Speaking of the two videos, the outfit that created them, Cinerock, was headed past a onetime ad human being named John Diaz. Cinerock was a company that, according to a piece in the September 11th, 1982 issue of Billboard, wanted to create a "niche doing conceptual clips and longer pieces." This ties in pretty nicely with the videos for "Honey Games" and "She Controls Me." Both clips feature gray and pastel sets, frequently in athwart shapes, not that far removed from a 1980's variation of German language Expressionism blueprint, and the band wearing blackness and grayness suits that fit well with the surrounding areas.

Both too feature a female model and with "She Controls Me," in lieu of your typical 1980's glamour model, nosotros're given a near faceless woman who is is the object of the song'south tormented ready. The stop result is throttled voyeurism that adds a rich edge to an already fantastic song. The band looks practiced, with all involved looking serious, particularly Kromm, whose presence brings such an aesthetic gravitas to the proceedings. All of this highlights the song's duality of both sexual enamoration and the angst when you take sacrificed part of yourself to focus on someone else.

"Love Games" has a similar motif except with a more than traditional arroyo concerning the female model, whose face up we get a full await at while dressed like the dearest child of Mrs. Scarlet and Mrs. White from Clue, and of grade, she antagonizes poor Darryl Kromm. Information technology's more standard only still well made and the vocal, per usual, is primed and ready in its textured popular goodness. As far as I know, in that location was no video created for "Kiss in the Dark," which is too bad since it is another potent unmarried, featuring great lyrics like "…know you to love you to tears…" Even when Arnott and Kromm write love songs, there'due south a mature sense of passion and fear. Plastic-pap love songs that ruled then and at present have zero place in the Strange Accelerate musical universe.

We burned, the fire from the Dominicus/I know you lot never tried to deceive/

Who tin impact us when we run?

"We Run" (The Extended Mix)

Three years later on, the band released their second anthology, accordingly titled 2wo. A strong follow-up from the rock-solid excellence of Worlds Abroad, 2wo, proved to be fifty-fifty more commercially successful, helming 2 hits in the grade of "The 2nd I Saw You lot" and particularly "Nosotros Run." 2wo went gold in Canada but more importantly, it further solidified the fact that Strange Advance continued to be a band that you lot could not wedge neatly into whatsoever boxes. Yous take the sunny popular of "The Second I Saw You lot" but and so the postal service-apocalyptic dusty ambiance of the cryptically titled "Prelude," the understated prog feel of "Nor Crystal Tears," to the emotional and sonic heaviness of "Dwelling house of the Dauntless." (The latter features some of Kromm's all-time vocals, which is high praise given how much he always brings to the table.)

You lot're on your own & encounter a friend. Who doesn't kill only wounds for life.

The sun blinds you lot through the trees. While watching clues autumn from the sky

"Nosotros Run" (All versions.)

Standing far and proud from an album of great songs is "We Run," providing that rare moment where a ring'due south biggest charting hit likewise being one of their best songs. "We Run" has some of Arnott's near haunting lyrics, with the man also singing atomic number 82 and doing a mighty fine chore, with his voice bringing a proper placidity depth. Emerging in the Cold State of war that was omnipresent throughout the 1980s, "We Run" eschews any overt political statements by painting, instead, a damaged landscape and a humanity that is trying to vainly free itself from the very cantankerous we take nailed ourselves to. The dazzler of having songwriters similar Drew Arnott is that he tin paint an unabridged film in one turn of phrase than whole albums composed past corporate rock stars doing the proletariat posture.

The music only sweeps into the vocal, fleshing out the band's vision, with every sound and instrument serving every bit colors of blackness, rust, and bruise violet. Curiously, there are a few dissimilar versions of "Nosotros Run." There is the primary version that's on the album, but at that place's as well another one that is nigh identical except for it being longer and featuring actress key lyrics. Drew Arnott actually tells the story of everything that went into the making and producing this vocal on the official Foreign Advance web page. (I highly recommend checking out their site and reading most this in the homo's own words.) This includes how the original mix had extra lyrics, well-nigh notably the sole back and forth between Arnott and Kromm's vocals that is absolutely my favorite part of the song. The 2 blend so beautifully together and the lyrics themselves are unsurprisingly nigh perfect. Who tin affect us when we run, indeed.

The closest equivalent I have found that fits Arnott'south clarification is the extended unmarried mix of "We Run," which was released on the 1995 SPG Music Ltd various artists release Classic Alternatives Volume Three. The album version is great, since this song is masterful any way you desire to piece or dice information technology, but the extended unmarried mix is exquisite and definitely should be sought out. Another song that has an alternating mix from 2wo is "Just Like You." The primary mix is skillful but the alternative mix, which was posted on YouTube by Arnott, has more sonic texture, stronger bass, and some sweet flourishes, making it the best fit for lyrics like, "..I recollect I've gone too far this time. And I feel like I should alter my betoken of view. Time fades like the shadows in the sun…" Simply like "We Run," both mixes are fine and definitely exercise non harm the song in whatsoever way.

We forgot how to think. Nosotros forgot how to experience.

We're barely itch, merely how we try to stand.

"Who Lives Side by side Door"

In 1988, the ring released their tertiary and as of early on 2019, final album, The Distance Betwixt. While not quite as heavy as the commencement two albums, The Distance Betwixt is a rich and vibrant piece of work, featuring the band's ability to accept both songs virtually love and our own beautiful and morally mottled human being condition. Even with their poppiest and sweetest songs, there is that uniform depth and brilliantly crafted line that defines Foreign Advance.

Speaking of which, the album'south two singles, "Beloved Becomes Electric" and "Till the Stars Fall" both have this big jubilance about their audio. "Till the Stars Fall" is a sweetness dear song, while "Honey Becomes Electric" has to be one of the most clever tunes nearly the joys and questions of experiencing concrete dear with a new partner. This pop beauty has such great lines like, "Your silken smile, stardust a while. Your solar flesh, your synchromesh! And now….oh no." It's such a fun honest song with much large light and a killer mix of guitar and synth, which was no mean feat in the tardily eighties, an era that was wrought with tinny synths and Tupperware-sleek production. Thin-sounding synths were never, ever a trouble with this band, thank Hades.

Some other standout on The Distance Between is "Who Lives Next Door." Written by Drew and Paul Hyde (all-time known for his work in The Payola$) and sung by Arnott, this is a directly-from-the-conscience commentary about the stuntedness of the ongoing state of things for humanity. This song features some on-the-money perception with zero egos or preachiness, eschewing such attitudes for a point of view of 1 who can see all too well the folly of our beau man and even ourselves. The more than things change, the more that they take ever remained the same. The fright and sad-eyed-knowing that streams through "We Run" and "Who Lives Side by side Door" is merely as prevalent and relevant at present as it was when showtime pressed to vinyl and disc.

While the band'southward Wikipedia entry has them breaking upwardly in 1995, their bio on their homepage mentions that they took a break for thirty years, lining upwardly with their last album release. Either manner, there are ii important things to notation here. No matter what year they decided to take a interruption, this vastly underrated band released a trio of mighty albums that shine as bright now as they did in the 1980s. Great art is never truly dated and that is the instance with Strange Advance because what they created strikes sharply on so many levels today. Fifty-fifty better is that after the same thirty years, the band has resurfaced with a crowdfunding attempt that is tied with the goal of launching a new bout later this twelvemonth. Given that different so many of their peers, this band has genuinely been out of the spotlight for years, and then seeing this kind of reemergence feels like the twinkle of altitude and art-promise-souvenir that is both wanted and truly needed.

From stumbling upon a long out-of-print VHS music videotape to fully delving into a small simply oh-and then-rich discography, the work of Strange Advance is accessible without even giving a nod towards sacrificing thought, vision, and that crucial organ that none of us tin can live without. (And if whatever of you smart asses reading this say tummy or liver, I will literally give you lot the stern eyebrow arch of eternal dismay.) From Worlds Abroad to our earth at present, this is a band whose crucialness remains steadfast and true forevermore.

biggenuants.blogspot.com

Source: https://diaboliquemagazine.com/who-can-touch-us-when-we-run-the-pain-beauty-of-strange-advance/