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The USA-based dark experimental electronic project of multi-instrumentalist Dylan Neal, Thief, returns with the horror noire music video, "Cinderland", as the first single from its upcoming album, Bleed, Memory, set for release on 19 April via Prophecy Productions.
Thief's mastermind Dylan Neal comments: "Our first single, 'Cinderland', is a dark electronic anthem about finding perseverance and meaning among the rubble of a troubled past and turbulent memories that climaxes with a triumphantly heavy doom metal choral catharsis. Burnt soil can be the most fertile grounds for life to grow. In this music video, which is illustrated by scenes taken from the 1964 Japanese horror film 'Onibaba', our subjects are struggling to survive in a 'Cinderland' of their own".
Dementia is a thief. It robs its victims piece by piece of their memory, identity, family and friends, and often enough even their human dignity. On its fourth album, Bleed, Memory, Thief explores the theme of 'memory' - lyrically and musically, which runs as a bold dotted line throughout the album. Dylan Neal was largely inspired after witnessing his father, who had recently been diagnosed with dementia, transition from bouts of forgetfulness and confusion to acute episodes of false memories, delusions, visions, and strange behaviour.
This makes Bleed, Memory a very personal creation, and the experience has led Neal to question his own memories and explore how they shape his identity and reality. Memories are not just the stories we tell ourselves and others, and it's evident in Neal's comparison of them to ghosts. Although they are not physically present and cannot be touched, they still manifest and frighten those who believe in them. These 'ghosts' are also reflected in the music on this album. The cover art also ties into the concept. This re-painting of El Greco's 'The Tears of Saint Peter' by Joseba Eskubi with a wraith-like, sorrowful saint almost resembling a sepulchral memory.
Once again, the backbone of Thief is made of sampled sacred chant music - some sampled from crate digging, and some recorded at various orthodox churches. These samples got stretched, cut, mangled, morphed, and pitched to function like their own ethereal instrument. Neal deliberately designed Bleed, Memory to sound haunted. One of the techniques that he used to achieve this effect is 'granular synthesis'. The more prominent use of granular synthesis on this record means that samples got split into small blips of audio, barely exceeding 100 milliseconds. These blips - or grains - loop extremely fast and can be layered on top of each other with added manipulation of speed, phase, volume, and frequency, among other parameters.
This unique approach, amalgamating musical elements from ambient, industrial, choral music, black metal, and trip-hop, among other influences, into a new sonic experience, has long granted Thief a cult status among the initiated. Although the studio project operates strictly on a solo basis to this day, there is also another incarnation as a live entity with a physical band. Performing live has probably played a role in setting Neal on a more song-based course, which is also audible on Bleed, Memory.
Before causing a stir among connoisseurs of fascinating new music with Thief, Dylan Neal had already made an impact as a musician by playing hammered dulcimer in San Francisco-based experimental black metal outfit Botanist, to which he continues to contribute even after having parted ways amicably.
With Bleed, Memory, Thief delivers a dark yet beautiful artistic contemplation of a terrible affliction that at the same time conveys anger, melancholy, sorrow, and loss as a Gesamtkunstwerk (synthesis of all arts) lyrically, musically, and visually. Beware, this sonic ghost will haunt the memories of its listeners!
"Cinderland"... Link
Bleed, Memory tracklist:
01. Apparitions
02. Cinderland
03. Paramnesia
04. Pneuma Enthusiastikon
05. Prankquean
06. Dead Coyote Dreams
07. Bleed, Memory
08. Dulcinea
09. Behemouth
10. Hexproof
11. Pissing
12. To Whom It May Concern
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