WL//WH Video Of The Day: CONTES CRUELS “Aparición” (Official Video)

Video Of The Day CONTES CRUELS

Contes Cruels, a Berlin-based Darkwave duo of Pris V and M. Cruel, ex-members of the South American Post-punk band El Mal, return with a DIY Official video by Pris V for “Aparición,” the opening track from the band’s 2024 debut EP, “Séance,” as a hint of more intriguing news to come.

Taking inspiration from the seminal Post-punk sound of Britain, decadent literature and experimental electronic, Contes Cruels ventures into the realms of hauntology, crafting a minimalist, sensual sound where cold lyrics meet vintage gears to embody a spectral presence and eclipse post-modernity.

A heavy immersion of unhurried darkness, “Aparición” drives pulsing heart beats, cracking lashes, and creeping doom-laden bass lines through an ominous tunnel of dramatic weeping swathes and an array of haunting melodies while lost ghost-like female vocals radiate shadowy echoes of numb fear.

The accompanied visuals, filmed by the duo over several Berlin winters, use minimal means and a deeply personal approach to reflect the raw, cinematic nature of Contes Cruels. Black and white imagery, snow-covered cemeteries and fading figures emerge as recurring motifs to open portals into a space where time feels suspended and presence becomes haunting.

The DIY Official Video is a monochromatic mosaic of fragmented memories that reflects light and distorts shadows amidst a beautiful winter landscape of gravestones, frozen roses, and ceremonial candles. During the outdoor exploration, Pris V takes a slow ghost-like ascension up a flight of snow covered stairs to bring forth an inspirational sense of elevation and transformation.

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