We were already stoked by the “sonically immersive and emotionally wrenching” debut single (here) by Vienna based quartet Culk, comprised of Sophie Löw (vocals/guitar /synth), Johannes Blindhofer (guitar), Benjamin Steiger (Bass), and Christoph Kuhn (Drums).
Today the band’s sophomore single “Faust”, with the paired video, has been dropped taken from forthcoming Culk’s self-titled debut album due to be released Feb 1, 2019 via Siluh Records.
With its distorted and feedback-intensive guitar-driven alternative rock sound, “Faust” is a departure from the dreamier 4-AD tinged ambiences of the debut, and if the tension and the intensity remain the same, is once again the sheer magic of Sophie’s voice that makes a difference.
Taut and pounding drums underscore ominous foreboding, fuzzy and distorted bass lines, and bursts of, dense, abrasive layered guitar tones to create an environment of danger, excitement, and secrecy as seductive, sensual croons of temptation and shame overpower the landscape like rays of the rising sun. Atmospheric synth textures, hypnotic deep bass pulses, mournful webs of crystalline guitar notes, and smooth drums coalesce as vocals become detached, despondent reiterations of frustration descending to silence.
A song about deception, fear, and guilt. A classic love triangle tale of falling in lust while still in a relationship proves to be quite a burden. Stuck between the fear of being caught and losing one or both of the others creates a paralysis leaving all involved in a limbo of pain, angst, and distress.
The companion visuals, filmed by Sophie Löw & Benjamin Steiger in Corsica & Upper Austria in Fall 2018, use contrasts, shadows, and an unfocused lens to emphasize the themes of duality, secrecy, and deception. A man dressed in black is running with nowhere to hide as a woman dressed in white chants incantations in front of an altar with a vengeful look in her eye. It appears as if the man finally gets what he deserves in this wicked game of retribution.
Keep up with Culk:
Photo @nnyac
