Rain To Rust is the one-man-project masterminded by Istanbul-based Mert Yıldız, stalwart of the Turkish underground music scene for over two decades (former member of Dead Man’s Dream), currently part of Black Front who, with the help of few friends, put all his talent and experience into the 8 songs of his debut album “Rain to Rust”, a powerful, poignant and intriguing concoction of ’80s UK-tinged post-punk and darkwave sounds, steeped in both literary and cinematic references, that shine in all its DIY glory, well worth checking out.
Just like its musical counterpart, the video for “Time And Time Again” is inspired by and a homage to “Twin Peaks: The Return”. Saba Arat stars as “the girl in trouble”.
Featuring Tuğba Selin Ülker on vocals and Dahakara‘s Özüm Özgülgen on piano, the fourth song from the album unravels chilling drone static and submerged murky basslines, that blur beneath shimmering intermittent bursts of abrasive unharnessed guitar strums, and striking disquieted, urgent piano melodies fatalistic rhythms, as deep dramatic male vocals reflected in hushed frightened female chorus, enigmatically draw desperation into a sonorous build of foreboding anticipation, spiralling out of control into the lonely discomfort of misunderstood dreams.
Haunting, judgmental lyrics delivered from the point of view of a parent or authority figure are almost whispered at times revealing the secrecy and fear surrounding the disappearance of a troubled girl whose unchallenged trust believed someone would find her walking down the street and bring her home safely. An eerie account of her carefree state of mind leading up to the tragedy followed by the sheer terror perceived to be felt when the mistake is realized instil a sense of unease and shame for the reckless last choices made out of naivete, for they should not have been her last. Anxious choral repetitions fearfully cant the final thought, “I hope I see you again sometime, in dreams.”
A disturbing black and white counterpart starring Saba Arat as, “The Girl in Trouble”, visually depicts the incident, beginning with an unfocused close up of the girl and her surroundings as shadows and smudges shift, shadily turning a beautiful landscape into a menacing horror. Foreshadowing landmarks such as a lone gravestone and a prophetic tattoo deepen the mystery, importing fate and destiny into the mix of answers as to how something so sinisterly twisted could come to be. Deceptive camera photography along with creative editing technique, and cinematic acting talent, expressed mostly through facial expression, set against the backdrop of a ghostly suspenseful soundtrack brings satisfying completion to the nightmarish notion of where the “the wrong turn” travels.
‘Time And Time Again’ video is first in a series of linked videos that will cover every single track on “Flowers Of Doubt” album. Soon on this channel…Stay tuned!
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