Montreal-based newcomers Mindreader blend ambient textures, vocal harmonies, and haunting storytelling with driving electronic rhythms reminiscing of the ’80s, to create a genre-bender hypnotic live performance, bringing to life its own vision of modern Darkwave.
WL//WH is pleased to Premiere an imaginative video, directed by Alexandrine Khoury, for the band’s debut single “The Kill”, in anticipation of a first EP coming out this Fall, 2023.
“The Kill” delves into the aftermath of a relationship, where someone has done something terrible to the point of no return, as is reflected by the lines “the damage is done” and “thanks for nothing love” which are repeated throughout the song. While the song exudes nonchalant and even perhaps angry elements in the vocals, the lyrics still sometimes reveal a sense of longing or regret.
Photo by @emma.the.hermit
An intriguing 80s-tinged blend of noir-ish Synth-Pop and guitar-flecked New Wave, the single nods to early Kirlian Camera and more recent Tempers moodscapes you can addictively immerse and dance to.
Nocturnal, ominous and atmospheric, “The Kill” bounces and shifts in eerie ebbs and flows, led by sinister droning bass oscillations, pulsing in its urgent way together with steady hypnotic kicks and dry crisp snare beats, pierced by wistful bleeding guitar melodies, and icy pining, off-kilter synth strains, to surround powerfully evocative heartfelt vocals, aching in anger and fear with a surreal and cruel aura of betrayal and pain.
“Although the precise details of the incident remain intentionally absent from the lyrics, the video clip adds to the storyline by portraying a potentially abusive relationship through which the narrator is violently tossed around, manipulated and thrown away to face its death by the end of the clip.”
Thoughtful, soul-stirring visuals by Alexandrine Khoury blend dark symbols with psychological role-play to sync seamlessly with the severe emotions of the soundtrack. A puppeteered Raggedy Ann doll, checkerboard floors, and creative matching harlequin outfits set the stage for mysterious subliminal interpretations where dangerous feelings of helplessness and suffering occur at the hands of a toxic relationship.
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