Life can be sobering. The mere thought of existence and its natural – inevitable – end, can be enough to snap anyone out of daydream. But that doesn’t mean hope doesn’t glimmer in little corners of our world. It’s from this angle that Poland-born German experimental industrial rock artist Grzegorz approaches his music from. Soon, on October 26, he will release his new album 33 unto us all, and we have the video for its latest single “Nuclear Option” debuting right here, right now on Everything is Noise.
‘[33 is a] biographical journey which feels like one last push against a life of disappointments. As in the 1980s, with nuclear extinction being a very real threat to the world and the imaginations of its people, we are again at the edge of an abyss today. This feeling is at the root of 33. Grzegorz is looking for answers to the question if we should just let go and embrace the numbing depression or try one last time, this time with everything we’ve got’.
This isn’t just in my wheelhouse, this is my wheelhouse. Let’s check the video out:
Lovely, wavy synths really manipulate the song’s abyssal space. Along with a little reverb, it’s very expansive. Grzegorz‘s voice is crystal clear in the mix. He boldly enunciates lyrics which firmly plants his voice in the center of the track. Snappy drums echo loudly, the snare like a doomsday clock’s minute hand inching toward midnight at high-speed. The video is filled to the brim with beautifully shot landscapes of our planet. It covers a variety of biomes, their flora and fauna, seemingly shot around the globe. It’s a stark contrast to the lyrics which make multiple references to nuclear apocalypse, as if to say, ‘this is what we threaten to end with our nigh-inevitable nuclear war‘.
It’s a delicate mix of somber heft with lighter atmosphere that always tends to captivate me. I’m reminded a bit of Depeche Mode, or Miracle and their mature take on 80s synthpop, but Grzegorz goes off in his own direction making it a unique experience. In other words, I love it. If you like this, I would also check out “I Lost My Friends to Cocaine” which was the first single for 33 released a couple of months ago. It has a different, more upbeat vibe if that’s your thing.
Thanks to Grzegorz for the opportunity to premiere something very interesting and different here at Everything is Noise. Please do yourself a favor and check out the artist’s Facebook, Instagram, and Bandcamp where you can also preorder 33 before it comes out on October 26!
