The notion of art punk seems a bit oxymoronic when you think about, no? Conceptually, art rock and punk seem quite far from each other even though I’m sure there’s been plenty of overlap between them, it’s just that I don’t think I’ve ever actually encountered that term. Once you throw some noisy tendencies and psychedelic visuals in the mix, however, the concept starts to suddenly make quite a bit more sense.
The Brooklyn-based duo of cousins going by the name of Cinema Cinema are preparing to release their new album Mjölnir via Nefarious Industries on July 14. The duo is being joined by the multi-instrumentalist Thor Harris for the entirety of the record, and together these fine gentlemen have crafted an unexpectedly hard hitting sonic structure thriving on the aforementioned stylistic leanings, from which we are offering you a good taste today in the form of “Walk Into the Ocean”, which you can hear and view from below;
The song itself really answers any and all questions I posed on the first paragraph, proving to be exactly what was promised; art punk. Crackling lo-fi-esque guitars and steadily driving percussive pulse topped with half spoken half yelled vocals creates a picturesque and gripping mood that encapsulates the listener fully, acting as a taste of great things to come through its less-than-three minute duration. The song does fly by rather quickly, granted that it makes its points very clear and poignant right from the beginning, being a continuous crescendo of sorts that keeps on growing until eventually dying off without much of a warning, save for the rumbles and swells of the last seconds. “Walk Into the Ocean” exemplifies that you really don’t need to cram the audible spectrum with all kinds of nonsense, but can rely practically only on dynamics and emotion to truly hit the target.
The song’s visual counterpart made up of evolving delirious textures and flashes of the musicians and (very surprisingly) an ocean, takes the band’s hypnotic nature up another step, and I wouldn’t be that amazed if you told me you sat through it for twenty times in one sitting. Both musically and visually, “Walk Into the Ocean” is simultaneously a gratifying yet grating experience, giving us a proper peek of what the entirety of Mjölnir will entail.
In support of the new album, Cinema Cinema are embarking on a tour with more dates to be added later on. You can scope out the confirmed ones below and reserve a date accordingly should they stop nearby;
July 14 – Dusk, Providence, RI
July 15 – Jewel Music Venue, Manchester, NH
July 16 – Rock! Away! Music Fest, Queens, NY
July 21 – Warwick DIY, Warwick, NY
August 4 – Century, Philadelphia, PA
August 5 – 33 Golden Street, New London, CT
August 6 – Impetus Records, Claymont, DE
August 19 – Hart Bar, Brooklyn, NY
August 20 – Avalon Lounge, Catskill, NY
September 9 – Worthen Attic, Lowell, Ma
As said, Mjölnir drops on July 14, and you can pre-order the album as well as listen to a previously released track from here, and be sure to follow Cinema Cinema on the band’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
