‘This message highlights against greed, and encourages that we return to love, resilience, and joy for the people of this planet. “Love Not War” expresses themes of monsters, oppressors, and evil, while searching for more fairness, transformative change and authenticity.‘
Now that’s a statement to be greeted by when opening an EPK. Berlin-based duo Public Display of Affection, the self-proclaimed art-punk partnership of lyricist/dancer Madeleine Rose and multi-instrumentalist/producer Anton Remy, obviously operate off a backbone of strong principles, and good on them for being so upfront with it. Said “Love Not War” is the new single off their upcoming double album Expressions Of Obsessions, due out on September 20.
For this new album, the two main members have enlisted bassist/vocalist Amanda Longo, mandolinist/violinist Kaio Moraes, and dancer/vocalist Bláthin Eckhardt to bolster their ranks. Given the influences they profess to pull from (including, but not limited to The Birthday Party, Mount Kimbie, Dry Cleaning, The Cure, and The Smile), Expressions Of Obsessions should be a doozy to take in, especially considering its status as a double album.
Before we go deeper into it, you should probably take in the song and its accompanying music video, shot by Rose herself with photography by Emily Dodd-Noble and editing by Sebastian Stein, for yourself. Have at it below!
Functioning as the album opener, the four-minute “Love Not War” is built around the mbira, played by guest musician Muha alias Dércio Fernando Simão Gomate. The African thumb piano is the anchor that holds the song tethered to the ground, as the other elements appear ethereal enough to float away otherwise. Rose’s vocals are sweetly urgent but aloof, while Remy provides an energetic but floaty backbeat and varied synths. It’s a much more restrained affair than their art-punk tag would imply (I’d call this art-pop, if anything), but I’ll be damned if it’s not a lovely song nonetheless!
The video is a mixture of behind the scenes candids and staged shots, mostly involving Rose in various locations and positions, all kept in a grainy black and white that provides a stark contrast to the relative warmth of the music itself. There’s also a piece of home recorded footage from 1994 (wow, I wasn’t even 1 year old when that video was recorded) spliced onto the beginning, and the song’s lyrics are fit into the mixture as well. Might sound like a bit of a messy concept on paper, but it actually works really well as a visual setting for “Love Not War”.
Public Display of Affection take pride in their visual representation and live shows, which has earned them a reputation as a raucous and innovative act on- and offstage. The cover artwork for Expressions Of Obsessions (depicted below) was handled by Snacks, and it’s sufficiently expressionistic to underline the band’s image and ambitions. If the record sounds like its cover looks, we’re truly in for a spectacle!
Speaking of their live shows, though, PDoA have some upcoming gigs to promote, which you’ll find listed below:
02.10 Z-BAU, Nürnburg
09.10.2024 Gold Club, Essen
16.10.2024 Noch Besser Leben, Leipzig
17.10.2024 Import Export, Munich
18.10.2024 Kiff, Aarau
23.10.2024 Ms Stubnitz, Hamburg
24.10.2024 Hannover tbc
25.10.2024 Zukunft, Berlin
If you liked what you heard above, be sure to keep an eye out for Expressions Of Obsessions when it drops on September 20! Be sure to follow Public Display of Affection on social media (Facebook | Instagram) as well, and to check out their previous material on Bandcamp.
Header image courtesy of Emily Dodd-Noble, featured image courtesy of Jascha Hase
