Video: Escape-ism – “Bodysnatcher”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knWwI0-p7hw

Directed by Alexandra Cabral. From The Lost Record, out September 7 on Merge.

Another minimalist disco jam from the twisted funkbone of Ian Svenonius. The video features the subtle but enticing dance moves of Svenonius and collaborator/director Alexandra Cabral as they get down on the craggy shore of a tropical island…or maybe Big Sur.

Ian Svenonius says, “‘Bodysnatcher’ takes its name from the paranoid classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which cast communist influence as an outer space invasion. The body snatcher is a kind of mythic folk figure who represents the threat or the allure of total romantic or ideological takeover and surrender.”

Body snatch me, baby!

Escape-ism: bandcamp, fb, amazon, apple, spotify, wiki.

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Video: Escape-ism – “Nothing Personal”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gENLLtSSWWY

Directed by Alexandra Cabral. From The Lost Record, out September 7 on Merge.

Ian Svenonius is prolific. It was only November when he introduced the world to his new project, Escape-ism. And now there’s a second album coming due in September. “Nothing Personal” continues with Introduction‘s minimalist soul.

The video features Svenonius scowling and snarling and flanked by Los Angeles artist Ariana Papademetropoulos and Black Lips saxophonist Zumi Rosow.

Only ten months after he provided us with an Introduction to Escape-ism, mythic rock ’n’ roll provocateur / theorist / revolutionary Ian Svenonius is back as Escape-ism with The Lost Record, a classic destined to bewitch the minds, hearts, and dancing shoes of any rock ’n’ roll fan who happens to discover it, for as long as such creatures exist. Without the high-octane hype machine of the mind-control minstrels who hypnotize the hapless through the mass media, The Lost Record is bound for inevitable obscurity, but—with its timeless tunes, poignant message, and innovative sound—rediscovery and immortal status is equally assured! The Lost Record, being what it is, has enormous selling potential. Music enthusiasts will be thrilled to be the ones clever and kind enough to have rescued this platter from oblivion.

Recorded in four different studios—Gaucho in Los Angeles, Flat Black in Iowa, Tonal Park in Takoma Park, MD, and at Club Blasé in DC—the record is the culmination of humanity’s attempt at something poignant, perverse, and poetically imperfect.

Escape-ism: bandcamp, fb, amazon, apple, spotify, wiki.

Video: Escape-ism – “Walking in the Dark”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQKIW35zJac

From Introduction to Escape-ism, out now on Merge.

Escape-ism is Ian Svenonius. I first heard him way back in 1999 when downloading songs from the Internet was brand new and Svenonius had a band called the Make Up. I probably read something about them in a Greil Marcus column on Salon and then navigated over to listen.com to see if they had any free MP3s available. A couple of those songs ended up on mix discs I made for pals over the next couple of years. That’s how it worked back then, bubba.

Fast forward to the summer of 2016 when I went to see the Black Lips at a local club and an unknown (to me) band called Chain + the Gang opened up for them. The singer was none other than Ian Svenonius and they blew me away with their minimalist, soulful punk rock.

And now Svenonius has a new project, Escape-ism, and a new album on Merge. I’m sure in his mind there are major differences between all his bands, but I dunno. The same raw coolness that caught my attention almost 20 years ago is still in effect today.

Escape-ism: bandcamp, fb, amazon, apple, spotify, wiki.