Plutonic Rainbows

This Friday sees the return of one of my favourite bands of all time, Propaganda. It features the principal songwriting partnership of Ralf Dörper and Michael Mertens.

Forty years since their inception, and almost two decades since their last release, art-synth auteurs Propaganda return with a brand new chapter in their enthralling story. This self-titled set from principal songwriting partnership Ralf Dörper and Michael Mertens embodies the depth and drama of their early work, while exploring fresh sounds and styles, and reflecting the personal and societal changes since their last outing. Conceived and crafted entirely in their native Düsseldorf, a deliberate decision to help them stay true to themselves, and featuring guest appearances from the acclaimed Hauschka and ascendant Thunder Bae, this is Propaganda at their most essential.

I just got back from watching this. I did actually enjoy it. For me, there were a lot of universal themes shimmering beneath the surface. It felt like these are things the director, Francis Ford Coppola, is perhaps also occupied with. It is a truly beautiful movie to look at and has some trademark styles and cues that certainly make it feel like a Coppola movie. To be honest, I don’t understand why so many critics have dismissed it.

At times, the film is totally incoherent and yet mesmerising. I think perhaps that is the real allure of this movie.

I recently found this gem from way back in my collection. I remember playing it quite a bit in 1991. It hasn’t aged at all; if anything, it seems even more powerful than it did back then.

Reviewer Jason Ankey talks about it:

Virtually ignored upon its initial release, Laughing Stock continues to grow in stature and influence by leaps and bounds. Picking up where Spirit of Eden left off, the album operates outside the accepted sphere of rock to create music that is both delicate and intense. Recorded with a large classical ensemble, it defies easy categorization, conforming to very few structural precedents. While the gently hypnotic ‘Myrrhman’ flirts with ambient textures, the percussive ‘Ascension Day’ drifts toward jazz before the two sensibilities converge to create something entirely new and different on ‘New Grass.’ The epic ‘After the Flood,’ on the other hand, is an atmospheric whirlpool laced with jackhammer guitar feedback and Mark Hollis’ remarkably plaintive vocals. It flows into ‘Taphead,’ perhaps the most evocative, spacious, and understated piece on the record. A work of staggering complexity and immense beauty, Laughing Stock remains an under-recognized masterpiece, and its echoes can be heard throughout much of the finest experimental music issued in its wake.

Previously only available on RunwayML, San Francisco based fal.ai have now partnered with the company to enable Runway Gen3 Alpha on their own platform, with requests being made via their web form or using an API. You can tailor the output for either 5 or ten seconds of video.