Those who don’t engage in creativity professionally see the music industry only from its glamorous cover and bright show (and that’s not bad, that’s what show business is for). But, I think, musicians, artists and singers imagine it in the image of an evil fairy with a guitar in one hand and a contract in the other. Beginning artists resemble heroes of a survival quest – only instead of dragons they have to fight with producers, PR-managers and endless soundchecks. This is precisely what Artillery Saints sings about in his lead single, “Control & The Cousins,” from his upcoming album “Glimpse”. For those who are still on formal terms with Artillery Saints: this is a project of a Scotsman Ally McKenzie from Aberdeen. The guy grew up in a musical family, so guitars, books and art-house were his natural habitat.
A graduate of the English Literature faculty of Sunderland University, McKenzie explores culture, society and human emotions through music. In his free time he rides a bike, takes photographs and watches films – and all of this somehow seeps into his music and visuals. “Control & The Cousins” ironically tells the story of a fictional rock group trying not to get lost in the meat-grinder of the music business: “To get to the stage, we had to crawl through the back door.”
The track is built on a pulsating bass line, the bass as though recreates a trance movement. The chorus is memorable in one-two, so don’t be surprised if it will be scrolling in your head. And the ascetic synthesizer adds catchiness. McKenzie’s vocals sound Brechtian-distantly – he doesn’t press with emotions, he comments on what’s happening. An interesting contrast emerges: the music moves and hypnotizes, while the voice remains a narrator. The listener “tastes” Artillery Saints’ signature sound: darkish humor, a surrealistic story and the aesthetics of avant-garde pop that isn’t afraid to be strange.
Voxwave Magazine: Music, Culture, Interview, Fashion 