ACT I
Manifest
It begins with the rain. The sails of the cargo vessel 'Demeter' are filled by a malign wind as the voyage commences. This opening overture sets up the themes and soundscapes that will be explored further into the record.
Peppermint Princess
After the horror setting of the first track, this song is a knight-move into a smooth lounge feel where the theme of attraction is explored.
Keep My Distance
Attraction turns wearily sour beneath the breezy surface of a country-infused setting.
The Aspen Tree
We make our gods eternal, yet celebrity is ephemeral. What happens to a forgotten deity? Persephone's abduction to the underworld, ascension into a cult figure and ultimate abandonment by her followers is examined.
Glider
Closing Act I and setting the tone for Act II is this instrumental piece which is styled as a 60s espionage theme with a promise of adventure and intrigue to follow.
ACT II
Percheron
A gallop into the supernatural realm in 6/8 time. A cavalry charge in pelting rain, the riders drenched with fear. An ethereal equine intervention tilts the odds in their favour. Perhaps.
Persian Queen
Treachery is afoot. The Persian Queen is expanding her dominion and uses every means at her disposal -military might and low cunning- to achieve her objectives.
Rio Vincenza
The dark side of human nature is further expressed when a forgotten city is discovered by explorers who plunder its ancient treasures. But there are consequences.
You Are Cordially Invited
A decadent Black Magic coven must perform a very specific and bloody ritual. The slightest deviation from exacting requirements will place them in dreadful peril, sparking a familiar sunny West Coast soundscape into inferno.
Friedrichstrasse Appointment
This instrumental piece concludes Act II, a Cold-War motif with the chill air of reflection on the excesses of human behaviour in the second act.
ACT III
Acts Of Life
Three vignettes of human existence. We inhabit this world together, yet feel distinctly alone.
Celeste
A meditation on our place in the cosmos. The simple country motif contrasts with the complexity of the lyrical theme.
Colony Three
An adrenaline rush of energy which hurtles around the perimeter of a prison setting. Is there a means of escape? Or is there solace in resignation to our containment?
Night Driver
Where there is a departure, there is also a return. A reunion awaits, but only at the end of a journey which affords the time to consider the lessons learnt on the way. The adventure began, and now ends, with the rain.
Major Pepo
Act III concludes as all the others do, with an instrumental. An upbeat theme shifts into a new gear as the record draws to a close.
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© 2020 McKenna - Pasquinade Album Launch