Sometimes a familiar sound on record is better than any “mature” work laboured over for far too long.
Such is the case with the Flowers For Dystopia, the latest single from Les Techno – a New York-based musician with an intriguing past. Having fronted bands such as Love Posse and Sim-Stim, the enigmatic multi-instrumentalist has additionally collaborated with rap luminaries such as Run DMC, Mobb Deep, and Onyx. A time he curiously refers to as working on his “studio tan.”
Now with Flowers For Dystopia, both song and video offer up Mr. Techno’s love of the 1980s (I was reminded of INXS’s Suicide Blonde). Bubbling with swagger, synthesized beats, and glitchy text flashing across the screen, it all fits perfectly as an amalgamation of pastiche post-punk. However, there is a twist, and it’s a timely one.
Flowers For Dystopia is a personal song about being in lockdown for three months amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with little more than his recording studio at his disposal.
As Mr. Techno recalls, “One night, in a dream, I imagined walking out on a stage in some dingy East Village club, with the band playing this riff. I approach the mic and, like a wizard’s incantation, call out “Objects!, Objects!”. I woke up in the middle of the night, ran down into his studio and started recording it.”
Like many songs that seemingly appear in the dreams of its creator, Mr. Techno doesn’t ask too many questions. Instead, he simply takes the idea, injects some of his own attitude, and runs with it. Nightmares don’t typically sound this catchy.
More about Les Techno in the links below
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Myles Herod
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