A few months back I witnessed a performance from a band that counted amongst their ranks a Theremin player. An obscenely tall fellow, I still have in mind an image of him swaying the instrument from side to side as the crescendo of the night’s performance was reached. Half the time, his presence seemed superfluous; looking distracted and kind of bored whilst his band mates chugged on. I’m certain that Greek Theremin player May Roosevelt doesn’t appear to be mere window dressing. Her sensitive arrangements and electronic flourishes are well suited to the ghostly whine and flutter of the Theremin.
Thematically inhabiting a similar territory to that of Zwischenwelt’s Paranormale Aktivit, Haunted exhibits a subtle humanity, foregoing the monomaniacal shortsightedness, and embellishes the whole self-released package with an arch theatricality that remains entertaining and beguiling nearly throughout its duration. Like a long lost relative of Clara Rockmore jamming to early DMZ beats, whilst trying to relive the glowering tension of prime Tricky or Portishead productions May Roosevelt’s Haunted is a convincing synthesis of traditional Greek rhythms and contemporary urges.
The inspiration for Haunted came about through May’s attendance of the Red Bull Music Academy in London, at the beginning of 2010. Interesting collaborations between numerous established and emerging musicians, including May Roosevelt, were gathered together on Various Assets – Not For Sale, reviewed by Cyclic’s Chris Downton here. From her presentation of the Zeibekiko dance rhythm on ‘The Unicorn Died’, which opens Haunted, May returned to the studio to explore and transform eight different traditional Greek dance rhythms and present them in a new, electronic context.
Haunted divides into two halves; predominantly instrumental numbers that bring a new slant to the mid-tempo electronic palate, or treated vocals adding an extra layer to the hypnotic textures. Oomph reinterprets the Thracian rhythm of the Mandilatos wedding dance, initially building tension with threatening and otherworldly Theremin sonorities, before a Massive Attack Unfinished Sympathy style string breakdown. The stately, martial gait of sounds like The Art of Noise and Yellow Magic Orchestra covering a traditional Greek number. Mass Extermination vocals are almost unintelligible ululations, mixing a bittersweet longing with a yearning for knowledge, or a reassurance of the essence of the essential truth of the universe.
The vocal-driven tunes showcase a canny pop sensibility in Roosevelt’s work. Mixing four-to-the-floor beats with soaring Theremin and Daft Punk-style vocodered vox, Young Night Thought, adds pointillist details and anthemic flourishes into a heady mix.Dark the Night is a nocturnal fable relating an unspeakable depravity in a forest. May’s Greek-accented “Blood drops as the butcher draws a line / blood drops as the killer draws a line, add a certain vaudevillian something to proceedings. The sultry, slow motion descent of Chasm inhabits a dejected dance floor where the Downwards label, narcotic EBM and Suicide are spun all night long. Or is it Boards of Canada covering Yma Sumac? Either way, Haunted approaches the danse macabre of modern electronica with an ear for tradition, contorted into new and interesting shapes. You can purchase a copy direct from May’s website.
Oliver Laing
