Empusae & Nick Grey - Small Black Lines In A Diagram
[Brume Records]

Although he openly declares his affection for the soft pop-rock sounds of Genesis and Huey Lewis & The News, I imagine the macabre sounds of Empusae + Nick Grey are really what is going on in Patrick Bateman’s head. For this collaboration, released by French imprint Brume Records, taps into the sinister mindset of Bret Easton Ellis’ archetypal psychopath.

Empusae is Sal-Ocin, whose website banner reads ‘the soundtrack to your darkest fantasies’, while Nick Grey owns Milk and Moon Recordings and is a member of sprawling UK collective, 48 Cameras.

“Simple Black Lines in a Diagram” is a claustrophobic suite containing three lengthy compositions. Opener, “Pregentivity’s” lyrics are detailed simply as ‘breathe & vomit’ in the sleevenotes, giving an inclination in the direction this release intends to move in. Musically, the track collects distant church bells, colliding electro beats, mantra-like vocals and moonlit synths into a dark, vampiric industrial movement.

The title track follows and expands on these themes, while adding a voyeuristic approach with Grey intoning ‘I see you and what you wear/ I see you and your studied moves’ amidst swirling synth orchestration. This haunting movement chills in the sense that it evokes images of a stalker monitoring their prey from the deepest, darkest shadows.

Grey + Empusae, however, leave the best until last. “Don’t Trust the Dogs”, a movement split into four parts weaves from a whimsical sounding first section, full of melancholic piano and mournful violins into a gorgeous concerto piano segment. But like the contrast between light and dark, Grey + Empusae soon direct this track into disturbing territories once more. The warped vocals featuring the lines “I love the quiet life/ Give me more” may seem tame on paper but, in the context of this release, are absolutely bone-chilling.

Not for the faint-hearted, Empusae + Nick Grey channel the spirit of Bret Easton Ellis’ often bleak and violent world into an obsessive mix of stuttering electro and nocturnal, industrial atmospheres. Just don’t listen to it alone and in the dark.

Track Listing:

01. Prenegativity
02. Simpleblack Lines In A Diagram
03. Don't Trust The Dogs