13.
Salem – King Night
I’d heard about this thing called ‘witch house’ and I was like, ‘What the fuck’s that?’ And I immediately came across White Ring, Balam Acab and oOoOO, and I had to know everything I could about this new movement. The best way of finding stuff out is to get a record or go see them play live. So here’s these three kids who have no reference points about Bowie or any of the stuff we’ve talked about but they’re really responding to now. The sentiment of the music is a subtext to what we’re feeling and this culture we’re living in is dystopian, frenetic and claustrophobic. I love the iconography of the cover. Is it referring to witchcraft? You’ve got a crucifix draped with something like Christ’s robe or something. It’s like this strong religious icon like a prophet or a seer, and yet he’s not present. In fact, there is no physical presence, and that suggests that there are no prophets and seers left out there and all we’re left with is just an essence.
And here’s a generation that’s been completely abandoned. The ladder’s been pulled up. It’s like, ‘The whole shit house has gone up in flames and I’m pulling up the ladder. I’ve built my ivory tower and I’m going to stay there and let people sort it out themselves.’ There’s not too much altruism left in the world.
