‘Transfigured’ by Spirits of Saturn
Another Friday in this year, another release day – but by no means just another band. Today, Spirits of Saturn present their latest work: ‘Transfigured.’ But who are the musicians behind this sonic masterpiece? The four protagonists who have come together for this synth-pop ballad par excellence are Early Sans (synthesizer and vocals), Edmund Blackadder (vocals), Scott Docherty (keyboards and bass), and Elian Lion (drums).
Thematically, ‘Transfigured’ explores the mental processes following the end of a relationship. Time changes perspective, and emotions undergo transformation. In hindsight, we often idealize the abandoned relationship and overlook the negative aspects. The beauty prevails, and time heals all wounds.
Musically, this piece has fascinated me from the start: The elegant synthesizer sounds seamlessly merge with the gentle vocals, reminding me, upon first listen, of Bryan Ferry. The effect on the vocals in the chorus conjures a little sparkle reminiscent of Daft Punk. The rhythm delivered by the drums blends perfectly with the elegance and, together with the bass, creates a subtle disco-foxtrot vibe reminiscent of the '80s.
In ‘Transfigured,’ the Spirits of Saturn deftly traverse the intricate landscape of synth-wave fused with synth-indie-rock, all the while maintaining a distinctive originality that eschews any semblance of imitation. In the spirit of treasure hunters seeking lost '80s gems, they’ve made a significant find with their new release and share it with us listeners.
If you’d like to learn more about the band, the Spirits of Saturn have graciously made themselves available for a brief Q&A.”
‘Transfigured’ by Spirits of Saturn [DE]
Ein weiterer Freitag in diesem Jahr, ein weiterer Releasetag – doch keineswegs eine Band, die man als eine weitere unter vielen bezeichnen könnte. Heute präsentieren uns die Spirits of Saturn ihr neuestes Werk: “Transfigured”. Doch wer sind die Protagonisten hinter diesem klanglichen Meisterwerk? Die vier Protagonisten, die sich zu dieser Synth-Pop-Ballade par excellence zusammengefunden haben, sind: Early Sans (Synthesizer und Gesang), Edmund Blackadder (Gesang), Scott Docherty (Keyboards und Bass) und Elian Lion (Schlagzeug).
Inhaltlich erkundet “Transfigured” die mentalen Prozesse nach dem Ende einer Beziehung. Die Zeit verändert die Perspektive, und Emotionen durchlaufen eine Wandlung. Rückblickend idealisiert man oft die aufgegebene Beziehung und blendet die negativen Aspekte aus. Das Schöne überwiegt, und die Zeit heilt alle Wunden.
Musikalisch hat mich dieses Stück von Anfang an fasziniert: Die eleganten Synthesizerklänge verschmelzen nahtlos mit den sanften Vocals und erinnern mich beim ersten Hören an Bryan Ferry. Der Effekt auf den Gesang im Refrain zaubert ein kleines Funkeln in den Farben von Daft Punk hervor. Der Rhythmus, den die Drums liefern, fügt sich perfekt in die Eleganz ein und sorgt zusammen mit dem Bass für eine dezente Disco-Foxtrott-Stimmung, wie man sie aus den 80ern kennt. Mit “Transfigured” navigieren die Spirits of Saturn meisterhaft durch den Synth-Wave-meets-Synth-Indie-Rock-Dschungel, ohne dabei Gefahr zu laufen, kopiert zu wirken. Ganz im Sinne von Jägern verlorener 80er-Schätze machen sie mit ihrem neuen Release eine große Beute und teilen sie mit uns Hörern. Wer noch mehr über die Band erfahren möchte: Spirits of Saturn standen für ein kurzes Q&A zur Verfügung.
Q&A
We are delighted to welcome you, Spirits of Saturn, a new and remarkable band. How did you come together and start this musical adventure?
Hello there. It began in my flat with a keyboard. Myself (Edmund) and Earl started creating foundations to songs. Primarily with voice recordings of hummed instrumental parts then to Earl using his wizardry to formulate these sounds. A mutual friend of ours, Scott, joined on bass when we were ready to perform some finished tracks live. Our debut show was supposed to be the day that the pubs closed down in the UK in March 2020, due to you know what. Elian joined the band on drums and we took our time to get everything sounding great before finally playing our first show almost exactly 3 years later.
Which artists or genres influence your sound and identity as a band?
We all have a good mix of influences from 60’s pop and psychedelia, 70’s glam rock and disco, to 80’s post punk and new wave, 90’s/00’s indie, and everything in between, so it’s good to delve into the vast cauldron of diverse taste to inspire us for each song.
Your latest single, “Transfigured”, sounds brilliant. What inspired you to write this song and what's the story behind it?
Written by Earl, the song explores the mental processes following the dissolution of relationships. How one gains perspective through the passing of time and constructions of narratives whereby your emotions are transfigured. The song came quickly in a moment of clarity and inspiration after a morning jog. It was then sculpted into the finished piece after taking the song on the road, where it was recorded quickly on a day off in Manchester at a new studio named Loop Studios.
You have produced three splendid singles so far. When will you release your first album?
We shall first be releasing an EP later this year with some more singles. An album? We shall see. Depends who comes knocking, I suppose. Or we just self-release, which seems like the easier way these days.
How do you tackle songwriting as a band? Do you have fixed roles or do you favour improvising and jamming together?
Previously songs were formed and crafted by Earl and myself, which makes up the majority of the current setlist, but now we are collaborating on either updating older tracks or creating new ones. It’s nice to have those added creative ideas to throw around.
You are renowned for being an excellent live band. When will your fans have the opportunity to see you perform live again?
Yeah, we do try to make our live performances entertaining and engaging for the audience, whether it be through lights, balloons, or a good immersive stare. We’re playing a headline show at Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes in London on Saturday 9th March which will coincide with the single launch. Hopefully we will book some further UK or European dates for later in the year.
If you could select any location in the world to play a concert, where would it be?
Earl: The Crystal Caves in Papa New Guinea
Edmund: Minack Theatre in Cornwall
Scott: The mansion in Resident Evil One
Elian: Pyramid stage at Glastonbury or outside the Sacré Coeur in Paris
With whom would you like to converse about music, regardless of whether they are alive or not?
Edmund: Scott Walker
Earl: Nile Rodgers
Scott: Jesus
Elian: David Bowie or Andy Partridge from XTC
Being an indie artist can be very challenging. How do you balance your time and energy between your music and your personal life?
We all have creative jobs from acting and sound engineering to teaching music and playing solo shows, so music to us all is a driving force in keeping those creative juices a-flowing. It is nice every now and then to step out of it in order to reflect on what we are creating and to keep things fresh for ourselves.
What are your views on social media? Do you regard it as a necessary evil or a helpful tool to promote your music?
Implemented in the right way it can be an excellent marketing tool for a more global audience reach, although for myself and, I’m sure the others, it can become quite overwhelming. We all remember the time without the internet and the engine ran smoothly. Now the engine seems to be powered by toxicity and over-indulgent ego. Not catalysed by us, of course.
What are you working on at the moment and what can we expect from you?
We’re looking at different ways to enhance our live shows, aesthetically, and hopefully joining onto another tour at some point. We also have lots of unfinished songs in the chamber that we need to unearth, so we shall see.
Live Dates:
09.03.24 - Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes. London (Headline Show)
Photo Credits: Ph_CFaruolo
NENESBUTLER PRESENTS MUSIC - SUBMIT YOUR MUSIC NOW!
