Under the spotlights of the “Another Late Show” stage, host Jimmy Saunders leans forward to the camera with his signature half-smirk, holding back a chuckle. “Alright, folks,” he says (his tone is mischievous), “we’ve got a band tonight that’s a bit… cerebral.” A ripple of laughter spreads through the audience. "So, our next band comes all the way from London, except for the singer, who’s French, and the bassist, who’s Dutch. Makes you wonder if anyone's from London anymore, right?” The audience laughs lightly, warming to him.



Jimmy clears his throat, feigning a serious expression as he continues. “Now, I know what you’re all thinking. You’re here to relax, right? Just a chill night in front of the TV.” He pauses dramatically, eyes glinting as he teases, “But our next song, titled "Fractal Mind of a Crowd", was inspired by...wait for it "Psychology of Crowds" by Gustave Le Bon.” He lets the name hang in the air for a moment before adding, with a raised eyebrow, “I wasn’t aware my show had turned into a philosophy lecture, but here we are. I mean, where’s Freud when you need him?” The crowd laughs as he grins and shrugs.



“Alright, give it up for Jugendstil!” Saunders gestures toward the band as the camera pans to reveal the quartet standing on the stage.

As the camera focuses on the band, the energy shifts. At the tap of a drumstick, Daniel Hayes launches into a relentless motorik beat, precision-perfect and hypnotic. This isn’t a song that builds. It hits with full force from the first note, locking into a driving rhythm that never lets up.



Elke Hoekstra stands beside Eloïse, her bassline throbbing and cyclical, grounding the song's melody as her soft backing harmonies echo through the studio. Her voice contrasts beautifully with Eloïse’s detached monotone, which seems to float above the instrumentation, almost ghostly. The camera catches her, cool and controlled, pressing down on the organ keys, her expression impassive, yet utterly immersed in her performance.


"Disparition de la vie cérébrale
Dominance d'une vie médullaire
Abaissement de l'intelligence
Transformation des sentiments"

The camera focuses on her expressionless face, almost lost in her own world, as her voice drifts through the crowd. Elke’s harmonies add an eerie undercurrent. Her voice is softer but insistent, blending with Éloïse’s in a way that both complements and unsettles. The lyrics capture the theme of dissolution of individuality in the collective consciousness, as Éloïse continues:

"Je suis dans la foule
Tu es dans la foule
La foule m'électrise
Éphémère, insaisissable
(Éphémère, insaisissable)"



There’s a surreal intensity to the way they sing about losing themselves, each word slipping into the next. Tim’s guitar and Elke’s bass lock into the rhythm, building and receding in waves as Daniel’s drums propel the music forward without ever losing their mechanical drive. Each line in French flows effortlessly into the next.


"Les sentiments transformés
Peuvent être pires ou meilleurs
Criminels, héroïques
Ma personnalité s'évanouit
Dans une âme collective"

There’s a sense of surrender, of dissolving into the crowd, as Éloïse and Elke’s voices blend into one. The camera captures the intensity on Daniel’s face as he maintains the beat, an unbreakable backbone beneath the layers of melody. Tim’s hands move with near-maniacal focus over his guitar, punctuating Éloïse’s detached, rhythmic delivery.

"Une âme collective
Me fait sentir libre
Et provisoire
Transitoire"



In a striking moment, Elke’s harmonies slip into Dutch, weaving an additional layer of language and mystery:

"Een collectieve ziel
Me fait sentir libre
(Ik voel me vrij)
Et provisoire
(En tijdelijk)"

In this bilingual exchange, Éloïse’s and Elke’s voices continue to meld, blurring boundaries of identity and language, dissolving as they sing the final lines:

"Absorbé par la foule
Je m'abandonne
Absorbé par la foule
Je m'abandonne
Absorbé par la foule
Je m'abandonne"

The music holds, tight and urgent, cycling back on itself in endless repetition, each beat driving the listener deeper into this collective trance. The sound grows denser, layered with organ chords, frenetic strumming, and that ever-present motorik beat, each member lost in the intensity of their own performance.

After the songs brutal ending, applause explodes, loud and chaotic. Jimmy Saunders steps forward and joins the band onstage, visibly impressed yet slightly bewildered, as he finally breaks the spell, saying with a grin : “Jugendstil, everyone,” he laughs, half in disbelief. “I think my brain just dissolved for a second there... and if you want more, their first album Fenklup is already out.”



He waves the vinyl playfully before the camera pans out, cutting to commercial.

"we’ll be right back, After a short break!”

Edited by user 15 November 2024 03:22:31(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified