by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
It was nearly a year ago to the day that we were first introduced to Philadelphia’s Tadzio by way of “Cythera” and their album The Sick Room. Their sound which is equal parts baroque pop and unfiltered prog plants itself deep into the vividly artistic end of the avant-garde but the band never lose focus of song and structure. Set to release their follow-up, That Cold Grey Light, once again via Blight. Records (Nyxy Nyx, Luna Honey, PREE) on June 26th, the band have taken a darker approach this time around, tempering anything “theatrical” with something a bit more ominous and menacing. Led by Shaina Kapeluck (vocals) and Ross Lipton (Synth, Organ, Piano, Vibes, Marxophone, Harmonium), they are joined by frequent collaborators and label mates alike, Benjamin Schurr, Hannah Burris, Dan Angel (Ugh God, Gunk), Darian Scatton, Douglas Vento, and Levi Flack.
Lead single “Pure And Radiant Joy” is one of the biggest songs you’re going to hear, with an exuberance that explodes in every tonality explored. Opening with a haunting harmonium refrain that could be the start to the next Halloween movie, the rhythm section quickly devours the proceedings, pounding with enough tension to bend all your silverware. Kapeluck’s vocals are the perfect balance, powerfully commanding a sense of hope in face of the dread and stampede, offering poetic insight, “I am learning to live without breathing, I’m learning to feel without touching.” The entire thing feels like a colossal climb into the unknown, with hints of both King Crimson and Jefferson Airplane informing the cavernous construction. The song eventually opens to the serene and meditative orchestral decrescendo, the project’s strings providing a cosmic release. What comes next is anyone’s guess.
Speaking about the track, Lipton shared:
“The music for “Pure and Radiant Joy,” much like several of the songs off the new album, emerged fully formed without much mental gymnastics. Ben and I were working on arranging a live version of our rendition of “Death and The Lady” when I began playing this rapid ostinato on the harmonium for several minutes. Ben came up with a blistering bass line and we played it for twenty minutes straight until both our hands were bleeding. Suffice to say, the rest of the ensemble was not pleased about the idea of changing “Death and The Lady” to such a degree. Instead, that physically torturous motif became its own song. We wanted this song to be a foray into new sonic territory for group, from a production-heavy collective of musicians to a unified band playing together in real time. Dan Angel (Ugh God!, Sun Organ, Sandcastle) recorded the song and beat the living hell out of his set on a muggy day in late September, 2019.
In terms of the song itself, “Pure and Radiant Joy” is an attempt to capture in music the addictive mindset. Living in Philadelphia, many of our friends have succumbed to the current opiate crisis. Some of us have also struggled with addiction in our own lives and we wanted to write a song that illustrates the euphoric recall that promises that pure and radiant joy, which could be described as an frenzied anticipation for something that never comes but for which we wait and wait and wait…even if we may die during that heated anticipation; it would all be worth it…. if we could spend one moment within the fulfillment of that promise, even though it is nothing but a bird of prey that will “fly us to heaven, with its claws hooked in.”