Dark psych-folk artist Nero Kane presents his new single ‘Mechthild’, a folk-noir ballad featuring vocals and lyrics by Samantha Stella, who also directed and produced the accompanying video. Following up the first episode of this film sequence ‘Lord Won’t Come’, these videos follow the cinematic concept of the recently released ‘Tales of Faith and Lunacy’album, combining American western landscape elements with iconographic elements of European religious culture to weave an algid and dark sonic and aesthetic psychedelia.
This is a visionary folk-noir story describing a love full of passion and sickness for God, inspired by the writing of Mechthild of Magdeburg, a 13th-century German Christian mystic, with a quote from her at the end of the song.
Nero Kane (real name Marco Mezzadri) is an Italian songwriter whose music is intimate, minimal and decadent. Both in his vocals and guitar style, his European roots intertwine with America’s desert rock sound in a project full of emotional vision. With an eye open to blues and classic songwriting, his music is particularly concerned with death, religion and love.
Recorded and produced by Matt Bordin (Thurston Moore, Michael Zerang, Jackie O’ Motherfucker, Delaney Davidson, Squadra Omega)near Venice at Outside Inside Studio, ‘Tales of Faith and Lunacy’ is released on vinyl via Nasoni Records (Berlin) with CDs being put out by BloodRock Records and on cassette tape via Anacortes Records.
“Tales of Faith and Lunacy” is a visionary story with a cinematic flavor – a timeless journey conceived in a personal vision of faith between spirituality and passion. Apart from SamanthaStella, Nicola Manzan (Bologna Violenta) contributes violin. This record unfolds in a desert landscape where medieval European mystical influences blend with the flavour of the American West to ultimately weave gloomy, minimal psychedelia.
Hypnotic ballads press to the rhythm of a horseback ride through dusty prairies, where echoes of holy women appear in the heat of the day and in the chill of the night, including Mechthild Von Magdeburg, a thirteenth-century Christian mystic, whose writings are quoted on the album. Readings with a gospel ring converge in a crescendo of old-time organ and string music.
His 2018 debut album ‘Love In A Dying World’ was recorded and produced in Los Angeles by Joe Cardamone(The Icarus Line / Holy War, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Cult, James Williamson of The Stooges, Warren Ellis, Mark Lanegan), and released via LA art collective American Primitive. His sound has been described as suspended and crepuscular music with the melancholy of Nick Cave and the latest from Johnny Cash blend with sparse psych-folk and stark blues-rock with a distant, lost and frozen voice.
‘Tales of Faith and Lunacy’ is out now, available online digitally everywhere, including Spotifyand Apple Music. It can also be obtained directly from the artist via Bandcamp.
TRACK LIST
01 Lord Won’t Come
02 Mechthild
03 Mary of Silence
04 Madgalene
05 Lost Was the Road
06 I Believe
07 Angelene’s Desert
ALBUM CREDITS
Recorded by Matt Bordin at Outside Inside Studio (Montebelluna, Italy) and Ettore Franco Gilardoni (Real Sound Studio, Milan)
Produced and mixed by Matt Bordin
Mastered by Andrea De Bernardi at Eleven Mastering Studio (Milan)
Nero Kane: voice, guitar
Samantha Stella: voice, organ, piano
Matt Bordin: guitar, synth, organ, pedal steel
Nicola Manzan: strings
Music and lyrics: Nero Kane except tracks 2, 4 and 7 (lyrics by Samantha Stella)
Keep up with Nero Kane
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