Belleruche – Clockwatching video (posted by Rico)
Out on 7″ vinyl and digital download, “Clockwatching” is the first single from London trio Belleruche‘s upcoming third album, ‘270 Stories’.
With driving drums and chasing bass, off kilter bleeps and doo wop vocals, the new style of “Clockwatching” ties together all that is distinctive about the Belleruche sound that we know and love, with the fresh addition of layered harmonies from singer Kathrin deBoer, skirting the line between sugary and spiky, and a melodic interplay between vocals and bassline that makes for a dynamic take on a classic song form.
The official promo is on YouTube, here; the perfect visual side order to this song, it continues the mischievously mysterious and edgy bent on proceedings. Asked for their own perspective on the atmosphere and vibe of the video, the band describe it with their characteristic ability to hit the nail on the head: “Hmm…somewhere between Twin Peaks and Bergerac, maybe?”.
The B side of the “Clockwatching” 7″ is a version of The Beat’s classic hit, “Mirror In The Bathroom”, which came about when Belleruche were asked to do a cover for a live session on Virgin Radio in France. Acknowledging the minefield that is playing other people’s songs, they shed some light on their thinking behind their cover of this major pop hit: “[The versions are] very different really. Hopefully we’ve made a good stab at putting a new spin on what is a classic song for a lot of people…covers are always tricky to understand. The lyrics and the bassline make that song what it is, and it was fun to push into a more abstract and electronic sounding direction.” And the result is a delicately dark and quirky electronic take on the track, which just begged for a vinyl release.
With 30,000 album sales under their belt, Belleruche are currently teetering on the brink of stardom. They released their first LP, ‘Turntable Soul Music’, on Tru Thoughts in 2007 and its fresh energy coupled with fuzzy vintage charm quickly won the attention of the press, along with a burgeoning fanbase. They shot to particularly high popularity in France, where they regularly play live to crowds of thousands (including a recent set opening for De La Soul). And over the course of another very well-received album (2008’s ‘The Express’ which yielded great reviews, daytime BBC 6 Music support, a live Radio 2 session and a prestigious iTunes Single of the Week), plus a packed schedule of enthralling live performances, the band have strengthened their foothold in the overcrowded UK landscape and now look poised to take it by storm. In March this year, whilst working on the new goods, they revealed a sneak peek into their experiments in sound with the “Liberty EP”, a collection of new material, killer remixes and beguiling acoustic versions, which took their sound in many an interesting direction, selling out on vinyl and having to be re-pressed within a fortnight. With their new album, Belleruche have thrown some more new and exciting sonic surprises into the mix, with tougher edged beats, live strings and contemporary influences alongside more rigorous attention to song arrangements. The trio are currently developing a new live show to encompass all of these elements and more ready for headline tours of the UK, Europe and North America later this year…
“Video of the Week…excellent” – Nemone (BBC 6Music)
“As expected, it is a wonder!” – Laurent Garnier
“Clockwatching is absolutely wicked…totally blown away!” – Ashley Beedle (Mavis/X-Press 2/Ministry Of Sound radio)
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