French dark synth / industrial rock outfit Pure Obsessions & Red Nights share new video: ‘Don’t Let the Night Die in Vain’
Recommended for fans of: Cold Cave, Depeche Mode, Empathy Test, New Order, The Cure, Suburban Spell, Clan of Xymox…
‘Don’t Let the Night Die in Vain’ is the brand-new video single from French dark electro / synthpop / industrial rock outfit Pure Obsessions & Red Nights: once again showcasing the dark pop melodicism of their latest album, Let Your Obsessions Run Wild (Les disques Rubicon, April 2022), and its previous singles. The new video also comes on the heels of the band’s latest remix singles: ‘The Heartbeat of the Moon’ featuring Entropy Zero, and ‘Love Like Knives’ with Soul Machine.
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As founder and frontman Philippe Deschemin explains, Let Your Obsessions Run Wild is “the beginning of a new musical cycle” for the band, and has been heavily influenced by new wave and post-punk music of the 1980s. Citing reference to Depeche Mode, The Cure, Tears For Fears, INXS, and Killing Joke, Deschemin says:
“After the industrial rock / gothic metal of the Mr Strangler Trilogy (triple album, 2020), and the alt-rock / goth / post-punk of We are the Stranglings (2021); I wanted to dive deeper into my eighties influences for this 100% synth-driven album.
I produced this new album using vintage synths and equipment: I wanted it to have that very warm, analogue sound, typical of the period. I tried to create something between my eighties influences and my industrial / goth-rock background – synthpop grooves and darkwave ambiances, but with an industrial rock energy. I think that this single, ‘Don’t Let the Night Die in Vain’, represents very well the essence of this album.”
Conceptually, the latest album picks up the narrative of recurring character, Mr Strangler: a serial killer who was sentenced to death in the final act of the Mr Strangler Trilogy of albums. For Let Your Obsessions Run Wild, however, Mr Strangler is back from the dead. But as Philippe explains, Mr Strangler is now “more a shade – a spirit in the night – than a real person.” Deschemin continues:
“Half alive, half dead, Mr Strangler haunts the nights, and helps people in despair. He appears as a guide – teaching you how to live and how to fight, when you think that all hope is gone. In this music video, a young woman comes to Mr Strangler. She is looking for help, abused by her boyfriend. Mr Strangler gives her some advice, and a useful tool…”
The new video for ‘Don’t Let the Night Die in Vain’ was filmed in Switzerland and directed by VD Pictures: long-time collaborators with the band. Philippe elaborates:
“We’ve done a lot of music videos with Matteo and Chiara from VD Pictures. They work with great bands – Lord of the Lost, Powerwolf… and Matteo is also a musician. So, it’s kind of easier to work with them, ‘cause they understand the music.
The shooting took place in an old paper factory in Switzerland. I wanted a place that looked big, wide, haunted… A place where Mr Strangler could be appearing, like a ghost…”
Let Your Obsessions Run Wild by Pure Obsessions & Red Nights is available now from Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube, and all major streaming platforms.
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