“Evil prospers when good men do nothing.” – thankfully, White Noise Cinema are six good men and for them the thought of doing nothing and not making music during the enforced hiatus is total anathema…
As we know creativity is a natural anaesthetic. The DIY approach of White Noise Cinema suits the laying down of tracks remotely – as does the embracing of technology and all its capabilities – WNC are a force of electronic(a) wonder. Using repetitive beats, notes and chords the track Between the Lights mirrors the background musical-noise of life. The repetition dings at ATMs, constant chiming of notifications from FB and twitter and the beeps of forecourt pumps and tills, the digital backdrop to our lives is reflected throughout the track. To muse aloud this is modern music for a modern audience who listen to their music on their phones and laptops…
The mournful timbre of the singer adds to the melancholic lyrics that question the fictional character’s cultural isolation, asking pointedly, “tell me about the books you never read”. Accusing yet still further to learn of the “the dreams you never had”…leaving the listener pondering if our character is one-dimensional and devoid of human connection. Before dismissing the character simply as a – “genius in your [own] head” – do you know anyone like this? The musings of the singer and the rest of the band’s mise en scene appear in a parody of a zoom meeting for the accompanying video. The camera projects images of the instruments and the playing of each instrument in each thumbnail-screen indicating for this band that it is all about the making of music, or rather the music. One comedic wag decreed love is simply evol spelt backwards; well I guess love them or loathe them they will continue to prosper from experimenting, exploring and exhibiting their particular brand of music. Doing nothing is not an option…
By: The Swilgate Scuttler