Setting the tone with enigmatic guitar and celestial textures, Odonian Drifts opens his new single, Xsufflation with the conceptual lyrics, “Mouthbrooder, just before you doubled back, the catfish swooped to lay a clutch. Bad-eyed, unfit to cough out the cannibal, as Pistis in likeness disturbs the water, I coo to my croodle-twin, whose ‘eh’, rocks each cell like a pneumatic yowl.”
We are hypnotized by the immersive soundscape and the intricacy of the narrative as Odonian Drifts (aka Iain Rowley) takes us on a cerebral journey with an almost Morrissey-esque vocal. Describing the inspiration for the song and profound lyricism, Odonian Drifts says “The seeds of Xsufflation were sown during the early phase of the pandemic and grew into an effort to capture the sorrow, confusion and vexation wrought by a planetary convulsion that seemed to strike at the core of one’s solitude.”
“Through navigating Gnostic creation myths, the abject products of human exceptionalism and the redemptive dimensions of the artistic encounter – from the Dadaist dance of Sophie Tauber-Arp to a film by Éric Rohmer – the song traces a fragile hope pushing through a thick web of predacious shadows”, continues the high concept artist as he cites his references for his lyricism.
The song expands to include lyrical highlights including the commentary on power, “Apostles of progress of the prodrome, you had your chance to erase the aleph”, and the vulnerable “How to rescue this, O graceful ruin,
as I’m ever brought back down to earth”.
We love the harmonies which dimensionalize the track and Iain’s guitar performance is exquisite. The single was recorded in his bedroom in a loft flat in Nottingham and features additional production input (and some synth bass) provided by composer and sound designer, Alistair Lax.
Xsufflation is Odonian Drifts‘ second single on streaming, but you can also explore more via BandCamp. The artist cites Current 93, Coil, Eartheater, Jenny Hval and Nick Cave as inspirations, but it is clear that Odonian Drifts is creating a universe of his own.
We have added Xsufflation to our New Music Spotlight playlist and have also been streaming Maldoror Redux.