Artist Spotlight: Meet Erotic Secrets OF Pompeii
What was the creative process like for this particular song "Osiris at the Large Hadron Collider?"
The song started as a skeletal demo which Thomas (Hawtin; singer) and Tom (Hackwell; guitarist/keys player) beefed up in the latter’s basement studio. Then they took it to the band and everyone added their own stylisations to the piece. We recorded the track, along with the rest of our debut album ‘Mondo Maleficum’, at Humm Studios in Bristol.
“Osiris…” marks a new chapter for us artistically. Although we’ve only been around for a few years, this is the point where everything has converged and shaped into a wild, weird direction that, to us, feels authentic and creatively fulfilling.
It is the first of three singles from the upcoming album - all accompanied by big, bold music videos.
What impact do you hope "Osiris at the Large Hadron Collider" will have on your audience or the music industry?
This song is a doorway into our world. We want people to enjoy it and dance as if afflicted by the Dancing Plague of Strasbourg, 1518. Come and join us! Prepare to be deloused… spiritually speaking, of course. If it excites, perplexes, arouses or upsets listeners, then we’ve done our job. Preferably all at once.
What was your favorite moment in making the music video?
We had a lot of fun making this video with our regular collaborator Saul Knight. Most memorable moments include: Jake (Cheesman; drums) attacking his kit with flowers instead of sticks - watching them shred and de-petal themselves to the beat was pretty magical… and also Thomas dancing wildly in the open grassland while joggers looked on in disarray.
How did your band members initially come together?
Through providence, telepathic correspondence and a rigorous bloodletting ceremony. 🩸
Are there any specific themes or messages that you aim to convey through your music?
Thematically, our songs touch upon what it is to be human - the fragility, mania, regret, love - with overtones of the occult and otherness throughout, and hopefully a bit of humour through the wordplay. On the whole, our artistic message is this:
- Love yourself, you big freak!
- Subvert the norm!
- Challenge perceptions and embrace the chaos!
- And most of all… stay weird!
Erotic Secrets of Pompeii’s debut album Mondo Maleficum is out 25th January 2024 - preorder the translucent blood red vinyl here: Bandcamp
