Released last week on Bandcamp and physical formats, FOTOCRIME delivers their magnum opus Heart of Crime to digital streaming platforms today. Additionally, they’ve unveiled the noir-tinged music video for the album’s third single – the chilling, haunting “Crystal Caves.”
Fotocrime mastermind Ryan Patterson comments: “’Crystal Caves’ is an experimental song for me on many levels, stepping into Kentucky folk history lyrically and into Bass VI-driven dreamscapes musically. The narrative of the song is told from the perspective of real-life amateur cave explorer Floyd Collins who was trapped in the cave on his property known as Crystal Cave during the ‘Cave Wars’ for roadside tourist attractions in Kentucky in the 1920s. The attempts and ultimate failure to rescue him became a media sensation and a part of local folklore, inspiring movies and songs by Billy Wilder, John Prine, and others over the past century.” Patterson continues, “Offering my own slant on this story from my home state’s history, I used this framework to explore my fears of emotional and physical claustrophobia, as well as the brutal power of nature. The song is elevated by beautiful backing vocals from Janet Morgan, of Dischord Records band Channels, percussion by illustrator/musician Ben Sears, and a mix by J. Robbins. Despite the dark song, my little saxophone outro always puts a smile on my face.”
Patterson has spent over two-and-a-half decades adding to his headquarters’ – Louisville, KY – legacy with his impassioned and activist-minded approach to music, his distinctive work as a graphic artist, and his contributions to nearly every aspect of creative underground culture. After his time fronting forward-thinking art-inflected punk bands, Patterson looked to the urban centers of London, New York, and Berlin for new sonic inspiration, drawing from the passion of his roots while tapping into the sounds of classic EBM and post-punk artists for Fotocrime.
On Heart of Crime, we hear the earnestness of the heartland fused with Patterson’s ties to the asceticism of the urban underground, like a post-punk Leonard Cohen. We’re also hearing an aspect of Fotocrime that’s a response and reaction to the times and available resources. It’s a record that yearns for a world outside our doors, that begs to be blasted on a massive PA in a seedy nightclub or a black-walled venue. It sounds steeped in isolation and reflection, but it reminds us of the communal experience of getting lost in a sea of people while the sound of a bass drum kicks our chests.
Heart of Crime is out now on digital and physical formats from Profound Lore Records; listen to and order the album here.
Fotocrime will tour the United States next month and beyond — find all tour dates listed below.
10/15 – Seattle, WA @ Bar House +
10/16 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Lounge +
10/18 – Sacramento, CA @ Café Colonial +
10/19 – Oakland, CA @ Golden Bull +
10/20 – San Diego, CA @ Kensington Club +
10/21 – Long Beach, CA @ Que Sera +
11/13 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Preserving Underground
11/14 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
11/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ TBA
11/16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus
11/17 – Cleveland, OH @ The Foundry
11/18 – Detroit, MI @ TBA
11/19 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean Down
11/20 – Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle
12/2 – Birmingham, AL @ Firehouse %
12/3 – Gainesville, FL @ Vecinos %
12/4 – Tampa, FL @ Hooch And Hive %
12/5 – Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub %
12/6 – Jacksonville, FL @ Archetype %
12/7 – Atlanta, GA @ Boggs Supply & Social %
12/8 – Charlotte, NC @ Evening Muse %
12/9 – Asheville, NC @ Odditorium %
+ w/ Haunted Horses
% w/ Fool’s Ghost
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 