Premiere | Spritzer, "Jean & Helene"
Image still from Spritzer's "Jean & Helene" video; courtesy of Bill Dvorak & Micah Weisberg
Many already know Matthew Flory Meade's work via NYC's eclectic cult pop outfit Friend Roulette, but fewer may be acquainted with his solo offshoot under the moniker of Spritzer. Keeping in the tradition of adhering to lavish orchestrated approaches in musical arrangements—Meade makes music that abides by no set confinement to any particular era, nor any constraints of genre. Exemplifying this stylistic fluidity is the world premiere of the visual for Spritzer's "Jean & Helene" featured off the album Love. Lies. Decay. Starring the talents of Luis Velasquez, Cat DeAngelis, Son Lee, Brighid Green, Sam Swanton and directed by Bill Dvorak & Micah Weisberg; the cast of east coast aesthetes illustrate through b&w visuals and brass inflected sound a nouvelle vague noir variety that is all their own. Suddenly the sights and sounds of 2018 become steeped in the liberated ambitions of experimental art houses that feel like the undergrounds of 1968 (as well as gritty and edgy 1958 theatrical releases) all over again.
"Jean & Helene" involves everything from femme fatales, monsieurs of mystery, a priest, stylish entourages and body swaying and spinning dance routines. The sinewy, smooth and sly Spritzer short story style ode sets the tone for a completely abstract and experimental cinematic display of the absolutely absurd. The moody view makes the audience feel privy to some sort of pagan wedding or induction ceremony where the cryptic rituals sends all the players into fits of dance and/or the emotional throes of ecstasy and intoxicated sentimental overload. Sinister smiles abound as the pulpit pusher is seen preaching to his flock as everything becomes topsy-turvy and the choreographed displays become more elaborate and erratic. Spritzer's "Jean & Helene" exhibits a throwback lounge-leaning pop exuberance that is given its very own short-film companion piece that showcases the artistically ambitious and expansive reaches of Meade's masterpieces that elaborate upon the points where the corners of composition and auteurship are bridged.
Catching up in the studio with Matthew Flory Meade; press photo courtesy of the artist.
Matthew Meade provided the following insights about the inception behind the Spritzer song & video for "Jean & Helene":
"Jean & Helene" was inspired by the book, The Blood of Others by Simone de Beauvoir. In the music video we started out trying to loosely interpret the story until we realized how obnoxiously pretentious that was going to be. So instead we just decided that we were in some type of post apocalyptic wedding for two people that hate each other. Then everybody got drunk and danced around a bit. The movie was shot by Bill & Micah from the band Grim Streaker & stars Cat D'angelis, Sam Swanton, Son Le, Luis Velasquez and Brighid Greene. It was shot in my basement just as the last video for our song "psycho (I love you)" was shot.
And we're shooting another video down there next week for a new single coming out on Paper Garden Records in September.
Cheers,
Matt
PS: Friend Roulette has a new album coming out late September!
Listen to Spritzer's recent album Love. Lies. Decay. now.