Following on from the last cryptic release, Cian Ciarán (Super Furry Animals, Zefur Wolves) is back with a new track. Featuring contributions from Jehst and Wibidi, "Are You Down With Me?" is the latest offering from Ciarán's upcoming Hero Leader God project. As a standalone track, it's a striking bit of business, one with a serious message behind it.
Following on from a six-hour, time-stretched live-stream of the song on YouTube to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, the track on its own is eerie and unsettling. The moments of beauty buried in these grooves are fleeting ones, but there remains something hypnotic about this composition. A neat mix of claustrophobic rap, and spaced-out electronica, Cian Ciarán reveals how far outside the realms of the Furries he's willing to journey. And while an astute listener might hear a faint echo of "Still Life" from his old band in the rippling keyboard sample here, a more astute listener hears something closer to the repetitions of the Philip Glass score to Koyaanisqatsi (1982).
Given the significance of this cut coming out on the day of the Hiroshima anniversary on Thursday, and in light of the musician's activism, it's worth hearing from the man himself:
"That humanity sank so low as to use its scientific ingenuity to cause such devastation and suffering on such a mind-blowing scale in August 1945 is worth a moment of pause. But, what's the difference between now and then, when we still invest in nuclear warheads we'll never use and nuclear power that threatens, rather than builds, communities? When there are so many alternatives, we should ask why politicians and industry still put fear and self-interest above people."
"Are You Down With Me?" is out on Strangetown Records.
More details on Cian Ciarán via the official Facebook page.