MILDREDA reveal the noir video single 'Devil's Gaze' as the third single taken from the forthcoming new album "Blue-Devilled". The release date of "Blue-Devilled" has been scheduled to December 1, 2023.
MILDREDA comment: "My aim was to come up with a club track but at the same time I wanted to stay true to a dark electro sound", mastermind Jan Dewulf explains. "There are no techno beats on 'Devil's Gaze' but burning anger and distortion that set the groove. When 'the devil' emerged as the central theme during the creation of this album, Sartre's famous phrase became almost unavoidable. His assertion, 'hell is other people', is undeniably brilliant and serves as the perfect thread for the album's overarching concept. In this way, Sartre found his way into the album's narrative, even though I wouldn't necessarily label him as my favourite philosopher. Nevertheless, it's the hell reflected in the eyes of other people; a judgmental devil’s gaze. Hence the words: 'Your eyes were the mirrors for me to see, the devil has always been me'. Lyrically, this song strikes straight to the heart of 'Blue-Devilled'."
Tracklist
1. Awakening
2. Karma Oyster
3. Friendly Fire
4. Damaged Goods
5. Huis Clos
6. Prophecies
7. Lobotomy
8. Miss Destruction
9. A Shift in Perspective
10. Mirror View
11. Devil's Gaze
12. A Dog from Hell
MILDREDA are spellbound by the devil! The Belgian electro shooting stars are possessed to the point that their sophomore physical full-length with the tell-tale title "Blue-Devilled" turns out to be a concept album about Hell. No worries, mastermind Jan Dewulf has not converted to black metal and his hell is not the fiery pit of brimstone that the church or horror movies use to scare their audiences with.
The Belgian musician has a degree in philosophy and therefore it hardly comes as a surprise that his hell is the one defined by French existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre, which is reflected in the eyes of other people. This idea is a recurrent theme in many tracks of the album.
Musically, "Blue-Devilled" comes across to be more varied than its direct predecessor "I Was Never Really There". There are more melodies and more shades to be found in the new tracks. The Canadian EBM influences are still audible as well as the touch of Belgium sonic flavour. Yet the new broader and more open sound reveals MILDREDA's true colours.
When MILDREDA detonated onto the dark electro scene with their physical debut album "I Was Never Really There", the project seemed to appear out of nowhere. On closer inspection there is a long history that connects Jan Dewulf with the EBM scene. In the early 90s at the tender age of 15 years, Jan got entirely hooked by compatriots such as THE KLINIK that he borrowed a keyboard from a friend and spent his holidays washing dishes at a pizza place to afford some studio gear.
In 1995, the 16 years old Belgian self-released his first full-length tape "II Castrato" under the MILDREDA banner. His raw first effort was soon followed by a second cassette entitled "De Laffe Denker" in 1996, which got widely copied and circulated in electro circles.
MILDREDA gained a strong following and excellent reputation in the Belgian scene and beyond, which led to live performances sharing stages with such renowned acts as PLASTIC NOISE EXPERIENCE, TERMINAL CHOICE, COVENANT, VNV NATION among many others.
Despite his early success, Dewulf felt discontent with the business side of the scene and put MILDREDA on hold. In following years, Jan started a new project under the moniker DISKONNEKTED, which focused more on dance influences.
MILDREDA continued to grow even during their absence by word of mouth. Encouraged by continued support from fellow musicians and the underground, Jan Dewulf returned with his third full-length, the digitally released 'Coward Philosophy' in 2016. His love for dark electronic sounds had returned.
With the huge success of their first physical album "I Was Never Really There" in 2021, MILDREDA were not just welcomed back to the electro scene that had begun to expand again with open arms, but the Belgians also gained many new followers that discovered the band for the first time.
"Blue-Devilled" both musically and lyrically marks another huge milestone in the career of MILDREDA. The Belgians are back to prove that even in a philosophical hell, the devil still writes all the best tunes!
Release date: December 1, 2023
Style: Dark Electro
Line-up
Jan Dewulf – vocals, synths
Christophe Salvatore – live keyboards
Written & produced by Jan Dewulf at Cyberflesh Loft, Oostende, Belgium
Mastered by Pieter De Wagter at Equus, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium
Cover artwork by Peer Lebrecht (Phøniques Arts)
Layout by Jan Dewulf
Links
www.mildreda.com
www.facebook.com/officialmildreda
www.instagram.com/mildredamusic
