The Feast Of The Broken Heart
Hercules & Love Affair
44:22 min • Moshi Moshi • May 26, 2014
John Preston reviews
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Hercules and Love Affair have, on their third album, confirmed that their own intense love affair with dance music made during the various halcyon years of its many important manifestations is on-going – and as slavish and cult like as ever. Whilst their 2008 debut album put Anthony of the Johnsons at its centre as the wounded but forever stoic and ultimate Disco Queen, and its follow-up, 2011’s Blue Songs, flirted with stranger, European disco as well as electronic music of the late seventies and early eighties, The Feast Of The Broken Heart is an all-out, no exceptions and no holds barred house music rewrite. Trax Records, bitch house, dominant, soulful vocals and luxurious and uplifting melodies are the setting here, and unlike previous releases from the collective, the fever never resolves itself with a ballad. BPM is set at an almost constant 126 and it is relentless in its intention. The sadness and melancholia which is an intrinsic element of House and Disco music’s DNA has translated to Hercules and Love Affair’s music – it was always there from the beginning and it is what helps sets this band apart from other similar but less knowing and respectful acts. Importantly, the band don’t do irony or kitsch – they are interested only in the heart and blood of dance music-and having the most amazing night of your life, again and again.
Andy Butler represents dance music made mainly – but not exclusively – by gay and transgender artists. It feel synonymous with a post-AIDS New York but is considerably more wide reaching than this – more than anything though it is resolutely and absolutely ‘queer’. Alternative and maintaining free and radical thinking and challenging the norms of today’s gay culture, the list of Butler’s vocal contributors has always supported this. The biggest name here is singer-songwriter du jour John Grant, an inspired and fascinating choice. Alongside him are established soul singer Krystle Warren, trans star Rouge Mary and Berlin based vocalist Gustaph. Grant’s contributions here are not a million miles from those featured on his ground breaking and celebrated excursion in techno and electronic-folk album from last year, Pale Green Ghosts. As might be expected, the arrangements here are more florid but detail is everything, particularly with the incredible ’I Try To Talk To You’, which deals with an issue that also played as a pivotal part in Pale Green Ghosts, that of Grant’s HIV status. Set against distinct hi hats, churning beats, strings and synth ‘whoosh’ stabs which have been adopted by everyone from Lisa Lisa to the Pet Shop Boys (past and present) it almost, but not quite, tips into the handbag house that prevailed briefly in the mid-’90s. A dancing and tinkling, emotional piano refrain props up Grant’s mournful longing “I would give you anything to take away your pain”.
“Are you taking to me? My name isn’t girl. Nor is ‘hey look at me, c’mon baby, give us a twirl’….I’ve come too far from the girl I was taught to be for you to make a bitch out of me.” On ‘My Offence’, Krystle Warren’s vocals are assertive and warm. They are very much at home on this statement of self-empowerment. Punctuated by a sharp disco whistle note, this is neither preachy nor sentimental. It’s the albums highlight. ‘That’s Not Me’, featuring Gustaph, is a twitchy and tense minimal house workout and ‘5:43 To Freedom’ harks back to the bitch tracks of early Junior Vasquez and Larry Tee – “is that boy of a girl? A communist? Probably a speed freak. Some sort of intellectual – or a muscle-queen? Just a whore.” ‘Do You Feel the Same?’ builds on the bliss house of The Beloved and Electribe 101 and the ‘The Light’ sees Krystle Warren’s vocals glisten and soothe over Basement Boys (Ultra Nate, Crystal Waters) keyboards, making good use of a determined answer-machine bleep and electric-guitar samples.
Although not as experimental as previous releases, which have played with language, tempos and sub-cultures of dance music, The Feast of the Broken Heart is Hercules and Love Affair most optimistic, euphoric and consistently engaging album to date. There is enough lyrical weight and personality to prevent this from becoming as one note as it could have been if left in the wrong hands, although this would still play gloriously as a continuous DJ set, which is no criticism. Dance artists have time and again failed when they have diverted from their own template, tried to incorporate styles that can’t yet master, but Andy Butler doesn’t even attempt that here. A record to dance to, from start to finish a non-stop movement and joy which is never dumb or repetitive. The Feast of the Broken Heart is a celebration of dance floor families, love and survival.
