Enigmatic duo Pepe Deluxé, comprised of New York-based Paul Malmström and Helsinki-dwelling James Spectrum, return with another kaleidoscopic sonic marvel, the shape-shifting musical odyssey that is Comix Sonix out June 21 on Catskills Records. With such exciting news comes not one single but two, for Pepe Deluxé have gone old-school with a double A-side single, “Everyone Is” and “Sweet Baby Sun.”
This Belgian composer is not well known among U.S. audiences, although he has made several highly regarded appearances at the New Music America festivals. In Spain, however, where he was the subject of a major television special, he is a new-music celebrity. Mertens's style employs mesmerizing minimalist techniques with a sense of the romantic that appeals to both serious music aficionados and more mainstream listeners. The keyboardist uses a certain amount of electronics along with some acoustic instruments like violin, flute, and saxophone.
Since he was a child, Bart Tare has always loved guns. After leaving the army, his friends take him to a carnival, where he meets the perfect girl, Annie, a sharp-shooting sideshow performer who loves guns as much as he. The two run off and marry, but Annie isn't happy with their financial situation, so at her behest the couple begins a crosscountry string of daring robberies. Never one to use guns for killing, Bart is dragged down into oblivion by the greedy and violent nature of the woman he loves.