Themes For the Deceased

Is “trance horror lounge” a genre already? If not, we’re claiming it – it’s the best shot we’ve got at actually describing Voyeur’s music. The Little Death EP is a rewarding listen, but lord, is it a weird one.

You thought we were kidding about “trance horror lounge”? As if. Give “Until the Day I Die” a listen. It starts off innocuously enough, with a moody, atmospheric intro. And then the lyrics kick in. Voyeur’s vocals are hazy and always carry at least some bare-bones distortion. He’s a crooner, but a very, very strange one-– some listeners might be strongly reminded of Portishead’s dreamy lyrics and feathery tone. The vocals shine thanks in large part to Voyeur’s stripped-down take on electronica. While EDM influences have led many artists toward a “wall of sound”-– a single, dense, wash of noise– Voyeur generally contents himself with relatively minimal production. It’s an excellent stylistic choice; Voyeur is a master of atmospheric and rhythmic changes, and his songs rarely require more than bass and percussion lines to sound fully fleshed out.

About that atmosphere. There definitely is a horror-movie aspect to Voyeur’s music, though we’re hardly the first to notice it. Some uncomfortable themes popped up the moment we read the artist’s name and album title. We’ll go ahead and assume you know what “voyeur” means, but Little Death is a bit more problematic. It’s translated from the French “la petite mort,” an idiomatic term for an orgasm. So you’ve got “voyeur” and you’ve got… yeah, sort of icky. And, of course, Voyeur delivers on promises of creepiness. “Until the Day I Die” sounds like it could find a home as the theme music to a horror movie, but it’s not until “String” that Voyeur really hits his stride. “String” is a positively gorgeous song– it’s simple and showcases Voyeur’s considerable vocal talents. The first half of the song seems tender, if abstract, but there’s change a’ coming. Slightly past the halfway mark, some menacing bass vibes kick in, and then you hear the line “I won’t let go of you”, and things become a little more clear. “String”, like much of Little Death, has some serious undertones of obsession and loss.

Things get even weirder on album standout “My Favorite Child.” Whispered vocals, ominous percussion stings and Voyeur’s gasping desperation make this one impossible to ignore. It’s a love song of some stamp, but an eerie, confused one. Expect some goosebumps to show up right around the time the line “Take, take my soul” comes around.

It’s a wacky album and a very dense one. One thing it most certainly is not is background music. Every one of Voyeur’s songs demands attention, an investment that you’ll find rewarded time and time again.