Taken from their awaited second album ‘Dissociation’, due 9 September, the discordant new track blends clear and clamouring vocals with steady guitar lines and shadowy drum beats reminiscent of the grunge greats.
Drawing influence from the likes of Hole, Silver Chair, and Babes In Toyland “5102” sees A VOID craft a sound that pays homage to the past while simultaneously making a hell-for-leather run toward the future.
Seesawing between calmer moments of melancholy and more emotive explosions of throbbing instrumentals and turbulent riffs, the track is rhythmic and riled-up in equal measure. Vocalist Camille Alexander explains:
“”5102” is a sombre grunge track starting with dissonant guitars that slowly progress into a deep emotional outburst. A swim in the moonlight ending in a mermaid attack. The track’s mysterious name is ‘2015’ backwards: the year it was written, long before it was recorded. It’s about womanhood, using the metaphor of witches who have been stripped of their powers and their magic.”
The track arrives with a fantastical official video that offers a twisted take on some familiar fairy tales. Directed by the band’s own Camille Alexander, it was shot by Aeris Houlihan from Hexenhaus Productions and Claudia Du Lièvre. Starring Richard Simpson and Paige Burley alongside the band, additional footage was contributed by Neil Anderson.
Arriving as a fiery follow-up to earlier releases “Newspapers” and “Stepping on Snails”, “5102” is the last single to be taken from A VOID’s second album ‘Dissociation,’ before its release on 9 September. Described by the band as a “pandemic baby”, the record was written and composed during lockdown by frontwoman Camille Alexander, then arranged with the help of bandmates Aaron Hartmann (bass) and Marie Niemiec (drums).
With the album finally recorded between 2019 and 2021 at Stakeout Studios in London, A VOID called on producer Jason Wilson (Reuben, Senser, Dinosaur Pile-Up) who brought his musical craftsmanship to each track and found a compelling middle-ground between vintage influences and trailblazing modernity.
Taking listeners on an emotional journey through its twelve tracks, and playing out like a snapshot of its isolated and uncertain gestation period, ‘Dissociation’ celebrates everything from heartbreak to womanhood to battles with mental health. With its title nodding to these tricky mental processes and the harsh disconnect many of us feel from our thoughts, feelings and identities, A VOID explain:
“Nothing is all black or white. Dissociation happens when we experience a chain of significant events. We go through different phases, we question our actions and those of others. It’s very human to realise that there isn’t just one version of yourself, they all coexist. When you compose an album like this, each song is a reflection of a different personality at a given moment.”
But despite its more hard-hitting themes the trio refuse to compromise on fun, with absurdity and an inhibited attitude coursing through each track. The trio add:
“We’re a pretty goofy band. It wouldn’t make sense to do what we do together without having fun. There are so many emotions that go through us on a daily basis, that even in the worst moments we can’t help but laugh. This is what we talk about in “Sick As A Dog”: laughter as a means of overcoming traumatic experiences and events. We don’t hesitate to integrate cheeky things into more serious choruses.”
After forming in Paris, A VOID evolved on the blistering London scene, delivering riotous live performances that any punk pundit would be proud of and gaining attention from a range of tastemaker names. With ‘Dissociation’ set to land next month, A VOID will be playing a number of UK live shows this Autumn and Winter including an album launch show at London’s Shacklewell Arms on 9 September, a live performance and signing at Rough Trade East on 14 September and support slots with The Soapgirls and Snake Eyes in Derby and Nottingham.
