“Responder (Night)” By Russian Baths
Russian Baths have unveiled a re-imagining of their single “Responder,” titled “Responder (Night).”The new version strips the original’s waves-crashing noise-rock to its melodic, atmospheric core leaving flittering keys and percussion and Luke Koz and Jess Rees’ vocals laid bare.
The band details; “Striving to control others (emotions, desire, behaviors) corrupts. This seems like a chronic symptom of the worst in masculinity.
A responder talks back, but does it listen? Not equipped with the tools to be vulnerable, one voice denies reality, refuses to connect, exerts more control, idolizing restraint (“the way I held every face card”) and admonishing its counterpart (“you way you scolded me”). With denial (to self and other), all’s bound to collapse. Both know it will happen. Neither wants it.
I guess it’s also an exploration of the big 80s breakup love ballads of the Patty Smyth featuring Don Henley variation, but the dark sexual politics of the heartbreak are more explicit. This is the night version.
I was listening to a lot of the xx and Sinead O’Connor when we wrote it and when re-recording it, I was listening to PJ Harvey almost exclusively. I wonder if this bleeds into the atmosphere.”
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