Features Genuflex

It’s a quite exceptional feeling; when scrambling through all the new songs you hear each day, flicking from one chillwave-indebted track to one lo-fi, scratchy racket, until all of a sudden you find something that sounds completely different and immune to categorisation. Out of everyone, Genuflex’s cold, industrial tones, mixed with an extraordinary 50s balladry influence, comes closest to sounding like Dirty Beaches. But no-one, repeat, no-one, is sporting a sound as defined, rehearsed and in such a style as this. We caught up with Finn Vine, who releases his debut EP, ‘Bludevotion’, on Black Records / Domino on 21st November.

Tells us about ‘Bludevotion’ - is it all as sonically intense as the songs you’ve shared so far on Soundcloud?
Well, it’s as sonically intense as my meagre set up will allow. I’ve always wanted Genuflex to sound expensive but real…to have that kind of gossamer gliss that Trevor Horn got on Grace Jones records. I guess the realness comes first in the composition and performance

Does the EP have any central themes/ concepts?
I guess it moves about a bit. It starts with the doggedness of yearning and then tries to deal with that sense of bewilderment and loss that comes from enforced emancipation, be it yours or someone else’s. The last song deals with that topic using Stravinsky’s/Nijinsky’s ‘The Rite Of Spring’ where a girl is forced to dance herself out of the earth as that ultimate sacrifice.

Are there any artists that you’re trying to emulate or who influence you? There’s almost a classical 50s pop sound behind the big sonics. Would you agree?
Yeah, I love that blue eyed soul sound. Tracks like ‘Ebb Tide’ by the Righteous Brothers which I guess has that 50s sonic cathedral vibe. There’s aspects of that but I want it to stand against a very modern liquid production ideally. Daniel Miller suggested that I get Phill Spector or Martin Hannet to produce the record, which was helpful of him.

Would you welcome Elvis comparisons to ‘I’ll Wander On’? It’s like a big classical ballad!
Ha, I thought it sounded more like Bobby Hatfield or the big ‘O’. I love those old torch songs. If I gave a fuck about football I’d support Liverpool just so I could go and sing ‘Never Walk Alone’ without reproach.

The video for ‘Bludevotion’ has a very dark, cold feel. Is that something you’ve always tried to give off on record?
Well, it’s a pretty brooding song. The video is just some live footage from one gig. One camera, one angle. We just played under a blue light that night, that’s where the steel comes from.

As a solo artist, how do you go about adjusting your sound from on record to the live stage? Who helps you out with the live shows?
I try and keep it as simple as possible, break it down into easy components and then sprinkle the magic dust and run the voluptuous curves of dynamic over the songs svelt boddddyyyy. Funnily enough, I don’t know many musicians so I get my dear friends who know and can tolerate me to play with me. Ed, Poppy, Owen…they bring a lot.

Do you have any film or literature influences? Any directors or novels that inspire your work, other than just musical ones?
I always find I’m drawn to the outsiders, Celine, Becket, Artaud, things like that. I spend probably 85% of my time by myself and I find it comforting to know those fuckers did too. There’s also a book by Sophie Calle called Equisite Pain where she asks her friends to denote the times in their lives in which they most suffered. She, in turn, places these anecdotes between her own day by day accounts of dealing with life since she was left by the man she loved. That notion of honest catharsis within your work definitely influenced the E.P. If I was gonna pic a film to represent the sensibilities of Genuflex I would choose Wings Of Desire by Wim Wenders. I could pick other directors that I love like Emir Kusterica that have had an effect on me. In fact I might do an EBM version of ‘Ederlezi’ from Time of the Gypsy’s just for the fuck of it.

Do you have any plans for a debut full-length?
Man, I could make the most beautiful record if someone would give me a chance. If not I’ll cobble something together and it will sound charmed and fruity.

BLUDEVOTION by GENUFLEX

Genuflex plays London’s Shacklewell Arms on 9th November.