John Cale Reveals Aggressive Inspiration Behind New Music

A highly influential actor due to his aversion to tradition, since his departure in 1968 Cale has continued to experiment with genres as a musician and established a revered reputation as a producer, working on records for the likes of Patti Smith and The Stooges.

On June 14, Cale released POPtic illusion via Double Six and Domino. With the first single “How We See The Light” – arriving in March, and “Shark-Shark” from May – the record follows on from 2023. Mercy, a record boasting a series of notable collaborations, including with Avey Tare and Panda Bear of Animal Collective, Weyes Blood, Dev Hynes and Fat White Family. Last year’s album was also significant in that current events, such as Donald Trump’s presidency, Brexit and climate change, inspired it.

In a new interview with The observer, Cale reflected on what inspired him POPtic illusion and revealed that just like Mercy, it comes from “a huge chunk of songs” he wrote during the pandemic. Naturally, this collection of music had a different side: fury. Yet in its true form, it wasn’t anger in the usual sense.

“The lockdown kind of dictated what was happening, so my anger showed up pretty regularly,” Cale said. He then explained what inspired this feeling: “Political stuff, mainly. Physically, I wasn’t really worried about what was happening with the lockdown, but there were some things that really annoyed me.

As a result, Cale began writing songs “with a lot more aggression than in the recent past, but it was a different kind of aggression – a kind of romantic aggression.” He explained that this particular form of anger manifests itself in many ways, from “company commander” as a way of condemning “right-wingers burning their libraries” to the fairly explicit “I’m angry.”

He concludes: “My songs have an inner logic, but I also think that people want to discover things for themselves when they listen to them, just like they would when reading a poem. »

In a four-star review from POPtic illusion, FarJordan Potter wrote: “Where the aptly titled POPtic illusion lack of eclecticism, it gains in coherent personality. Lyrically, Cale explores typically macabre and distressing themes; haunting echo effects lend her timeless vocal sonic stature. Meanwhile, the album thrives on exacting production finesse and an ingenious weaving of classic and contemporary textures.

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