I only learned fairly recently that the word “mesmerising” refers to an actual person called Franz Anton Mesmer, a controversial 18th-century physician and friend of Mozart who coined the phrase “animal magnetism” and laid the foundations of hypnosis. You don’t need to know this to appreciate the mesmerising quality of Föllakzoid’s “V-II”. But the video (a montage from queer and trans artist Dominga Garcia-Huidobro’s film 'Partir to Live’) does convey a sense of hidden depth, of layers upon layers of stories that can only be felt behind the glimpses you’re getting now.   

It seems the recording process of the new album ‘V’ was also a literal puzzle and conscious embrace of mystery. From the press release: "Unlike past Föllakzoid records, that were done in single takes with the full band, their latest record V took a month to construct out of more than 70 separate stems. Guitars, bass, drums, synthesizers, and vocals, were all recorded in isolation and producer Atom TM, who was not present for recording, was then asked to re-organize the four sequences of stems without any length, structural restrictions or guidelines. (…) The story is one of the electricity and code which we inhabit - or which may inhabit us, and can be imagined through heart-pounding bass, skittering beats, head swirling melodies, and an ominous allure that feels at times like genuine hypnosis.” I feel like Franz would have approved.

From the album “V”, out in September on Sacred Bones Records.