Louise Patricia Crane Releases The Video For Bête Noire

Evoking Cult Italian Horror Atmospherics, By Way of A Truly Progressive Take On Gothic Experimental Rock, Louise Patricia Crane Releases The Video For Bête Noire

“Evokes the spirits of Kate Bush and Tori Amos, with a smoky, gothic palate of Crane’s own” – CLASSIC ROCK

“An overwhelming, dark and always beautiful journey into a fairytale land” – ECLIPSED

“Crane is a cerebral retreat to an era of Dylans and Mitchells where musicians readily purged personal trauma with soulful music to match” – PROG

While exploring the dark night of the soul, instilled into the suspended drama of this haunting experimental rock song, which evokes the work of Danielle Dax, ‘The Fragile’-era Nine Inch Nails & Chelsea Wolfe, Bête Noire calls to mind blood-tinged hues of Giallo soundtracks and horror OST atmospherics, perhaps unsurprisingly, given Crane‘s love of classic horror, a frequent theme underlying her work to date.

Watch The Video For Bête Noire Here

Written and recorded by Crane capturing a particularly tempestuous snapshot of her life in that moment, brought about by digging up buried childhood memories as part of the writing process for the Netherworld album, this is the darkest, most intoxicating track on the release.  ‘Bête Noire’ reveals the depth and scale of her artistic vision throughout the undulating movements of the song.  “Bête Noire for me is one the most significant songs on the album. When I started composing it, it took over and sort of grabbed hold of me; it captures a moment in time that’s for sure” Crane Explains, “It’s about embracing hedonism and fully giving oneself over to those forces that ultimately cause you pain, welcoming them in”.. 

Composed in her home studio a year into writing her sophomore album, with the multi-instrumentalist covering almost all of the musical duties on the song while calling on Megatron Bison (who was a member of Solemn Novena alongside Crane in the 00’s) to personify that hedonistic “black beast” itself with additional backing vocals.

“I began writing Bête Noire when I had been playing around with adding new guitar effects patches; an evocative sound can take something in its own direction. It went from there really. I programmed up the drums (to be later replaced by the inimitable Gary Husband) and overlayed them with atmospheric synths, embellishing with strings and piano parts I’d recently written, but had yet to use in a song. After adding extra percussion, I recorded acoustic guitar and 12-string acoustic, along with ebow on the electric that I reversed on the intro and later, at the crescendo. I wanted it to sound chaotic, the intensity building and building, to a climax. Until the ending, the calm after the storm. The album opens with the words “my love whispers from her grave”, and this final moment that closes out Bête Noire is like that lover you’ve missed, softly welcoming you in to her open embrace. Lulling you off to sleep, from the other side. Like a siren’s song.“

Taken from Netherworld AVAILABLE HERE

‘Bête Noire’ composed, written & arranged by: Louise Patricia Crane 

Video Directed & Produced by: Louise Patricia Crane
Featuring Megatron Bison
Camera / Lights: Louise Patricia Crane
Additional camera assistance: Megatron Bison
Edit: James Eldridge

Vocals, electric guitar, EBow, acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, piano, keyboards, synthesizer, percussion: Louise Patricia Crane

Additional vocals: Megatron Bison
Drums, piano: Gary Husband
Electric guitar: Jakko M. Jakszyk
Bass guitar: Tony Levin
Saxophone: Mel Collins
Violin / Viola: Shir-Ran Yinon