SINGLE SPOTLIGHT: Interpol x Jesu – “Toni - Jesu Interpolation”

Released June 15th, 2023

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The kings of dark-ish indie rock return with something a little more off the rails. Featuring atmospheric, abysmal and electronic bliss; Interpol blend well with the phenomenal, ethereal waveform weaving of Jesu, whose name I seem to keep seeing appear alongside more and more artists as of late. Just under five minutes in runtime, the pairing of musical minds makes for a fantastic mix sure to put you in a trance. It’s like something out of an emotional fever dream, having the hairs on the back of your neck sticking up soundtracked, yet somehow listening to this track will put the mind at ease, no less.

Presented with a music video that plays out like a mix of Driver, Mad Max, The Warriors, and a Levi jeans advertisement, there’s plenty to unpack as you’re graced to tears by the slowcore-like spell casted through combinations of guitars, piano, bass, synths, and atmospheric drums. The signature baritone voice of Paul Banks makes for the casual melancholic, haunting touch as you’re walked calmly through the landscape of dreamy frequencies that ensues just as immediately as you press play. The familiar spirit of the gothy indie rockers is all still fluently present, but somehow what Jesu brings to the table spices the cuisine all the more. Flavorful and filling, while this may not be the liveliest track ever heard from the group, it is no less appetizing with its dramatic, nearly doom-esque qualities. 

It has the workings of a ballad about it, yet still rides the rails of something completely different. Plenty of intriguing timbre, instrumental and sonic depth, as well as reminiscence from albums such as Turn On The Bright Lights and El Pintor, with Jesu’s contributions pulling a layer or two of what feels like RÜFUS DU SOL-worthy texture about it. Who’d’ve thought experimental metal and indie rock would mash up so vivid and purely? Well, probably Paul Banks and Justin Broadrick, and I’m quite thankful they did.

The industrial, shoegazey, and just overall layered elements Broadrick brings to an already esoteric soundscape that Interpol tend to manifest is audible genius. This is a song that is not only easy to get lost in, but likely to find itself repeated a good few times before you’ve had enough. Anyone who finds themselves into good, dark indie music with an industrial flair, or anything even close to it, will easily identify an attachment of some form to “Toni”. The track plays out like a well-thought cinema, but still manages to take but so little of your brain power to comprehend and appreciate.

While there is a bit here, as mentioned earlier, that doesn’t quite feel like the usual Interpol form, I mean that in the best way possible. The song, actually, doesn’t even really seem like something outside of their style so much, more so like their sound either absorbed or was absorbed by the sonic experimentation of Jesu and just blended into a heightened version of itself. Again, all this meant in the best way possible. In short – both artists shine their finest qualities in this 5-and-a-half-minute passage of time slown down; So for those who need a break from reality, to be baptized into the cosmos of their compositionally-crafted reality, where you may get away (mentally) for a good bit of time and clear your mind with the prowess of Banks & Broadrick’s Musical Massage Parlor (patent pending).
At any rate…be sure to check the song out!