Sometimes I run across artists that I find extremely hard to describe or talk about due to the fact that they touch me in ways (or in places inside of me) where words don’t go. More than a solid, material form there’s this profound and moving mix of feelings that are intangible to even try to be reasonable or make sense. Fan Modine is one of this artists.
Fan Modine is Gordon Zacharias. An artist that in the past 15 years, released 3 albums and became a cult figure among indie music lovers.
While the influences throughout the albums changed, the line connecting them to create a solid progression of his work (and life) is the ability to write music with an elegancy rarely seen.
I didn’t know anything about him before this interview, even though the album ‘Homeland’ has been a huge part of my life for 6 years.
All I knew was that Fan Modine, the ‘band’ that released ‘Homeland’, one of the sweetest – and saddest - albums I have ever listened to, was Gordon Zacharias. And after reading the interview, I feel that each album seem to be a very personal interpretation of what was going in his life in the period their were made. And the beauty of all this, is the fact that this inspiration, successfully creates pieces that have this profound and universal sensibility with the ability to touch everyone that are exposed to his music.
It is clear the unsettling part of his creative being: with 3 albums out the only thing you can’t say, is that his musical moves are obvious. While ‘Slow Road to Tiny Empire’ (1997) sounds more experimental and lo-fi, ‘Homeland’ (2004) is a cinematic celebration of an elegant, melancholic, orchestral and heartfelt side of pop. And now there’s ‘Gratitude for the Shipper’, released a few days ago and showcasing a happier, bright, romantic and rockier side of Gordon.
You can download the two first singles of his latest album, 'Gratitude for the Shipper', here:
Enough said… better than my words, the best way to get an idea of what Fan Modine stands for, is reading his own words below… (also, check the beautiful biography on his facebook page (link below)).
