CINEMARTYR (originally called OST) was formed in Limerick, Ireland by composer Shane Harrington in 2012, before relocating to New York shortly afterwards. Cinemartyr is in many ways the culmination and result of a childhood forged amidst the gang feuds, burglaries and stabbings of the Southill ghetto in Limerick City. “Stab City,” a place once notorious for being the murder capital of Europe, is where composer Shane Harrington was raised.
To date, Cinemartyr has released five diverse-sounding albums. Their sounds have spanned from somber experimental rock, to indie/folk approach, ambient and noise experimentation, to soundtrack and score-inspired. Their newest album, OPT OUT, to be released June 17nd, 2022, the band takes a more “lean, direct, and industrial” approach. Today, we’re stoked to give you their new music video for the song “Art Forum”, along with a special commentary below.
The current lineup for their upcoming album, OPT OUT, consists of Shane Harrington (vocals, guitars), Amber Moon Voltson (vocals, guitars), Aaron CT (bass), and David Goldman (drums). A broad range of musicians including Fugazi, Arab On Radar, Daughters, Whores, Retox, Health, Death Grips, Sun Kil Moon, Rihanna, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Johann Johannsson have all been noted as influences to the band over the years.
The album was mixed at Nada Recording Studio, New York by John Naclerio. Additional tracking at Duke Sound in Brooklyn. Guest musicians include Luke Folger (drums), Ben Backus (bass) and Laura Lutzke (violin). Opt Out will be released on Light Sleeper Records on June 17th, 2022. Pre order, here. Pre-save, here.
Asked about the new striking single, vocalist and guitarist Shane Harrington comments: “Shot without permission, guerrilla-style, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. “Art Forum” is a fuck you to the elitism and pseudo-intellectualist thirst trappings of the corporate contemporary art world.
It is a fuck you to “art speak” i.e. the use of unnecessary thesaurus-tinged language, evident throughout the art world’s public facing facades. It is a calling out of the critical thought leaders who profit from the very aesthetic of the working and lower classes that they refuse to engage with through plain, direct, lucid language.
Art is essential and should be part of life, not gate-kept by unintellectual cosplayers. Mind you, this critique is not necessarily aimed at The Met, as their art collection is quite open and welcoming to the general public. However the venue did serve as a perfect visual backdrop for our music video and with it, an exploration of the artworld in all its various facets and forms; both good and bad. The philosophies of the uniform elite are always up for dissection or cattle prodding.”
OPT OUT is the sixth album from this NYC-based band. Unlike their last release, where Harrington’s staccato shouts were featured prominently, OPT OUT sees vocalist/guitarist Amber Watson take center stage with her expressive falsetto and high note belting. This approach informed Harrington’s attempt to create a more lean, direct and industrial sound this time around. Riffs and progressions were once again judged under the Cinemartyr mantra “The body dictates the note.” That is to say that musical passages were judged on their intuitive playability live, rather than their pure aural merit, so as to maximize live movement and dynamism on stage.
With regards to the themes and subject matter of OPT OUT, Harrington had this to say: “Though OPT OUT has a story, that story is not enforced upon the listener. Your interpretation of the material and your interpretation alone is correct – for you. Cinemartyr does not wish to prescribe, orate or direct the audience into thinking one way or another about the themes and concepts of OPT OUT. OPT OUT is prescription-free. OPT OUT is for you. Your own experience and history will activate and inhabit the machinery of OPT OUT without fear of presuppositions or associations. The metaphors of OPT OUT are your metaphors to stretch and rename as your own. If you do not like metaphors and you prefer a more direct approach, you may also get very direct with OPT OUT.”
“…an in-your-face fusion of post-punk and post-hardcore, led by the soaring, wavering, piercing vocals of Amber Moon Voltson.” — BrooklynVegan
“…shape-shifting towards a brand of noise rock that makes as much use of melody and soundscapes as it does spazzy loft party rhythms and red-lining mid-range guitar. Think Daughters, Netherlands and Fugazi knocking boots with mop-topped psychedelic freaks Amon Duul II and Harmonia.” — Decibel Magazine
“Phenomenal… Ten steps ahead of the music game.” — Key Percussion
“Heart-stoppingly gorgeous… extremely intimate and daringly omnipresent.” — Sputnik Music
