Prelude

Album: Holy Fire (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • ‏Foals kick off their third album Holy Fire with this instrumental. Their vocalist Yannis Philippakis told NME: "We all got entranced by the groove: we've got these recordings where it's 25 minutes long, because there's just something really cyclical about the loop. We just wanted it on the record and that evoked a lot of that swampiness and there's a menace in it. Plus it cleans the palette, it burns away, it allows the record to start fresh."
  • Several Holy Fire tracks including this one feature the sound of bees in the mix. The buzzing noise of the honey-producing insects was recorded Down Under with Australian musician Jono Ma long before the London sessions for the album with Flood and Alan Moulder. Philippakis told NME: "There's something sonically incredible about the way bees sound. Its fu--ing great. Also, we recorded some stuff in Australia with Jono Ma - he set up some mics outside, there was insect life everywhere getting recorded as we did vocal takes. I wanted that swampy. organic prescience. And Bees' fates are inextricably linked with our own. Its such a cataclysmic event (their decline) but its tiny (in comparative scale to humans). I like the fact that its this tiny thing but its huge. A weird double perspective."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple PilotsSongwriter Interviews

Stone Temple Pilots bass player Robert DeLeo names the songs that have most connected with fans and tells the stories behind tracks from their Tiny Music album.

Trucking Songs That Were #1 Hits

Trucking Songs That Were #1 HitsSong Writing

The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.

Producer Ron Nevison

Producer Ron NevisonSong Writing

Ron Nevison explains in very clear terms the Quadrophenia concept and how Heart staged their resurgence after being dropped by their record company.

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)Songwriter Interviews

"Come On Eileen" was a colossal '80s hit, but the band - far more appreciated in their native UK than stateside - released just three albums before their split. Now, Dexys is back.

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull

Ian Anderson of Jethro TullSongwriter Interviews

The flautist frontman talks about touring with Led Zeppelin, his contribution to "Hotel California", and how he may have done the first MTV Unplugged.

Hawksley Workman

Hawksley WorkmanSongwriter Interviews

One of Canada's most popular and eclectic performers, Hawksley tells stories about his oldest songs, his plentiful side projects, and the ways that he keeps his songwriting fresh.