Conceptual English post-rockers Public Service Broadcasting are releasing their new LP Bright Magic, a musical ode to the city of Berlin, later this month. And while early tracks “People, Let’s Dance” and the 5 Best Songs Of The Week-worthy “Blue Heaven” both featured guest vocalists — EERA and Gurr’s Andreya Casablanca, respectively — their new song “Lichtspiel III: Symphonie Diagonale,” out today, is a lovely ambient instrumental piece. As its title indicates, “Lichtspiel III: Symphonie Diagonale” is the third in a series of tracks on the album entitled “Lichtspiel” — literally, “light play” — inspired by early abstract expressionist films from Berlin.
“All of these films are remarkable, ground-breaking works which epitomize for me the idea of bright magic, but I think Viking Eggeling’s Symphonie Diagonale is my favorite of the three we’ve written about,” says band member J. Willgoose, Esq. “The track is a plaintive piano and synth piece to mirror what I saw as a mournful, elegiac film. The sound is heavily influenced by Vangelis — the patterns and light in Eggeling’s work remind me of some of Blade Runner‘s incredible production design (for example the famous Frank Lloyd Wright balcony and some of the neon imagery), and there’s very much a through line from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis to Ridley Scott’s film.”
Stream “Lichtspiel III: Symphonie Diagonale,” accompanied by a re-edit of Eggeling’s groundbreaking 1925 film, below.
Bright Magic is out 9/24 via Play It Again Sam. Pre-order it here.
