There’s a lot of talk about how to escape the general malaise of modern-day life: Yoga, meditation, knitting – and sure, these may be valid and wholesome pastimes, but what of accepting the general malaise? Sitting and soaking in it, rather than attempting to outsmart it. It’s a surefire way to actually see the general malaise for that it is; something that will eventually pass. And it’s here, nestled deep within the folds of this theory; the one of embracing the bad times, that we find ‘No Movement’, the brand new single from Melbourne synth-powered post punks, screensaver.
‘No Movement’ is a frantic, hyperactive jam; a score composed to the shaky, unpredictable wailings of a human stuck in a room; rearranging their nicknacks, checking the fridge for the umpteenth time, and experiencing bouts of anxious thoughts permeated with moments of staring off into the middle distance. ‘No Movement’ is a fortress of pulsing bass, relentless drums, unsettling tonalities, and gloomy yet powerful vocals from Krystal Maynard (Bad Vision/ex-Polo).
The overwhelming result for the listener is one of relief – ‘No Movements’ isn’t telling you to outmaneuver the general malaise, it’s telling you that the places we fear the most are the ones we all fear together.
The visuals for ‘No Movement’, directed by Paddy Hay, feel as though we’re privy to a world that doesn’t know we’re watching, and in that sense, the things we may have seen a million times before – the Trams, the buildings – take on a different form. Maynard explains to BLUNT this was a deliberate creative move to further compound the sense of creeping claustrophobia that comes with the song itself.
“We gave Paddy Hay who made the video free reign to interpret the song however he wished and we feel like he nailed it. It’s gloomy, it’s a monochromatic industrial world where flickers of the suburbs are cut together in a frantic pace to create a kind of visual claustrophobia. Claustrophobia ties in strongly to the lyrics’ thematics. I often write songs from one line or one image and I build a scene or motif around it.
“For ‘No Movement’ I was picturing a shut-in alone in a house, who was feeling the walls close in around them as anxiety prevented their literal, emotional and mental forward movement. It’s not about a specific person, it’s more about capturing that feeling that we all experience on occasion, one of feeling trapped within boundaries both physical and mental; barriers that are placed in front of us and that we erect ourselves. But also on the flipside the world outside is grey and we’re all emotional human beings who sometimes can’t handle it. Just leaning into the bleakness of existence, really!”
screensaver have been handpicked to feature as part of the forthcoming sensory delight that is the Flash Forward festival in Melbourne, in which 40 acts and 40 artists will descend upon 40 laneways throughout Australia’s very own Rock City.
The band released their debut single ‘Strange Anxiety’ in 2020 and moments later, dropped the follow-up, ‘Living In An Instant’. Having already captured the hearts and minds of a legion of followers both here and abroad, the band is now prepping the final touches on their debut album, Expressions of Interest, with more specific details expected to drop very soon.
