THE SEED

Seeds are the essential ingredient to life. From them sprout plants, animals, ideas. Metaphorical seeds grow in our minds into mythologies and doctrines, which some argue to be that which distinguishes humanity from other life forms. We all know that “you reap what you sow”; the initial intention behind every action casts the colours that will shade the entire outcome.

Yet life is sustained by death. Plants thrive on the nutrient-rich compost of their dead forebears; we must kill plants and animals to keep ourselves alive. Decay is, therefore, not the antagonist, but the catalyser of flourish. For it is from rotten leaves that fresh flowers bloom.

And thus we land in the ever-present duality that has plagued poets and pragmatists alike. This grand play we call life, cannot be limited to pleasure and beauty – which ballet does not contain strife? In which comedy is there no tragedy?

This EP is the first we release; it is our seed. The track Womb of Decay was the first that Liv, Laura and India made together, shortly after they had met. It was the seed of many years of creative synergy that shaped Lady Joker into what it is today.

BLACK HOLES

The black holes in the known universe have long been an object of fascination and speculation. Black holes are so dense that not even light can escape their gravitational force. What is their meaning, their purpose? Is there information contained within them, or passed through them? Will we ever know whether the information that enters, exits in a new arrangement of matter, within a different time?

The stomach is known to hold our emotions, and our intuition – a “gut feeling”. In Love Song for a Demon, we project a black hole onto Laura’s stomach. This represents that we have agency over the energies we allow in our lives, our bodies, and which we can send into a black hole, never to return. It is also a metaphor for how depression weighs us down, sucking out the light.

Furthermore, “words are physical”. The syllables we speak have an impact beyond the mere meanings we attribute to them. We send the frequency of their sounds into the world and into each other. This is represented by a line on the stomach, which moves in response to words.

SURREALISM 

Avatar by Dorothea Tanning (1947, Oil on canvas, 14 x 11 in.)

One of Lady Joker’s primary pillars of inspiration is Surrealism, as defined by

Breton (1969 [1924]): a movement that seeks to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind. Breton describes it as ‘pure psychic automatism,’ in an endeavour to express thoughts uncensored by reason, aesthetic considerations, or moral judgment. This movement encourages the exploration of dream-like scenarios and the bizarre, often blending reality and fantasy in unexpected juxtapositions to challenge the conventional perception of reality.

Lady Joker follows Surrealist visual practice by bringing abstract concepts into physical form.

THE LITTLE PRINCE

Our track A Lost Piano draws inspiration from The Little Prince, channelling the story’s poetic metaphors and the haunting beauty of its desert setting. Just as the prince encounters the vast, empty sands where he learns profound truths, the piano represents something lost yet full of meaning. The barren desert becomes a metaphor for isolation and introspection, where the absence of sound heightens the significance of every note.

In The Little Prince, simple encounters reveal deeper truths about love, loss, and connection. Likewise, the music of A Lost Piano mirrors this simplicity, with delicate, sparse melodies that echo the story’s themes of innocence and wonder. The lost feeling is amplified by the use of the piano’s black keys, whose sombre tones evoke a sense of searching in an emotional landscape.

LIEVELINGE

Camping de Lievelinge has been a significant source of inspiration for the musical project Mèraque. The accommodations at Camping de Lievelinge are delightfully original, with converted trams, buses, gypsy wagons, and tipis, providing a unique and memorable stay. Amidst their time there, they found themselves immersed in the natural beauty of the surroundings, with opportunities to swim in the lake and leisurely wander through the enchanting forest.

Soul Safari Studio, located at the campsite, proved to be an ideal haven for Mèraque to explore and develop their musical ideas. It was within this paradise-like setting that they brought to life tracks like “Isla” and “Kabanova,” often collaborating with guest musicians who joined in on their creative journey. The videoclip of “Isla” also was in the Spiegeltent, a tent which was used by Belgian circus in the early 20th century.

WILDEBURG

In between the bamboo forests and calm water pools there is a festival called Wildeburg. It is famous for its broad experimental music and art program. Mèraque played here two times at the Kas, a stage hosted and decorated by House of Chi collective. Both live recordings of Kabanova and Huli took place at the Saturday night in the Kas. 

The light artists of Beeldjutters masterfully crafted a breathtaking atmosphere through their ingenious light installation, meticulously recreating the awe-inspiring beauty of a sunset.

RUIGOORD, LANDJUWEEL

Landjuweel is the annual, multifaceted celebration of Ruigoord, an artist village with a rich history. This unique event carries a profound tradition, marking the 50th anniversary since the village was originally squatted by a collective of artists. Nestled in the heart of Amsterdam’s western port, Ruigoord has valiantly resisted industrialization for many years, preserving its distinctive character.

For Mèraque, Ruigoord is a cherished haven, offering a place to experiment on stage and collaborate with other inspiring artists to craft innovative, multidimensional art performances. The village generously accommodates 50 ateliers, encompassing a diverse range of creative pursuits, from music production to light art and fine arts. Ruigoord’s thriving creative community continues to be a source of inspiration and a fertile ground for artistic exploration and collaboration.

CLARINET & SAXOPHONE

In Mèraque’s vibrant sound, the clarinet and saxophone take centre stage, influencing the melody significantly. These instruments play a crucial role in the folk music traditions of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey.

During weddings, the clarinet player leads the dance, captivating the crowd. This musical tradition dates back to the late Ottoman era (19th century) when folk ensembles started incorporating Western instruments. Urban Chalgia ensembles embraced modern instruments, while rural musicians continued with native wind instruments like the gajda (bagpipe), kaval, and zurla (flutes).

In the present day, Balkan musicians, blend both worlds, merging traditional and modern elements to create contemporary compositions. This innovative approach ensures the survival of cherished practices and traditions, resonating with the lives of the new generation.

This image was captured during the Galicnik wedding in Macedonia.

VAN AMSTERDAM NAAR BERLIJN

During the lockdown, SpaceAgePoetry longed for parties where they could perform and dance, particularly in Berlin. However, the train journey to Berlin takes an incredibly long time. Six and a half hours are simply too long for a sustainable “party machen” experience. The lyrics are written during lockdown times in Amsterdam. This tune essentially chronicles SpaceAgePoetry’s cherished memories of that time and the love for the city of Berlin.

THE OTHER SIDE

The lyrics of the track ‘The Other Side’ depict the tale of an unwavering bond between two friends. On a rainy Sunday evening in Amsterdam, one of them undergoes a challenging experience with psilocybin, resulting in a strange situation of a loss of identity and reality. The other attempts to reassure his friend; however, the rhythm and timbre of his voice unintentionally intensify the trip, leading to the perception of ambiguous messages. Psychedelics can sometimes feel like a stormy upheaval in a vast sea, but ultimately, one just needs to navigate the trip or, in this case, stay afloat.

THE REVOLUTION

As long as there is injustice, resistance will persist. Revolution is an evolutionary process that oscillates from one side to another. It is the fervent heartbeat of societal metamorphosis, a dynamic dance of change where the dissonance of oppression meets the harmony of empowerment. This ceaseless ebb and flow shapes the contours of history, a testament to humanity’s unwavering pursuit of a more equitable and just world. The track ‘The Revolution’ conveys the influence of the wealthy on the rest of the world, and how our resistance eventually propels us toward the next stage of evolution. Sometimes, progress necessitates dismantling existing structures in order to foster growth.

THE REVOLUTION

BALKAN BEATS NIGHTS

During a live performance of Carlama Orkestar, in between the powerful saxophone harmonies and percussion grooves, Mèraque’s founders, Jorick and Martin, met for the first time. At the time they had no idea what a huge role and impact it would later have in how they realize some of their musical directions. They continued visiting other genre-related gigs, to find the right inspiration for their own compositions. A major influential moment was experiencing Balkan Beats in clubs like Melkweg Amsterdam and Aknathon, where they experienced the integration of world music, percussion and vocals with deep electronic productions as done by DJ Tommi and Raromski. With their project Mèraque, Jorick and Martin ended up bringing those elements, among some other musical wind directions, together on stage and in the studio.

CONTEMPORARY FOLKLORE

Folklore consists of traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth. In our Western society, it is harder to maintain those traditions in music nowadays. One of the ways how Mèraque keeps traditions alive is to apply them in a contemporary setting: mixing modern and traditional influences together. Artist Filip Petkovski is an inspirational example: he used traditional Macedonian folkloric customs to address current social themes. Through his exhibition “Vita”, he critiques the objectification of women’s bodies and the complexity of human emotion. Movie directed by: Filip Petkovski.

ORATNITZA

There are multiple bands from the Balkans and Orient who combined folk music with electronic beats. One of them is Oratnitza. They created an original sound by using typical Bulgarian vocal choirs, woodwind instruments and percussion on a bed of slow beats. By adding the didgeridoo, they created something really unique, never heard before in modern music. These trailblazing combinations and journeys of experimentation inspired Mèraque to explore their own paths in a much broader way in both electronic and folkloric music.

VISIONAIRY ART

Through the journey of creating their EP, Mèraque was inspired by the colorful paintings of Helena Arturaleza. Her work is characterized by spirituality and nature, also known as Visionary art. This art form inspires a worldwide movement, which brings a deeper understanding of life communicated through images. Her paintings are like mirrors, reflecting insight. The artworks are a reminder of how beautiful life actually is. Mèraque’s cover artwork “Dancing Birds” is a painting created by Helena and will be released on December 8. The Artwork that you see here, is “Eternal Sunset” (Acrylics and oils on canvas) and is inspired by one of the sunsets Helena experienced in Costa Rica.

NATURE & CULTURE

I am passionate about freedom and moments alone. That is why I spend most of my time in the nature side.
A large part of my work is focused on what always remains and that many times we are not able to admire easily and fully. I believe that to reach the beauty of art, it is necessary to resort to the mind, conscience or soul, always respecting and creating a sincere connection with nature and its essence.

Knowing other cultures and traveling allows me to broaden the perspective in ways that go beyond what I can imagine. Traveling favors learning in many ways. Interacting with other cultures stimulates the brain in a positive way thanks to the novelty and adventure that is created, renews us as people and this gives space for the imagination to be filled with memories and new ideas to continue working.

THE VISUAL & TRANSFORMATION

Any type of visual work is an instant generator of ideas. Many of my tracks are born from some visual impact, this goes from a simple poster to a feature film. I am completely convinced that a sound when accompanied by a message or visual work has a greater power to transmit a feeling or generate different emotions.

Not everything can always be good, I also try to learn from the bad experiences and dark moments of life.

It is in those moments where i discover new challenges where the hidden is shown and where the sounds convey a face or a message that many times we do not want to reveal. I really believe that there are moments in our lives where we are given a place to break and where we experience a powerful transformation, letting go of everything that no longer serves us, reaching a moment of awakening.

FAITHLESS

Faithless has set the bar when it comes to performing dance music in a live setting. Exactly 20 years ago, they performed at Pinkpop Festival in The Netherlands. Bandmember JanJaap attended the concert and shares; “I guess a few moments in life seem to stick with you until the end. To experience a ‘drop’ like the one in the song Insomnia, while being part of such a huge audience is a life-changing event. I need to figure out how this is done…” It seems that performing dance music live is still pretty rare. Dialoque always had the ambition to make a connection between different scenes. Not just being a band or just a DJ, but combining two disciplines in one act 

FROZEN

‘Somewhere during the production of ‘Let me go’, band member Mart started to hear similarities to Madonna’s famous song ‘Frozen’. Inspired by the song’s layers of filtered drum beats, he sampled a live-recording of Bill Withers and ran the intro from ‘Kissin my Love’ (performed by drummer James Gidson) through a KORG MS-10 synthesizer. After adding the new drum sequences to ‘Let me go’, the track ‘Frozen’ became a huge mainstay for the further development of the song. As the breakbeats of Madonna’s track find their origin in 90s gems like Massive Attack, Chemical Brothers, Prodigy and Kasabian, we tried to transform their musical heritage into our own contemporary sound for ‘Let me go’. It also seems to be an unlikely coincidence that the lyrics of ‘Frozen’ describe some of the experiences the band has gone through this last year.’

DEPECHE MODE

“Depeche Mode is imprinted in the mind and has been such a huge influence in “the dark progression” in electronic music. It creates impressive compositions with nowadays authentic synthesis sounds, combined with original acoustic elements. Dialoque’s song “Let me go” has elements that are very closely inspired by the song “Home” and “One Caress”. The full-bodied string orchestra used by Depeche Mode, spirited the powerful violin phrase played by Eva, which is actually a stack of twelve individual violin-tracks, recorded in a huge overdub session. Biba’s vocals are overshadowed by its darker lyrics; the emotional power struggle between a lover letting go of her inamorato.

DAVID BYRNE

Reading David Byrne’s “How Music Works” leads you to many different insides. Byrne goes as far back as 45,000 years to images of music-making in Neanderthal cave dwellings to examine the path a piece of music takes and all the external factors that influence it before it reaches our ears. It tells you about so many aspects of music, from a cultural but also an acoustic point of view. Apart from that, it shows how a composer or artists can combine so many aspects of different cultures or habits in one musical production or performance. It is unavoidable to get inspired, while reading in how many detail and sublayers a creator can think.

RUIGOORD

The artist village Ruigoord is an important location and inspiration for the EP. We first met in Ruigoord and often play music in the Church as well as at the festivals. It’s an important place within the borders of Amsterdam where many artists and musicians perform such as Yør Kultura, Trippin’ Jaguar, and My Baby.

MY BABY

When Moos’ dad dove into Smid & Smid studios for a new musical project, he took Moos with him. The studio engineer connected with Moos and after hearing some tracks, he decided to take him under his wings and became a mentor for him. Having just finished My Baby’s second album, he gave Moos the stems of some tracks.

When Moos returned with some dubbed out psychedelic remixes, the band really loved his work. It’s been a deciding factor in the direction the band took after that and so he became a co-producer of the third album, recorded at Electric Monkey studios.

TRIPPIN’ JAGUAR: FIELD RECORDINGS

For this track the guitar parts that Mozes played added a very rock ’n roll, dusty desert vibe, and just like the desert we tried to keep the overall sound open, wide, mystic and minimalistic. I get really inspired by field recordings and recording acoustic instruments.

You get this organic and raw open sound, and there may be a lot of interesting surprises in your recordings like pops, clicks and noise that I like to use to create unconventional grooves. As for minimalism, every sound really has its own role and plays its own part in the bigger picture of the song. Together all the elements weave into a mysterious storyline free for interpretation by the listener.

YØR KULTURA: DESERT DUST

The first time we met DJ Isis was at our first gig ever in the church of Ruigoord. We later heard this church has been a central point in the musical career of Isis, which makes this location extra special. Soon after we decided to work together on some music, which resulted in us doing this remix for her.

During our music process, we get a lot of inspiration from different kinds of artists from different genres. Depending on the moment, weather and time of the day we listen to different kinds of music. Our musical influences are constantly evolving, which we believe keeps our sound dynamic.

The inspiration of the remix is coming from a lot of desert dust, late studio nights, sushi takeaway and of course a good sound system. We tried creating a track that gives a warm cosmic vibe and keeps on going. It starts a bit off slow and spacey but keeps building throughout the track.