Photo by: Amber Thieneman
Official press release:
Ryan Patterson, the singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer behind Fotocrime, has spent over two-and-a-half decades adding to his headquarters’ – Louisville, KY – legacy with his impassioned and activist-minded approach to music, his distinctive work as a graphic artist, and his contributions to nearly every aspect of creative underground culture. After his time fronting forward-thinking art-inflected punk bands, Patterson looked to the urban centers of London, New York, and Berlin for new sonic inspiration, drawing from the passion of his roots while tapping into the sounds of classic EBM and post-punk artists for Fotocrime.
On the third Fotocrime full-length Heart of Crime (due August 27th on digital and vinyl formats via Profound Lore), Patterson continues to explore what he refers to as “electric Southern romanticism.” It’s an album that throbs with pulsing synths, hammering drum machines, and economic guitar hooks. Where so many artists have leveraged these tools towards stern stoicism, Patterson had a different objective for their emotional resonance. He says:
“In my mind, Fotocrime is a meeting point between cold-war Europe and mid-century Americana. DAF meets Roy Orbison, Portishead meets Ricky Nelson. Raymond Chandler and Paul Bowles go to see a Douglas Sirk and Carol Reed double feature.”
Patterson’s vision has been consistent across the entire Fotocrime catalog, but where 2020’s South of Heaven found his songs supplemented by Steve Albini-recorded live drums, a different approach was required for its follow-up. The worldwide pandemic broke out right as Patterson kicked off the South of Heaven tour cycle with a string of shows in Mexico. Consequently, Heart of Crime is the austere response to quarantine life. Patterson says:
“This is by far the most direct and personal thing I’ve ever done in that 99% of everything on the recording is me. It’s the first album I’ve ever recorded and mixed myself.”
On Heart of Crime, we hear the earnestness of the heartland fused with Patterson’s ties to the asceticism of the urban underground, like a post-punk Leonard Cohen. We’re also hearing an aspect of Fotocrime that’s a response and reaction to the times and available resources. It’s a record that yearns for a world outside our doors, that begs to be blasted on a massive PA in a seedy nightclub or a black-walled venue. It sounds steeped in isolation and reflection, but it reminds us of the communal experience of getting lost in a sea of people while the sound of a bass drum kicks our chests.
Heart of Crime will be released on LP, CD, and Digitally (exclusively on Bandcamp) on August 27th via Profound Lore Records. Pre-orders are available via MerchTable, Profound Lore’s webstore, and Bandcamp.
Fotocrime will tour the United States throughout September, October, November and December — find all tour dates listed below.
Heart of Crime track listing:
- “Heart of Crime”
- “Electric Cafe”
- “So So Low”
- “Delicate Prey”
- “Crystal Caves”
- “Politi Policia Polizei”
- “Industry Pig”
- “Zoe Rising”
- “Inferno Rebels”
- “Learn to Love the Lash”
- “Skinned Alive”
9/03 Louisville, KY – Zanzabar * ^
9/04 Indianapolis, IN – Black Circle * ^
9/05 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle * ^
10/15 Seattle, WA – Bar House +
10/16 Portland, OR – Hawthorne Lounge +
10/18 Sacramento, CA – Café Colonial +
10/19 Oakland, CA – Golden Bull +
10/20 San Diego, CA – Kensington Club +
10/21 Long Beach, CA – Que Sera +
11/13 Pittsburgh, PA – Preserving Underground #
11/14 Baltimore, MD – Metro Gallery #
11/15 Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie #
11/16 Brooklyn, NY – Saint Vitus #
11/17 Cleveland, OH – The Foundry #
11/18 Detroit, MI – Sanctuary #
12/02 Birmingham, AL – Firehouse *
12/03 Gainesville, FL – TBA *
12/04 Tampa, FL – Hooch And Hive *
12/05 Orlando, FL – Will’s Pub *
12/06 Jacksonville, FL – Archetype *
12/07 Atlanta, GA – Boggs Supply & Social *
12/08 Charlotte, NC – Evening Muse *
12/09 Asheville, NC – Odditorium *
* = w/ Fool’s Ghost
^ = w/ The Austerity Program
+ = w/ Haunted Horses
# = w/ Dalek