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Hercules & Love Affair Rejoice With Rouge Mary

Prompting an incredible response at festival shows this summer, Hercules & Love Affair’s single ‘Rejoice’ featuring Rouge Mary does exactly that. Taking things back to the dancefloor, after releasing the more introspective single ‘Omnion’. Andy Butler explains, ”So after six years of us never appearing in a Hercules and Love Affair video (more by accident than design), I wanted us to appear in the video for ‘Rejoice’.  Rouge Mary is such a ferocious performer so it was kind of a no brainer. We had to capture that energy in this video.”

Enter Cybersissy (fine artist Antoine Timmermans) and BayBJane (Mourad Z.). Colourful, outrageous, androgynous, humorous and completely different, just some of adjectives you could reach for in vain to describe the creations of Cybersissy and her muse BayBJane.  A partnership founded in the Cologne club Lulu, they have become something of a performance art phenomenon.  Standing on the shoulders of many before her, Cybersissy’s visions for this nightlife duo springboard off of the trailblazing work of Leigh Bowery and early NYC/London nightlife, incorporating her education and prodigious talents as a painter and mixed media artist. From Cologne, to London, taking in Pike’s Ibiza and beyond, BayBJane has become one of the most popular performers around. And at 148cm tall, she is perhaps, the smallest drag queen in the world. 

Directed by Will Kennedy, the video for ‘Rejoice’ is a dazzling and joyously bewildering film. “As a foil to Rouge’s performance, director Will Kennedy wanted to capture some of the club community around us, some that embody the essence of the message of the song.” says Andy, “Will has a great mixed media style and a documentary angle in his work. Rouge and I felt that two boundary pushing drag performers, who we love so much, Cybersissy and BayBJane would fit the bill perfectly. We met them at the wonderfully debauched club Hotel Shanghai in Essen, Germany. They have triumphed in the face of much adversity in their lives, and channel that triumphant and joyful spirit into brilliant otherworldly characters that they bring into the nightclub. I am so happy with what Will has captured and put together. It is bursting with colour and conveys Cybersissy and BayBJane's boundless creativity and beautiful spirits. They personify Rouge Mary's wonderful lyrics.“

Omnion, Hercules & Love Affair’s fourth album - released in September - has garnered widespread critical acclaim, two playlisted singles at 6music and the coveted Album Of The Month slot at Rough Trade. Helping Butler interpret Omnion’ s message of faith and tolerance are a world class act of singers including The Horror’s Faris Badwan, Lebanese rockers Mashrou’ Leila, New York singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten on single and title track ‘Omnion’, Icelandic sister act Sísý Ey, as well as regular collaborators Rouge Mary and Gustaph. 

Omnion Tour

8th - Shepherds Bush Empire, London

 

 

 

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