The UK electronic artist Rudi Zygadlo will self-release his new single “Lily” on July 21st. Produced by recording heavyweights Tim Goldsworthy, who ran DFA Records back in the day, as well as working with Massive Attack, The Rapture, etc., and Bruno Ellingham, whose long list of audio credits includes Goldfrapp‘s best album, 2003’s Black Cherry, as well as work with New Order, on “Lily”, Zygadlo seamlessly fuses dub-step inspired rhythms with rolling, raved-up melodies, and his sultry, indie pop vocals. The artist also provides additional layers of context for “Lily” by giving us this very interesting piece of text, which, inspired by the flowers presence in images of the Annunciation, goes on to conflate symbolic meanings of the lily with his own notions of sex and seduction. Let’s let Rudi explain:
With Lily I was mirth-ing at the Annunciation; when Gabriel comes to the virgin Mary, hands her a Lily, and requests she bare the son of God. As with a lot of bible mythology, the Lily is inherited from the Greeks, wherein they are said to be grown from the milk of Hera’s breast and thus symbolise birth and motherhood. In the christian scenario the lily is something more abstract and virtuous. Purity. Mary is a Virgin and whats more, monogamous.
I like the idea that the lily is a censorial object. In this case it hides something more scandalous. Its hiding excited genitalia, sex and adultery. If not sex itself, then it is seduction at the very least. Its an invitation. So where as in the thousands of paintings depicting the annunciation the angel is handing a white flower to the glowing Mary, in my artwork the Lily text hides the real fertiliser; the genitalia of a mating couple. To add insult to injury, they also happen to be of the same sex.
In a lot of my tracks I like to pay homage to my place of residence. The first album, Great Western Laymen was written on Great Western Road. The first track from the second album Koppernikus was written on Koppernikus Strasse. And this track was written at an address which contains the eponym.
