Heretics

‘Heretics’ is a series of portraits of radical figures found throughout the history of schismatic thinking. Heretics like Caravaggio, William Burroughs, Jose Mujica, Marquis de Sade and Johnny Rotten, fascinated the artists. These influential figures are presented here in the form of poetic texts and catchy melodies combined with experimental noise. With the addition of ex-Sonic Youth guitarist, singer and songwriter Thurston Moore – Anne-James Chaton and Andy Moor’s more than a decade long collaboration becomes an exciting trio. They researched and created the material for Heretics during a residency in the French port of St Nazaire, in July 2014. They used voice, guitars and electronics in solo, duo or trio, to collaboratively explore their ideas and co-write texts and music. Moore and Moor both emerged from the punk/post-punk scene – albeit on different continents. This familiarity with each other’s background and music meant they were able to work at an intuitive fast pace during the making of these pieces, and subsequent recordings. Chaton’s powerful delivery and hypnotic style holds it’s own amidst the two guitarists building a rich wall of sound, melody and noise around him. Chaton and Moore’s contrasting voices and choice of words ring out in the tradition of non-conformist poetry. Shaped by jagged distorted guitars and penetrating chords, the trio’s combination of guitar and poetry evokes a new genre. ‘Heretics’ was recorded at La Muse en Circuit (Paris), and first performed live at the Theatre de Saint Nazaire, in 2015. The making of Heretics is documented in a film made by Benoît Bourreau.