“Being apart geographically, I think it gives room for a song to breathe.”
When reviewing a slew of songs for the second Darkness Calling playlist (now on Spotify), we came across Flesh of Morning. We were greeted with a wave of sound that instantly lulled us in. We also found ourselves in a dilemma:
With two songs currently on Spotify — “We Are” and “Death Becomes Bitter” — how were we to choose which one to include? “We Are” is short but powerful. “Death Becomes Bitter” is sprawling and seductive. The two songs work together as a pair on Flesh of Morning’s latest release: a retro, white cassette that looks freakin’ awesome [pictured later].
Inevitably, we found ourselves breaking one of the unwritten rules of playlist curation. There was no choice but to include both of these songs on Darkness Calling: Volume II as they were intended — back to back.
When you hear these songs, we think you’ll understand why. Presented with the challenge of describing their sound (and it is a bit of a challenge), we’d say it’s vast, wall-of-noise music that could work in an arthouse film, but it’s simultaneously dance-y and accessible. Faiza Kracheni’s delicate voice lulls you in with a false sense of security, but Travis Benson’s synths tell a different story — that something sinister is waiting around the corner.
Of course, chatting with Faiza and Travis was anything but sinister. These two are cordial as can be, even if their laser-focused dedication to the craft comes across more than anything else. We were lucky enough to chat with them about the one-two punch of “We Are” and “Death Becomes Bitter,” as well as their future plans.
DARKNESS CALLING: Thanks for taking the time to chat with Darkness Calling. What can you tell us about the origins of your project? I noticed on your Instagram page that you list your locations as Austin and Boston. Do you work together remotely and — if so — have you ever met in person?
FAIZA: Travis and I know each other through punk (touring, shows, and bands). We’ve been in and out of each other’s lives for the better part of a decade and have collaborated on art in the past for old musical projects. We first met at some point in 2008 when Travis was living in Portland. We first bonded over our love of music and would make each other mixtapes of things we were into at the time and mail them to each other.
DC: What can you tell us about the name “Flesh of Morning”?
FAIZA: Our name is taken from a film with the same title by Stan Brakhage. Brakhage is a huge influence on me personally through my work with film — specifically as an experimental filmmaker. When we were discussing different names for the project, it was after we had already begun creating the music. We are both into film and abstract/experimental art, so it just worked for us.
DC: We truly love your sound here at Darkness Calling. Can you tell us a little bit about your process and your musical inspirations?
FAIZA: I am extremely influenced by films, visual art, and books. As a filmmaker and musician, both always go hand-in-hand with me. When I am making a film, I am thinking about sound. When I am making music, I am thinking of images. One of my biggest influences is Maya Deren. Although I realize this isn’t a musical influence, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention it. Books are something else that really influence me when creating. I always look to films and books.
TRAVIS: I think my musical influences for this project run the gamut of synth history — early pioneers like Isao Tomita, Giorgio Moroder, and Patrick Cowley combined with the ethereal wave of groups like This Mortal Coil, early Dead Can Dance, and Cocteau Twins. I also draw a lot of influences from music beyond the scope of what we play. Faiza and I both cut our teeth in the punk and hardcore scenes at an early age, and that experience permeates throughout the overall aesthetic of our project. In terms of process, it really comes down to creating a motif and bouncing the idea back and forth between each other and seeing what actually works. Being apart geographically, I think it gives room for a song to breathe. Rather than sitting together in a room and writing material together in the moment, we have the luxury of time to mull things over without feeling the pressures of settling for the sake of “getting it done."
DC: You have released a great-looking cassette for your singles “We Are” and “Death Becomes Bitter.” Did you assemble this release yourselves, or do you work with an indie label?
TRAVIS: The cassette — and now our upcoming 7” — are both released by ourselves under the Annals Imprint name. We are using the platform to release limited-run releases from Flesh of Morning and other projects we are involved with.
DC: Based on your Instagram posts, you have some unheard material, as well. When can we expect to hear more music?
FAIZA: Soon! We will be releasing a special cover real soon.
TRAVIS: We recently performed on a livestream where we played an upcoming song called “In Crisis.” Beyond that, we are currently in the process of deciding our next steps. We are hoping to put together an LP at some point in the near future.
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