Episode 038: Patrick Wolf
Patrick Wolf is an English singer-songwriter who is known for combining electronic and classical elements, ranging from making electronic pop to Baroque chamber music. It’s been a while since we looked at a musician, and so it is high time we picked one to review, and why not the very man himself that keeps popping up in other reviews we have done!
Now unlike the usual set up where we go through an overview of the media and the plot before then diving into a spoiler filled section, this episode is going to be slightly different. Since music, specifically albums or songs, might have overlying themes and stories, it's a bit more difficult for us to talk about this media in the usual format. So, when I am covering audio based media like this the episode will be more overview of the creator and details on the released work, with specific discussion on a few of the songs under review.
You can either listen to the podcast with the link below, or read the transcript on this page.
Dorian Electra is most known for their visual style with their high-concept music videos and their experimental pop-like musical style that discuss topics such as gender and sexuality while challenging oppressive norms. For a bit of background, Electra was born in June 1992 to father Paul Gomber, the “Rockstar Realtor in Houston” and mother Paula Fridkin, an artist and jewellery designer. They graduated from a Montessori high school and later attended Shimer College in Illinois.
They first gained attention back in 2010 with their music video “I’m in Love with Friedrich Hayek”, which lauded the philosophy of the Austrian economist of that name. Not every day an economist gets a song after someone is stuck reading their work for their senior thesis in high school, but Dorian has admitted to really liking economics. This can be seen with other videos they have put out on the topic such as FA$T CA$H, another pop go at explaining economics.
However Dorian has mentioned wanting to cover many interesting topics and have done so with works such as “Ode to the Clitoris”, seeking to desentisise people to the word clitoris by exploring the history of it from ancient Greece to now, or releasing things such as “The History of Vibrators”, “Dark History of High Heels”, and “Years of Drag” all in 2016, focusing on the histories of queer history and intersectional feminism while collaborating with many artists.
What
Final Feelings and Recommendation
In terms of recommendation, I would say to most people to give a couple of Dorian’s songs a listen, as even if electronic pop may not be your preferred genre, there is a good mix of musical styles used at times plus the topics being discussed lyrically are still interesting to hear. I don’t think every song will be for everyone, but there is enough of a range that you will find something to enjoy, and the only caveat is maybe don’t share every song with younger members of the household if you want to avoid awkward conversations on what face fucking means.
I would also highly recommend not just listening to the music, but also taking the time to watch their videos for their songs, as these are quite high quality and do add to the songs overall meaning, unlike with some musicians who may just do a music video of them playing the instruments without much thought of visually interpreting their songs.
Rating wise, I wve.
NO SPOILERS AHEAD
As mentioned before, no spoilers this episode as we are discussing music and the musician.