Perfume Genius’ New Single ‘Eye In The Wall’ Is A Nine-Minute ‘Cosmic Peep Show’

The last album we got from Perfume Genius (real name Mike Hadreas) was his 2017 record No Shape, and now it looks like his next project is going to be a different beast entirely. Hadreas has shared a new song called “Eye In The Wall,” which comes from an upcoming dance and music performance called The Sun Still Burns Here. The show is a collaboration between Hadreas, choreographer Kate Wallich, and dance company The YC.

The near-nine-minute song is an adventurous one that goes through slow and extremely rhythmic phases. Ultimately, it’s the kind of song that should score a truly fascinating dance performance, while being an intriguing piece of experimental music in its own right. Hadreas says of the song:

“I think of ‘Eye In The Wall’ as a cosmic peep show. Watching, being watched, dancers unlatched from the Matrix and truly LIVING. Creating new rituals on the other side. Whole bodies braiding, spit glowing in the dark and a camera floating just above. We spent a lot of time in the studio alternating between the math of the song and the magic of it — which was very much like the process of creating the dance itself. Working with Kate Wallich and YC, really being with my body, really being with other bodies — there is control and a real formula but a portal opened up in parallel that is completely free and overwhelmingly full of feeling.”

Wallich also says of the song, “‘Eye In The Wall’ is the part of the piece where we lure you in and spit you out. A tornado of body, time, space, transformation and deterioration. It’s like pulling the Death card when you already knew what needed to end.”

The Sun Still Burns Here is set to premiere on October 4 at the Moore Theatre in Seattle. In addition to writing the music for the show, Hadreas will also be one of the performers on stage.

Listen to “Eye In The Wall” above, and find the The Sun Still Burns Here performance dates below.

10/04/2019 — Seattle, WA @ The Moore Theater
10/05/2019 — Seattle, WA @ The Moore Theater
11/13/2019 — New York, NY @ The Joyce Theater
11/14/2019 — New York, NY @ The Joyce Theater
11/15/2019 — New York, NY @ The Joyce Theater
11/16/2019 — New York, NY @ The Joyce Theater
11/17/2019 — New York, NY @ The Joyce Theater
12/05/2019 — Minneapolis, MN @ Liquid Music X Walker Art Center, McGuire Theater
12/06/2019 — Minneapolis, MN @ Liquid Music X Walker Art Center, McGuire Theater
12/07/2019 — Minneapolis, MN @ Liquid Music X Walker Art Center, McGuire Theater
01/17/2020 — Boston, MA @ ICA Boston
01/18/2020 — Boston, MA @ ICA Boston

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