The Clientele - "Ariadne"

The Clientele, that London trio which showed such class and emotion through mixing psychedelic, pop and folk music published the third and last of a trilogy of EPs for Acuarela on March 2004. "Ariadne" is music inspired by the Ariadne series of paintings by Giorgio De Chirico. De Chirico's "Metaphysical" works began around 1912, with a series of 8 Ariadne paintings in which the artist depicted a reclining statue of the Princess of Greek mythology in an empty, sun-drenched piazza. According to the legend, she was abandoned by her lover, Theseus, on the desert island of Naxos, after he had killed the Minotaur with the aid of her thread, which had helped him to navigate the labyrinth. Focussing on the same symbols of exile and loss, The Clientele echoed the unique mood of disquietude and austerity in De Chirico's Ariadne paintings, with haunting, Satie-influenced piano instrumentals giving way to long organ drones, whining static and John Barry-through-the-looking-glass guitar themes as well as two classic pop songs. Retaining the warmth of their previous recordings, the band reached beyond their roots, into minimalist and classical territory, creating enigmatic abstracts of endless shores, transient crowds and fruitless searches.