Recent work as a film composer includes a score for Ntshavheni wa Luruli’s film Elelwani (currently nominated for Best Music Score in an African Film 2013), a collaborative score with Sub Pop’s Spoek Mathambo for Black South-Easter (premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2013 https://twitter.com/tendeka/status/332541638465421313/photo/1 ) and a score for the BBC feature film Challenger starring William Hurt.
https://soundcloud.com/chris-letcher
Chris is a member of Bow Arts Co-op.Letcher played with Urban Creep, one of South Africa's biggest bands during the late 90's before going solo. Frieze, his 2007 album made it into best albums of the last decade in the Sunday Times and the Mail & Guardian. The film Chris Letcher scored, My Black Little Heart, made one of the top films of 2009 the South African Sunday Independent. Letcher is currently scoring director Claire Angelique's follow up film, Place of Bone.Chris has just finished the score for an adaptation of DH Lawrence Women in Love for the BBC. Chris recently working with Dave Matthews and Xavier Rudd on a track for Vusi Mahlasela's album. He is also currently studying towards completion of his Doctorate in Music Composition at the Royal College of Music in London
Link to Chris live session on Manchester TV:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02YxR5xcSH8
Link to Chris live session on Balcony TV:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__FeSP60Etk
Architect
Chris Letcher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Elevator, you've got a little voice.
'Going up,' it said, 'going up,' and 'going down.'
That's all it said.
I know it's no way
No way to treat a friend.
But those things you said,
Those things were all true.
He falls asleep with a slide trombone.
It's true.
Then I watched the snowflakes melting in your hair
But that winter's gone.
I know it's no
No way to treat a guest.
But those things, those things were all true.
Now the architect sleeps alone.
He can build a building with a microphone.
Is that true?
You know it felt like sleeping
Like sleeping with the incredible Hulk
Oh please don't wake him up
He'll fall into the most terrible sulk
The lyrics of Chris Letcher's "Architect" are rich with imagery and metaphor. At the heart of the song is a sense of betrayal and disillusionment, as the singer realizes that the person they trusted has let them down. The opening lines, "Your sex hex won't even work on me now," suggest that the singer has seen through the other person's attempts to manipulate and control them. The elevator serves as a symbol of both movement and stasis, with its repetitive refrain of "going up" and "going down." This is contrasted with the Architect, who has lost their sense of home and stability, falling asleep with a slide trombone.
The second verse continues in a similar vein, with the singer reflecting on their own feelings of guilt and complicity. They acknowledge that the way they've been treated is not acceptable, but they also recognize that the other person's accusations were true. The repetition of "those things were all true" emphasizes the weight of this realization. The final lines, "You know it felt like sleeping / Like sleeping with the incredible Hulk / Oh please don't wake him up / He'll fall into the most terrible sulk," suggest that even though the singer has been hurt, they still feel a sense of tenderness and protectiveness towards the other person. However, they also recognize the potential for anger and violence if the other person is pushed too far.
Overall, the song is a complex and nuanced exploration of the dynamics of power and vulnerability in relationships. It's both bleak and hopeful, acknowledging the pain of betrayal while also finding moments of beauty and connection amidst the chaos.
Line by Line Meaning
Your sex hex won't even work on me now.
Your attempts to control or manipulate me through sexuality are no longer effective.
Elevator, you've got a little voice.
The elevator's automated voice is small and insignificant, suggesting a lack of power and control.
'Going up,' it said, 'going up,' and 'going down.'
The elevator's limited range of announcements are repetitive and mundane, further emphasizing its lack of significance.
That's all it said.
The elevator's communication is limited and unremarkable.
I know it's no way
No way to treat a friend.
The artist acknowledges that their behavior towards a friend (presumably mistreatment) is not acceptable.
But those things you said,
Those things were all true.
The singer admits that hurtful comments made by their friend were actually accurate.
Now the architect's got no home.
He falls asleep with a slide trombone.
It's true.
The architect (perhaps a metaphor for the singer themselves) is without a literal or figurative home, and finds solace in music.
Then I watched the snowflakes melting in your hair
But that winter's gone.
The artist recalls a past winter spent with someone else, but acknowledges that it has since ended.
I know it's no
No way to treat a guest.
The artist recognizes that their actions towards a guest (again, presumably mistreatment) were wrong.
But those things, those things were all true.
Similar to before, the artist is forced to confront the truth in hurtful words.
Now the architect sleeps alone.
He can build a building with a microphone.
Is that true?
The architect (the singer) is still alone, but has the power to create something meaningful through music and art.
You know it felt like sleeping
Like sleeping with the incredible Hulk
Oh please don't wake him up
He'll fall into the most terrible sulk
Sleeping with the artist is compared to sleeping with the Hulk, who is prone to destructive anger fits if woken up. The artist asks to be left alone, likely to avoid such anger.
Contributed by Lucy N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.