Therefore, Airton S. Nepomuceno (ex-Mallka), Márcio Benevides (ex-The Memphis Mafia), Danyel Fernandes (Silenzio) and Max Bernardo (ex-Dust To Dust/Rebel Rockets) joined to take advantage of the post-punk revival which has been recently followed by many bands. Plastique Noir bet in the somber face of this line, bringing back the gothic rock/darkwave from the 80s and 90s, but always with a contemporary approach which add elements of related styles like death rock, industrial, ethereal, new romantic, punk rock and even electro. His plurality is the basis of the form which involves and give (non)life to the content promoting at the same time a dialogue between the viscerality, marginality and self-destructive hedonism of the (post)punk, with the sofistication and refinement of the academic classic. The peak of the synthetic, cold and phantasmagoric atmosphere is reached by the fifth member: Sister Hurricane, an old drum machine SR-16.
Unique in the style in Fortaleza, the Plastique Noir (black plastic, in french) embraces the name of the bag used to store dead bodies in morgues. The music, gloomy but pleasant to dance, involves bodies and minds carrying them to an intensive experience with their english-written lyrics which evocates the myths and facts of horror, morbidness, melancholia and madness created by the conflict of the infinite passions proper to the human existential labyrinth. Besides, each step the band takes is meticulously planned by its members, from lyrics and melodies to graphical arts and cenography, by using their very diverse professional aptitudes. This goes with their proposal to be a multimedia and artistically self-sufficient band.
Empty Streets
Plastique Noir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Under a blood red sky
Savagery in hallucinated eyes
Wet asphalt reflects a diaphanous shine
Prostitution marginates
The walk of phantoms from the day
On the emptiness of these old ways
(in the shade)
Is Life criminal
When we dream awake?
It's just a madrigal
Dedicated in vain
In the empty streets we don't have name
And móbiles looks hang from the rainy air
Like bats, spiders, flies and rats
We can see clearly in the darkness
(in the darkness)
Is Life criminal
When we dream awake?
It's just a madrigal
Dedicated in vain
On the emptiness of these cold days (4x)
The opening lines of Plastique Noir's song "Empty Streets" set the scene for a nocturnal journey through a bleak and desolate urban landscape. The imagery of "blood red sky" and "wet asphalt reflecting a diaphanous shine" hints at a sense of foreboding and unease. The lines "Savagery in hallucinated eyes" suggest a sense of disorientation and possibly a suggestion of drug use. The theme of prostitution further reinforces the sense of marginalization and desperation that pervades the song's atmosphere.
The chorus of the song poses a question about the nature of life and the relationship between reality and dreams. The lyric "Is Life criminal when we dream awake?" is a complex proposition that hints at the idea that our waking lives may be somehow "criminal" or illegitimate when compared to the vivid world of our dreams. The use of the word "madrigal" further emphasizes the dreamlike quality of the song, as a madrigal is a type of poetic music that originated in the Renaissance, often associated with love and sweet melancholy. Overall, "Empty Streets" presents a haunting and unsettling vision of a world that is both alluring and dangerous.
Line by Line Meaning
Crossing the eternal night
Moving through the never-ending darkness
Under a blood red sky
Beneath a sky that appears red because of the savagery around
Savagery in hallucinated eyes
The craziness in people's eyes as they act brutally
Wet asphalt reflects a diaphanous shine
The glossy look of the pavement due to the rain
Prostitution marginates
The sex industry borders the streets
The walk of phantoms from the day
People who wander aimlessly during the day as if they were ghosts
On the emptiness of these old ways
In the abandoned places of town
Home of survivors in the shade
Where those who managed to last through difficult times take shelter
(in the shade)
Is Life criminal
Are the events in life evil
When we dream awake?
As we fantasize when conscious
It's just a madrigal
It's only a sick and unrealistic hope
Dedicated in vain
It will be an unfulfilled dedication
In the empty streets we don't have name
No one knows our identity in these deserted streets
And móbiles looks hang from the rainy air
Mobile devices are visible in the misty air
Like bats, spiders, flies and rats
Their presence is like that of creatures that lurk in the dark
We can see clearly in the darkness
Despite the darkness, we are aware of everything happening around us
(in the darkness)
On the emptiness of these cold days (4x)
The bleakness and desolation of these winter days
Contributed by Xavier K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.