“Cake or Death” in Chicago Post-Punk Act Ganser’s Darkly Absurd Video for “Buio”

Following their recent appearance at their hometown Festival Riot Fest in Chicago’s, no wave/post-punk stalwarts Ganser are back with a new EP called You Must Be New Here, set for release on November 8th, with a video for lead single “Buio.”

The EP is their first release following 2018’s full-length Odd Talk. In addition to working with longtime collaborator Brian Fox, they are now joined in co-production by Mia Clarke, previously of British indie rock outfit Electrelane.

The new EP is both thoughtful and introspective melange of ideas that at first glance seems like if Camus were to have his own Proustian moment, through the experience of our taciturn protagonist Caitlin Ewald, who sits as an outsider at a party with cake and sparkling wine. Amidst the social chaos, where confections are consumed at a rapid pace, our heroine asserts her agency by giving into the absurd compulsion to mash her fingers into the freshly presented cake.

“Sorry, not sorry.” one might project onto her, as she chugs champagne from the bottle, having thoroughly killed the mood of the party.

“I won’t pretend I know anymore. I don’t even know what I like anymore,” Alicia Gaines (bass, vocals) sings on “Buio.” Which is described as an “intuitive song about the relationship between author and audience”.

The vocals are beautifully languid and disaffected, unlaid with frustrated passion in need of an outlet. This is echoed in the mix, where the guitar hooks and whirls seem to represent the noise in a crowded room, while the bass, drums, and intonation of the keys may represent a humming dissociation.

Side Note, anyone remember that Eddie Izzard bit about “Cake or Death”? Given that the song title “Buio” means, dark, perhaps indeed you are better off with cake.

Watch the video below for “Buio” below.

“We keep saying this EP feels like a confectionery,” mentions Nadia Garofalo (keys, vocals), “which can be misunderstood in that a confection is often seen as lacking in nutritional value or substance. However, they can hold significant symbolism, seen as a more precious sustenance, celebratory, comforting or a show of gratitude. We assign moral weight to them and to ourselves for consuming them, ‘I’ve been so bad’ or ‘I shouldn’t.’”

“Consider this our confection we have made for you, presented under glass to please or torment. Either way we’d like you to consume it.” 

“This is the closest we’ll have to fun,” lament the other three members of Ganser.

Pre-Orders for You Must Be New Here (10” vinyl, digital) available at ganserband.com.