Northern Irish artist Nick Carlisle shares new Spiralling video for new album Sailors On The Roiling Sea

After several years focused on collaboration, Carlisle has stepped out on his own recently, releasing a soundtrack to the enduringly influential cult 1922 film Häxan, which compiled highlights from a commissioned score he performed in Belfast, and at a later sold-out show at the Barbican in London.

His debut solo album of songs ‘Bloody Saturnalia’ followed soon after, exhibiting contemplative art rock and finely executed synth pop reminiscent of Japan, Prefab Sprout and XTC. Across nine tracks, Carlisle obliquely addressed our sinister contemporary slide towards political populism as well as other heavy themes, including climate change and the death of his father.

Now Carlisle presents another solo outing, titled ‘Sailors On The Roiling Sea’. Described as a work of ‘scintillating art rock, DIY pop & vintage electronics exploring AI, climate change, health anxiety & divisive contemporary discourse’, it’s just as rich and profuse with originality and fervency; an impactful nine-track collection that turns its gaze towards the looming spectres of AI and one of Carlisle’s abiding themes, climate change. It also features contributions from an illustrious crew of current and past collaborators including Julian Tardo (part of the highly recommended Insides & Earwig), Foz Foster (The Monochrome Set), Marcus Hamblett (Bears Den, Rozi Plain, This Is The Kit) & more.

Ahead of the album’s release later this month, he’s already revealed the first single ‘AI Trash’ – a dazzling shot of rollicking post-punk and glam rock in the vein of early Roxy Music – and now presents a more introspective second single with ‘Spiralling’, accompanied by a video shot by the photographer, musician & one of his regular collaborator’s Aubrey Simpson, who also plays on the album. It’s a beautifully elegiac song, with a visual that resembles a modern take on some lost video you might have caught on Top of the Pops in the mid-70s, all blue-green hues and fisheye lens filters.

Check Nick’s words about the song below, give it a watch, and keep an eye out for his album at the end of the month, an essential listen for fans of Sparks, Robyn Hitchcock and Metronomy. The wonderfully Super-8 stylized video for ‘AI Trash‘ is included below too.

‘Sailors On The Roiling Sea’ is out on the 22nd November via The Colour Inverted Records, available on Cassette, CD + digitally HERE.

An online listening party is scheduled for the 20th November, RSVP via the link above.

Photos by Aubrey Simpson.