I recently found time to watch Luca Guadagnino’s movie A Bigger Splash. As I mention in my review of the movie on Letterboxd, the film conveys the brutal, dramatic electricity that occurs when the general predictability of human interaction and behaviour disintegrates to leave just the id. I found the movie thrilling in the way it feels like things are constantly on the verge of falling apart.
As a piece of music, British artist Jodie Nicholson’s Move simmers with a similar sense brooding intensity. Opening with chords that slowly increase in volume as Nicholson delivers hushed vocals, Move always feels like a track that as much about the spaces between the sound as the sound itself. Much like A Bigger Splash, Move never quite tips over into the sheer chaos it threatens. Despite that, it always manages to feel so much bigger than it actually is. The economy is wonderful - this is a piece of music that has the intensity of techno and disco, yet it never has to break its cover beyond a canter. It doesn’t need to, because the strength and gravity is implied by its gait.
Move was produced remotely during the coronavirus lockdown by Tim Bran, who has also worked with London Grammar, Birdy, Halsey and Aurora. Here he has helped Nicholson create something beautiful and subtle and mesmerising. Describing the song’s creation, Jodie says:
”On the surface, its message is typical of a generic pop song, but as the track evolved in its creation, Move has become a powerful symbol for taking a feeling and running with it. It’s been an organic, impulse-driven song from the get-go and in many ways feels like an awakening. I never thought that my first time working with a producer would be during a global pandemic. Working remotely with Tim was fascinating. As I recorded vocals, he controlled my computer from the other end of the country, and we streamed the audio from both sides so we could listen together in real-time. It was honestly mind-blowing. I feel very grateful for current technology and Tim’s knowledge.”
Check out Move below: