Unleashed back in January, Propaganda saw Warbly Jets addressing deep questions of human connection to each other and to our decreasingly humane world head-on. At just ten minutes, the EP’s three songs feel aptly jumbled, intercutting the LA band’s genre-defiant rock with audio samples meant to drive home some of the project’s major themes.
Honing in on our country’s unshakable history of gun violence, “Cool Kill Machine” sounds more derivative of experimental hip-hop, seemingly tapping Yves Tumor’s “Noid” for the contrast of upbeat music samples juxtaposed with sirens and bone-chilling spoken-word clips. “Whether it’s product worship, self-glorification, or guns, there are many facets to the demise of our current culture,” frontman Samuel Shea notes. “These topics have been recognized by many, yet most do nothing to change their lifestyle and are content to live on in ignorance.”
Today the band is sharing a provocative video for the track which sees them worshipping a device that doubles as a boombox and a bomb, pacing around a quarantined area in radiation suits to the beat of flashing blood-red strobes. “We wanted to create a music video that inspired a sense of urgency to these problems,” keyboardist Julien O’Neill adds. “This is a call to action to do your part in changing the world in a positive way. Don’t let your ignorance be the death of you.”
“This video is a tribute to The Residents’ Third Reich ’n Roll,” clarifies Shea of the surreal imagery, “and serves as a portrayal of herd mentality and its effect on the rapidly declining western world.”
Propaganda is out now on Rebel Union Recordings. You can order it here.
