Belgian artist Corto Colonel is a musical cyberpunk duo who offer their own style of hybrid tip-hop synth pop. Navigating between past, present and future the Brussels-based band channels a hypnotic sound of delicate electronic synths and hushed vocal delivery.
Deriving a name to make the spiritual son of two fathers; Corto Maltese, the poet adventurer of Italian writer Hugo Pratt and Colonel Willis Corto, the enigmatic Armitage in Neuromancer, the first cyberpunk novel by the American-Canadian author William Gibson, their music draws on history and is steeped in events of the past.
With their debut release, they brings us the single “Sea Slave”, a mesmerising track that recounts a tale of Man fighting to recover his freedom. Dropped on the 2nd of December 2021, the fitting release date marks the international day for the abolition of slavery according to the United Nations calendar.
Inspired by Mauki, a character from Jack London’s South Sea Tales, who is stolen from his homeland and forced into slavery, Corto Colonel deliver an emotive tribute to his resilience and lust for freedom in a song that’s both haunting and stunningly crafted.
On the single they share, “One may think that slavery is a tale from the past. Writing this song opened our eyes on the multiple faces of modern slavery. This song is a reminder that freedom is a jewel we need to preserve for us and for others.”
Listen to Sea Salve below
More from Music
Frannie B drops new single “Echo”
Based in Oxford, Frannie B has been making an impact in the UK music scene with a pop-focused sound that …
Brand new single from Nick Norton-Smith
London-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Nick Norton-Smith has built a decorated career across an unusually diverse musical landscape, moving between film, …
New full-length record from Divergent
While some musical ambitions take a little longer to find their moment, the journey for Iowa-based trio Divergent has been …
