HUMANIST joined by Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan for stirring new single “Shock Collar”

Humanist, the expansive and ambitious project orchestrated by guitarist and producer Rob Marshall, is announced today alongside the album’s new single “Shock Collar”, featuring iconic Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan. The self-titled debut album will be released via Ignition Records on Feb 21st. Pre-order the album on CD / LP / digital HERE.

Masterfully conducted by Rob Marshall (guitarist of Exit Calm and co-writer of Mark Lanegan’s celebrated “Gargoyle” and “Somebody’s Knocking” albums) who wrote, played and produced all the music here, Humanist is a swirling Niagara of fuzzed-out industrial melody and noise, that has attracted an all-star cast of collaborators including Mark Lanegan (Queens Of The Stone Age), Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode), Mark Gardener (Ride), Carl Hancock Rux (David Holmes, Portishead), John Robb (The Membranes), Joel Cadbury (UNKLE), Ilse Maria, Ron Sexsmith and Jim Jones (The Jim Jones Revue, Thee Hypnotics).

New single “Shock Collar” featuring Dave Gahan offers a stirring insight into the world that Humanist soundtracks, and its accompanying video is a dizzying, emotive and luminous visual gateway into the song. Filmed in New York, directed by Derrick Belcham (Brian Eno) and designed by Tracey Maurice (Arcade Fire), the video explores the psychology of a heartbroken and regretful figure and the dual symbol of the halo / shock collar as a guide. Gahan comments; “It was a pleasure to be asked to be a part of Rob’s ‘Humanist’ project. Mark Lanegan asked me, and I liked the idea immediately… It’s a beast! I went for the vocal, with the visual of driving fast on an empty highway… We shot the video over a couple of days in New York, and it all came together”.

Rob Marshall continues; “I’d been writing a lot of music at the time for the record, and I was really getting back into big guitar tracks again, and I had a song (which would eventually become ‘Shock Collar) that I felt could be a great single. It was something special when Dave said he would sing this. He’s achieved so much over the years, an incredible front man, with such a soaring voice and presence, but with no trademark tone of celebrity or ego whatsoever. Very humble, gentle and giving. When we shot the video, he worked extremely hard on the day, performing each take with total gusto and energy, which didn’t let up throughout his performances.”