Noir and Synthwave Collide on Terouz’s ‘Burn’

Originally the frontman and manager of the award winning folk/rock quintet ‘The Rising Few,’ Terouz has reinvented himself on this latest project, combining 80s synthesizers and percussion with film noir-inspired, operatic alternative-rock vocals a-la David Bowie into what has already been deemed “one of the best tracks of the year' by California’s Rawckus Magazine.

Inspired by a place of despair and anger following the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack, the original version of ‘Burn’ was much darker and more intense, though after a push from Terouz’s girlfriend at the time ‘Burn’ shifted into its current, more sensual iteration, ditching the political subject matter in favor of deeper beats and a stronger emphasis on catchier lyricism.

“I was going nowhere with my politically correct lyrics and I did at that time start to flirt with the idea of switching up my sound from brassy folk/rock quintet to a dancier electro groove" Terouz told SceneNoise, "so I started giving in to her idea and remembered her passionate rant and seductive body language while basically telling me that I was depressing as fuck. Love it is, baby!” 

Originally performed acoustically at Kensington Sound in Toronto last year, the studio version of Terouz’s ‘Burn’ bring’s the track to new highs with a surprising energetic push. Produced alongside Gabriel Ethier (who also mixed and mastered the project) in Montreal, the instrumental for ‘Burn’ is impeccably mixed, with rumbling 80s bass synthesizers and Mark Knophler-inspired guitar licks coming through with surprising clarity. Terouz’s vocals —  recorded by Glen Robinson — are by far the centerpiece of the project as he tells the story of two distant lovers fighting to keep the fire of their passion alive.

‘’Babe you can call on me...even if we’re distant apart’’ 

- ‘Burn’, Terouz

The artwork for ‘Burn’, illustrated by Terouz himself, visually shows this fiery love story and is the latest in a series of paintings based upon the story of the song, detailing their journey from start to climax. A seasoned illustrator, Terouz uses images to help write his songs, allowing the visuals to dictate the lyrics and direction of the song in an “exercise that lets [Terouz] break out of any writer's block.”

These paintings are set to appear alongside the music video for ‘Burn’ and Terouz’s upcoming debut EP, slated for release in early 2021.