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Video Premiere: "Cape of Good Hope" by The City Gates

The City Gates 2
23 April 2020

The City Gates – Photo Credit: Renee Coutlee

Back in November 2019, we premiered a video of the dreamy and dynamic, and socio-politically relevant, song “Checkpoint Charlie” from the Montreal-located post-punk/shoegaze band The City Gates.

That track appeared on the band’s most recent album, Forever Orbiter (premiere), which was released in April 2018 via the Canadian post-punk/shoegaze label Northern Light Records (Black Ferns, Rev Rev Rev, Leathers) to great critical and fan acclaim.

The world has going through an even darker time since then, and The City Gates are now releasing another video for a timely song; in this instance, the captivating “Cape of Good Hope,” which speaks to life’s challenges and survival.

“Cape of Good Hope” was released in March 2019 as a first single from The City Gates’ next album. It has been released on the Northern Noise Vol. 1 compilation via Velouria Recordz, a DIY record label/booking company founded by The City Gates’ members Maxime Wingender and François Marsan.

The song also features on Zeitgeist vol. 10 compilation, released on Cold Transmission.

“Cape of Good Hope” is a post-punk track that swirls with reverberating and ascending guitar chime, a tugging bass line, a strictly hit drum beat, and longing vocals. The video, which was produced by Francis Nothingwater from the Montreal coldwave/post-punk band La Mécanique (Cold Transmission), is immersed in vintage footage of the unhealthy proletarian and consumerism misery of the ’70s and ’80s (and that continues to this day in various guises).

The band reveal, ““Cape of Good Hope” turns out to be a great fit to deal with this crazy COVID-19-era situation. Indeed, it talks about resilience, striving, hope, and the underside of the capitalism system. It’s a reminder of the dark post-industrial era of the 20th century. It is about resilience and the false hope of capitalism. As if capitalism might have finally reached a wall!”

Lyrics:

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE

Out of the cold
Out of the pouring rain
Seeking refuge Seeking shelter for our kin
Into the warmth
Into the blissful heat
Bless the comfort
Bless these walls we’re in

Get in the light
Get in the open space
Smell the dead crumbs
Seek out for the bread
Hope is a lie
Hope is another breath
Forever stealing hunger from the Man

Together we’ll strike
We’re mice over men
For we are resilient
Together we’ll strive
Forever underhand
Cause we are resilient.

The City Gates is now working on their third full-length forthcoming album due this year, and it will release a string of new singles in the coming months. One number will be in German, a collaboration made possible by Alexander Leonard Donat, founder of Blackjack Illuminist Records, and post-punk bands Whole and Vlimmer. Other songs will feature drum machines beats from La Mécanique. The City Gates also have plans to offer a live streaming show really soon, so stay tuned.

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