I’ve heard a myriad of commentary about Matt Reeve’s The Batman since it was released last month: far too long; stunning cinematography (big ups to Aussie Greig Fraser); Pattinson too sad boy; littered with plot holes; outrageously dope action sequences; was that really Colin Farrell as The Penguin?
And circulating heavily – how about that soundtrack? While I wasn’t a huge fan of Nirvana’s ‘Something In The Way’ inclusion, there was one piece of music that really caught my ear–a track you may well have missed…
‘Troop’ by South Korea’s Peggy Gou rears its head as the gorgeous Selina Kyle AKA Catwoman AKA Zoë Kravitz winds her way through the crowd at 44 Below. For those who aren’t aware, 44 Below is a club within a club–a restricted part of The Penguin’s Iceberg Lounge where Gotham’s elite go to take Drops (think ecstasy taken via the eyes).
As soon as I heard those looped bell tones and heaven-sent synths, a spark plug went off in my mind. The record was right there on the tip of my tongue–so much so I leaned over in the cinema and whispered into my mate’s ear.
Appropriately named, ‘Troop’ really does sound like a hoard of space-age soldiers prepping for battle. You know those scenes where infantry are checking the chambers of their weapons and straightening each other’s kevlar.
The shimmering piece of techno fits the club sequence to a tee. It’s deep and hypnotic–amplifying the desired feeling of exclusivity. I felt lucky in my seat at Randwick’s The Ritz. Lucky to have been granted access to a venue that only a handful of privileged folk get to experience. And strangely, I feel like Gou’s tune had a whole lot to do with it.
Released way back in 2015 thanks to Matt Edward’s UK label Rekids, it is fantastic to see one of P.G’s lesser-known singles get some Hollywood airtime. Serendipitously, Peggy has just landed in Australia where she’ll play sets in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne.
Here’s hoping she mixes in this gold nugget. Stream plus links to shows below.