With an imagination as manipulative on the psyche as fingers on flesh, Mr. Strange has been inventively cruising the British underground scene for nearly a decade, spreading their uniquely creative devilry. Whether alone or as part of the band they founded, The Shanklin Freak Show, the Isle Of Wight singer/songwriter has spun virulent webs of sound for the glorious weird lying within all of us. The past couple of years though have seen the beginnings of a rebirth, a new protagonist emerging from within Mr. Strange’s creative chrysalis with electronic alchemy in their veins and a new album in “The Bible of Electric Pornography” ready to rouse up ears, emotions, and the freak deep within.
As continually proven the sound and invention flowing from Mr. Strange is eclectic to say the least, and not surprising when looking at influences that they say “The culprits in the inspiration department are; Nine Inch Nails, Lady Gaga, Marilyn Manson, Gary Numan, Dr. Steel, Alice Cooper, Depeche Mode, Die Antwoord, Electric Six, etc….Anything theatrical and weird that I can "escape" into." Certainly within their solo adventures this is a consistently thrilling and engaging puzzle which came to a major peak with the album “Wonderful World Of Weird”', an acclaimed kaleidoscope of sound and imagination released in 2013.
“The Bible of Electric Pornography” is undoubtedly a whole new beast of sound and experimentation for Mr. Strange and one again which stands far away from the crowd without losing the core essence which has always made their music standout. Whether in early work, with The Shanklin Freak Show, or within “Wonderful World Of Weird” there is always the spiral of ingenuity with the specific Mr. Strange creative stamp on it. The new album again shares their particular alternative, industrial, rock infused hallmark but ventures into a world of diverse electro rock devilry.
With tracks such as ‘Deviant Ritual’, ‘Jonathan’, and ‘I Like Girls & Boys’ challenging thoughts whilst igniting body and emotions in their wholly unique ways and individual characters, The Bible of Electric Pornography never allows a moment to go by without testing its own invention and limits, this in turn giving the listener a compelling and exhilarating a tilt-a-whirl of a ride with further incendiary stops in songs such ‘God Hates Me’, ‘Fag’, and the Global Citizen collaborated song ‘D/s’ which also features the band.
“The Bible of Electric Pornography” takes Mr. Strange to new and unexpected places with more exciting and magnetic nooks and crannies than a Shanklin to Ventnor coastal path. It is a new step in the dark emprise of Mr. Strange, one refusing to resist change and new adventures. As ‘The Last Song’ on “The Bible of Electric Pornography” says…
"I know this isn't what you wanted,
You wanted more of the same,
But that's a game I cannot play"
The future for Mr Strange? "The future is electric!"