It starts with what sounds like an explosion, a whirring noise that evokes a landing spaceship, and some spooky scratching. Then a fast techno beat and repetitive synth loop kicks in, with David Lynch's voice - high-pitched and run through an effects machine that makes him sound like a robot - layered over the top. "So tired," he sings, "send me an angel, save me. I want to have a good day today."
The song Good Day Today is one of two tracks released last week by Lynch, in what appears to be an unexpected career shift away from movies and towards music. Its companion song, I Know, is slower but no less atmospheric, with plaintive, repetitive vocals and a shuffling beat that sounds like slow-motion hip-hop. Both are available on iTunes, via the British independent label Sunday Best Recordings.
The idea of celebrities extending their personal brand from the world of Hollywood to planet Pop is common enough to have become a cliché. While the likes of Russell Crowe, Keanu Reeves and Jared Leto have been in long-running bands that take on a cult status (or, sometimes, the status of a joke) following their rise to fame, others, such as Juliette Lewis, Scarlett Johansson and Zooey Deschanel have turned to making music after becoming household names.
The results can be mixed. While Lewis, with her punk-rock band the Licks; Johansson, with an album of Tom Waits covers; and Zooey Deschanel, who makes up half of alt-country duet She & Him with the revered Oregon songsmith M Ward, are examples of how the transition can be made with style, but not everyone makes the leap as gracefully. Anyone who has heard the album Clint Eastwood Sings Cowboy Favourites, 30 Odd Foot of Grunts' three LPs (with Russell Crowe on the mic) or Kevin Costner's country-rock record Untold Truths might start wishing that the actors involved had stuck to their day jobs.
Let's hope House star Hugh Laurie doesn't embarrass himself in a similar fashion. The comedian, writer and actor is certainly multi-talented: he can play five different instruments and his old buddy Stephen Fry has been praising his singing voice for years. Whether his forthcoming blues album on Warner Bros records will be a blemish on an otherwise spotless career remains to be seen. "I know the history of actors making music is a chequered one," he was reported as saying when the deal was announced, "but I promise no one will get hurt."
The fact that Laurie has written and directed in addition to acting bodes well: he's used to working creatively. While Hollywood actors are often better known for their good looks than their brains, directors are used to experimenting, developing ideas and creating mood.
There aren't too many director-turned-pop stars around, but Miranda July shows it can be done successfully. The multi-award winning writer-director is best known for her feature film You and Me and Everyone We Know, which was a hit at Cannes and Sundance, but she has also released four quirky records (two albums, two EPs) on the prestigious US indie labels K Records and Kill Rock Stars.
Like July, Lynch has better credentials to start making music than most. His movies are known for their meticulous sound design and he has written lyrics, produced and composed music for pop albums since the 1980s and has written music for his own films, including Inland Empire, on which he made his debut as a vocalist.
On the release of these two latest tracks, Lynch assured fans that he wasn't abandoning the world of film completely, although he has built a home studio to experiment in, and described music as a "magical medium" that can "really thrill the soul".
As if to prove his commitment to visuals, he has announced a competition to make promo videos for the two new songs: you can upload your creation at genero.tv between now and December 20, and the winners will be picked on January 3.
"I always say ideas are like fish," he says in a YouTube clip promoting the competition, "so get that line in deep and see what you can come up with."
Lynch gives every impression of a man not trading on his famous name for a vanity project, but expanding his creative output and challenging himself in a fresh arena. His songs may not have you dancing around the living room, but they are poignant and bold, showing us a rarely revealed personal side to an artist best known for terrifying and thrilling his audiences.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
Fight card
Bantamweight
Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) v Rey Nacionales (PHI)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROM) v Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR)
Catch 74kg
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) v Omar Hussein (JOR)
Strawweight (Female)
Weronika Zygmunt (POL) v Seo Ye-dam (KOR)
Featherweight
Kaan Ofli (TUR) v Walid Laidi (ALG)
Lightweight
Leandro Martins (BRA) v Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW)
Welterweight
Ahmad Labban (LEB) v Sofiane Benchohra (ALG)
Bantamweight
Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR)
Lightweight
Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Glen Ranillo (PHI)
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Aidan Aguilera (AUS)
Welterweight
Mounir Lazzez (TUN) Sasha Palatnikov (HKG)
Featherweight title bout
Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR)
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
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