Belle Scar - Atoms

Captivating, glamorous and bold, Belle Scar is a distinctive singer-songwriter, producer and artistic director originally from Montreal but now based in London. Described by the New York Times as "a creature from another dimension, she's phenomenal," her dramatic, cinematic music is at times redolent of a Tim Burton film score and at others of a mash-up between Nick Cave, Björk and Portishead. "I wrote 'Atoms' after my son was born, the aftermath of cancer in the family, life in the pandemic as well as acknowledging and accepting my continuing cognitive challenges," explains Scar. "These songs are about my identity and trying to navigate the cycles of life, as well as my fascination with and awe of the universe, space and time in all it's mysterious ways." Lockdown had afforded Scar the time to further develop her new material at home, while also reconnecting with her classical roots and reabsorbing music ranging from Erik Satie and Claude Debussy to The Velvets and The Doors, and from Nick Drake and Leonard Cohen to her beloved Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday. Adoring the magic inherent in film scores by composers such as Ennio Morricone, Danny Elfman and Philip Glass, she gravitated towards grander instrumentation and more complex arrangements for her new songs. Writing the music, lyrics and vocal arrangements, with Marc O adding orchestration and production, the duo have created a mesmerising album about finding meaning in life's beauty and darkness while navigating a path towards it's unknowable future