Desire Machines Make An Unexpected Meeting Of Poetry And Pop Culture
What connects an American modernist poet to stolen extraterrestrial gin and a visit to Andy Warhol’s New York? In Desire Machines’ “Searching for the Soul of Marianne Moore”, the answer is left open.
Marianne Moore is the starting point for a song that borrows from several cultural worlds without settling into any one of them. The lyrics move from science-fiction settings to the art scene of 1974, eventually introducing a giant eagle with laser vision. Moore herself remains the elusive figure at the centre of the search.
This is not a biographical portrait of the poet. Instead, her name sits alongside recognisable pop-cultural imagery and fantastical inventions. The effect is closer to a surreal collage, where the relationship between two images can be as interesting as either image on its own.
The musical setting reinforces that freedom. Desire Machines combine guitar-based art-rock with electronic elements, allowing the song to move between familiar pop conventions and more unusual territory.
There is a playful idea at work here: a name associated with literature can become part of an entirely different artistic conversation. By placing Moore in this setting, Desire Machines open up a space for listeners to make their own connections, without turning the song into a lesson in literary history.
Courtesy of Now Listen, “Searching for the Soul of Marianne Moore” is available digitally now and appears on the Super8Singles Club double A-side 7-inch alongside the song “Astronauts”, which will be released digitally on November 2nd.
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