THE BLUE HOUR's latest release, Lore is a journey through struggle, transcendence and love. Dreamlike, each song tells a true story imbued with nature and fantastic worlds.
“Wheel and Web” is a respite from struggle, exploring and glorifying the elements, if only for a moment. Each song is a tale in itself, hence the album name, Lore.
Lore is also inescapably a product of the pandemic. When the world closed, it gave Marselle and Brian a moment to stop and reflect and re-envision their music in a way that had been impossible before.
The result is a refined production and story arc. Inspired by early 4AD acts like This Mortal Coil, Dead Can Dance, and others, THE BLUE HOUR believes that beauty is radical—beauty is as essential to revolution as revolt.
THE BLUE HOUR is a Seattle-based duo that blends elements of ethereal, electronic, and neoclassical to create a haunting dreampop-noir that is reminiscent of early 4AD artists while retaining a vision that is unique to Marselle and Brian Hodges. Marselle’s ethereal yet soulful vocal delivery often draws comparison to “lost studio sessions by ambient music’s first lady, Kate Bush, slowed down and blissed out … the result is nothing less than a future classic of the dream-pop canon." - Dancing About Architecture. Meanwhile, Brian’s songwriting and production, which focuses on finding that rare balance between the melancholy and the sublime, is frequently likened to This Mortal Coil and Dead Can Dance.
THE BLUE HOUR’s albums are a journey, inviting listeners to join them in dreamscapes. “THE BLUE HOUR are arch-dream weavers whose almost narcotic backdrops are the perfect structure to hang such rich and emotive vocals." -Dancing About Architecture.
THE BLUE HOUR’s latest release, “Lore,” offers 12 tracks of darkly resplendent dreampop. “Lore” features contributions from Barry Galvin (Mephisto Walz/Christian Death), John Fryer (This Mortal Coil, NiN, Depeche Mode), Pieter Nooten (ex-Clan of Xymox), Mark Gemini Thwaite(Peter Murphy, the Mission), and Wade Alin (Christ Analogue).
Founded in 1993, THE BLUE HOUR’s roots reach back to the early days of goth and new wave. Marselle and Brian met each other during Seattle’s new wave explosion in the 1980s, where they were part of a tribe of youth sleeping in abandoned buildings and dancing the nights away in clubs, discovering worlds of texture and rhythm and beautiful discord ... and most of all, magic.
Prior to forming THE BLUE HOUR, Brian was the keyboardist for the cult goth-rock band, Black Atmosphere—a band formed by Xstoph Gladis (a former guitarist for Christian Death). Black Atmosphere was featured on several compilations from Cleopatra Records and shared the stage with luminaries, including Christian Death, Sex Gang Children, Clan of Xymox, the Church, Switchblade Symphony, and Gitane Demone.
Before joining THE BLUE HOUR, Marselle was the lead vocalist for the dark metal band Crypt Orchid and, over the years, has provided guest vocals for several electronic dance and industrial projects, including the track “I Am God” for John Fryer’s Black Needle Noise and backup vocal’s for Chris Connelly’s track “Dark Skies.” Marselle recently completed an album of downtempo ambient music with Pieter Nooten of 4AD/Clan of Xymox fame, which was released on May 7, 2021.