Arriving after an extended hiatus, the original line-up of Paul “Bee” Hampshire and Barry Jepson, are back together and very pleased to present a new glimpse of their first new material for some 34 years.
Originally penned in the mid-80s and long before the dawn of the internet, “Mercenaries” finds the literate London band return with a track that emphasises that old adage that the pen is always mightier than the sword.
As Into A Circle say:
“”Mercenaries” is about the power of the word and how books can shape a person, and their ideals, in both constructive ways and destructive ways.”
With themes of literature, philosophy and religion often visited throughout the band’s oeuvre, “Mercenaries” marks a welcome return to true Into A Circle territory. As personal as it is evocatively potent, the single finds Bee unearthing memories of his childhood at a faith school and reflecting on how those experiences would ultimately influence his rebellious later years.
As Bee says “As a young child, I attended a very religious school where each kid was given a personal bible. In the beginning, was the word! In my mid-teens, I put down the bible and picked up books by Brion Gysin and William Burroughs, whose mission was to cut up, rub out the word, lift the veil and explore the power and message behind the word.”
INTO A CIRCLE – “MERCENARIES” – OUT NOW
With Into A Circle earning a reputation for their visual innovations during the latter years of their 80s period, the release of “Mercenaries” is fittingly accompanied with a striking official video. Directed by Mark Jordan (a longtime friend of the band), the video holds a candle to revolutionary writers such as William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin, while also paying homage to Throbbing Gristle trailblazer Genesis Breyer P-Orridge; all of whom have played a pivotal influence on Into A Circle.
As Bee says of the video:
“Burroughs and Gysin showed me that there were different doors to perceive and grasp alternative interpretations but Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, and the people around them, like Peter Christopherson and David Tibet, took me through those doors. The photograph of Robert De Grimston appears because the writings of the Process Church still thrill and confound me as much as the writings in the Old Testament do.”
With a *special guest* appearance at Tomorrow’s Ghosts Festival 2022 already confirmed for 29th October, new single “Mercenaries” is a tantalising preview of much more to come from Into A Circle’s long overdue reunion. Standby for further news from Into A Circle very soon.