Renowned for his stint in anarcho-punk Situationists Chumbawamba, Dunstan Bruce has been busy. Several acclaimed films, solo tours, fronting the post-wamba group interrobang?!, Bruce’s restless art-fuelled energy continues to find accessible outlets that reflect on contemporary society.
True enough, but Fucking Expensive is also a dance-punk single (with the b-side Pin Number) that you can buy for over €1000 (and less fucking expensive in a variety of formats). The track itself mixes classical elements with a stomping beat reminiscent of Gary Clail’s rave-pop exploration ‘Human Nature’ (produced by Adrian Sherwood, 1991). Much like that ’90s hit lyrically, Fucking Expensive cuts to the heart of what it is to live in a country containing 4,250 food banks, massive income inequality, speculative capitalism, underinvestment and climate change. That these issues are often bundled under the grim title ‘cost-of-living crisis’ belies the actual anxiety of living, where literally everything is fucking expensive.
Fucking Expensive is a mindset, a declaration of the inherent value of everything in life. From the mundane to the extraordinary, we recognize the priceless worth of existence. It’s not about monetary value; it’s about cherishing every moment, every relationship, and every experience as irreplaceable. Fucking Expensive reminds us that life’s richness lies in the appreciation of its infinite complexities. It’s a philosophy that transcends material possessions, embracing the profound truth that everything and everyone is fucking expensive. (Dunstan Bruce)
For this release, Dunstan collaborated with Oscar-winning producers Tarn Willers and Jimi Ogden, recording the tracks in the Brighton studio of My Life Story frontman Jake Shillingford (who also sings on the record). Dunstan is in strong voice and his pugilistic delivery makes every named thing (Denmark, Cocaine, Plastic, Adrenaline) meaningful and multilayered. The simplicity of the lyrics takes on an assumed depth that many others would struggle to reach. It might easily miss, if the production and performances weren’t so spot-on.
In true Dunstan Bruce form, the sardonic title asks the listener to consider that the struggle of life is also made up of things that are intangible. In the accompanying text it’s suggested that the reduction of things to their material cost often creates boundaries between people and sources of actual worth, such as human relationships. However, one wonders whether, like in Chumbawamba’s hit ‘Tubthumping’ (1997), many listeners will miss the message of solidarity underlying the anthemic chorus.
But perhaps that doesn’t matter. If enough people join to together to stomp and agree that ‘everything is fucking expensive’ it’ll activate a populace hungry for change.
Website
fuckingexpensive.co.uk/fucking-expensive-records
Fucking Expensive is out now on heavy medication
heavymedicationrecords.bandcamp.com/album/fucking-expensive-pin-number
Release information: On July 26th A. “Fucking Expensive” and AA. “PIN Number” was released on all digital platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, Bandcamp and is available to download. The physical release of the single on 7” vinyl (limited edition) is now available at Heavy Medication Records.
Foodbanks:
Study from Bristol University on foodbanks
The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. – Aristotle
