Ren

[TheFallen]

It's been a long while since I've posted on KW... and who knows? It may be a long while until I post again. However...

I find myself simply having to share this singer/songwriter with you. He's called Ren. Here is a link to one of the most original and most moving tracks I have heard in as long as I can remember - and as such, I cannot urge you strongly enough to give it a listen/watch all the way through. The brief end monologue moves me to tears:-

Ren - Hi Ren

I won't give you too much of Ren's backstory, save to say that he's Welsh, in his early 30s and creates, produces and releases all his music and accompanying videos himself. He struggled with massive physical and mental health problems for well over a decade, with constant misdiagnosis from the medical profession until eventually, he got a confirmed diagnosis of having had Lyme disease for all those years. Not a huge amount can be done to reverse the hugely detrimental effects of having had that for so long, but at least he's now got a chance of managing it.

I'm pretty sure this is new news, but having just done a site search, I see peter mentioned Ren and this video once in the middle of a post 10 months ago in the vast "What Do You Think Today?" thread, so it probably got missed. Pete, you described him as being "some of the real young independent talent in this country"... hats off. You could not be more right.

I thought I'd post this here for two reasons. A) because the KW audience tends at least in part to be broader-minded and actually B) because (to my mind anyways) this particular track/video also has a stark relevance to the final denouement of TCOTC.

More on a Jungian individuation take on the Chrons here... if anyone's got the stomach for it.

[Menolly]

I love Hi Ren and even Animal Flow, although most of his other work doesn’t quite jive with me. Suicide is a worthy listen as well.

I enjoyed following his push to get his independently released album to debut at #1, beating out both Rick Astley and The Rolling Stones. He really is a fresh face in today’s music scene.

[TheFallen]

Good for you, Menolly. I agree wholeheartedly... he's incredibly original (and unclassifiable) plus soul-baringly honest - and as you say, getting a #1 slot for his second album with literally zero backing from any label is a staggering achievement.

I don't know Animal Flow, but will make a point of checking it out, Suicide is definitely worth a listen, as is the Money Game trilogy, The Tale of Jenny & Screech, Violet's Tale and also Sick Boi (the track, rather than the album).

It's been so long since I was here that I can't remember your nationality? I did wonder whether Ren's output would strike much of a chord with a transatlantic audience, since to me it does have a very gritty urban British vibe...

[Menolly]

I don't know Animal Flow, but will make a point of checking it out, Suicide is definitely worth a listen, as is the Money Game trilogy, The Tale of Jenny & Screech, Violet's Tale and also Sick Boi (the track, rather than the album).

Animal Flow is more about the costuming and scenery of the video for me, although for the style I find it somewhat catchy. When watching the video, keep Orwell’s Animal Farm, especially in regards to the characters throughout the video and things such as quotes on the wall and Kubrick’s interpretation of A Clockwork Orange, especially regarding Ren’s costuming, in mind.

Yes! The entire three song suite of The Tale of Jenny and Screech and Violet’s Tale is a must listen/watch all in one go. Again, not my typical style and way too dark for me to listen to repetitively, but it should be experienced at least once.

It's been so long since I was here that I can't remember your nationality? I did wonder whether Ren's output would strike much of a chord with a transatlantic audience, since to me it does have a very gritty urban British vibe...

I’m in the Greater Seattle, WA, USA area. And yes, thanks to YouTube reactors, including many from the US, Hi Ren as well as quite a few of Ren’s other videos has made quite the stir here.