Song of the Day — July 22
Syntax — Pride
Syntax — Pride
Years ago I was watching Law & Order: Criminal Intent and, if you’re familiar with the Law & Order franchise, you know how the show begins:
The benign intro leads to the crime — in later seasons L&O: CI would use a pop song as the crime is exposed to the viewers — and them in comes the L&O team, a typically inane observation, and finally, the famous Mike Post music rolls over the intro credits.
It was in episode 12 from Season 6, titled “Privilege”, directed by Jean de Segonzac, that as the crime was exposed as this song played as the camera tracked over the blood-splattered NYC apartment leading to the reveal of the body.
This marriage of sound and image created one of the most visceral reactions I’ve had watching film or television.
It would take the better part of the remaining day scouring the internet trying to find that song.
The band is Syntax, an English electronic music group originally formed in 2002 by the musicians Jan Burton (also the band’s vocalist) and Mike Tournier, and the song was “Pride”.
Syntax hopped on the same “trance” train that Zero 7 was riding … although weirdly not to the same degree of success.
Music supervisors in Hollywood ears perked when they heard the song and “Pride” began to make its way into films and television shows. The song has been used in television shows like:
The O.C.
Nip/Tuck (also soundtrack)
Bones
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
The Invisible (Swiss)
Kitchen Confidential
Released in March of 2004, “Pride” is from their first, and only (to date), full-length album, 2004’s Meccano Mind on Illustrious Records. Commercially, the album was a dud and “Pride” wasn’t even released as one of the three singles … except in France, peaking at #20.
The guitar intro of “Pride” creates an open, almost haunting, atmosphere that leads you to believe it could go either go full-on bombastic or just stay mellow.
“Pride” does neither:
Its made up of lonely moments
There was always a moment there when I knew
You always gave installments
Always knew you concentrated and grew
And I believe in reinvention
Do you believe that life is holding the clue
Take away all the lonely moments
Give me full communication with you
And then the beat kicks in … ever so slightly:
Your smile shine a little light, alright
Don’t hide, shine a little light
Give up on your pride
Do you believe in reinvention
Do you believe that life is holding the clue
Any way to face the silence
Any way to face the pain that kills you
Tension builds with the introduction of female background vocals:
Your smile shine a little light, alright
Don’t hide, shine a little light
Give up on your pride
Here the song ratchets up the beat and the tension:
Don’t hide, shine a little light
Give up on your pride
Don’t hide, shine a little light
Give up on your pride
At this point, the tension is still mounting as we’re led into these two repeated verses, seemingly through a vocalizer:
Give up on your pride, the moment’s gone
Give up on your smile, life is long
So I seen a bad dream, that you were gone
I got bitten on the soul, my blood will run
Give up on your pride, the moment’s gone
Give up on your smile, life is long
So I seen I bad dream, you were gone
You’re bitter and cold, my blood will run
Then this verse is repeated until the end as the background vocals wail.
Your smile shine a little light, alright
Don’t hide, shine a little light
Give up on your pride
By definition, “Pride” falls into the “trance music”:
Trance Music is characterized by a tempo lying between 110–150 bpm (Beats Per Minute), repeating melodic phrases, and a musical form that distinctly builds tension and elements throughout a track often culminating in 1 to 2 “peaks” or “drops”
But “Pride” is much more than that.
It is practically a sex act unto itself because of the tension building and releasing mirrors the best lovemaking.
“Pride” is the musical equivalent of that moment of discovery when you’re with a new lover and you’re both in synch sexually. It’s no longer awkward or pawing and animalistic, it’s as close to perfect as possible.
That moment as you look into their eyes and you’ve both somehow transcended the environment, and your partner is framed almost as a vignette. At that moment, there is only two of you.
The song even follows the same arc as making love (not fucking) — the gentle guitar picking intro (kissing, touching), the beat comes in and the tension builds (the foreplay), the sustain (the act), the crescendo (the orgasm), and finally the descent (post-coital).
For my money “Pride” is one of the more sexual songs in music.