Stylishly orchestral; heavy on piano and violin, Tiss Vampiric’s Beautiful Freak was born a stately affair. Then arrives the theatrical deliciously unhinged vocals.

Part cabaret, part torch singer, part Marc and the Mambas mad gothic, those vocals and lyrics keep you awake.

The theme of the song has a doomed, dark love about it, and the voice aches with loss and regret. The image here is beautiful and simultaniously damaged.

I’m reminded of a phrase that used to abound during those heady 80’s nights – “if you need to wallow, wallow deep”.

What’s in a name? Tiss is seasoned Leeds/London/Paris chanteur Louie Tissiman, previously drummer of Honey Arcade, then of lock-down solo project Genie Genie before a reinvention and pupation into his current lepidoptera musical form.

The Vampiric speaks for itself.

Tiss Vampiric live are a true force of nature. Known for their theatrical wild dark performances, they put the vamp into vampiric, glam, goth and style. No surprise then that the first Tiss Vampiric released track in a couple of years, Beautiful Freak, is deliciously florid, flamboyant and dramatic.

Live Tiss Vampiric are five, but this record is Tiss alone (only female backing vocals and violin came from other hands and lips).

There aren’t many artists around who seamlessly turn their performance into art, theatre and spectacle. Catch this one now.

* words by tiggerligger
* images from Tiss Vampiric socials