Zany, theatrical, and irresistibly over-the-top, Selve’s “Loki Horror Picture Show” is a bold, glittering fever dream – a post-punk spectacle of satire, self-discovery, and shameless joy that blurs the line between delusion and liberation, setting the stage for their genre-defying sophomore album ‘Breaking into Heaven.’
Stream: “Loki Horror Picture Show” – Selve
Selve’s “Loki Horror Picture Show” is a fever dream in neon technicolor – clever, catchy, and deliriously feel-good to the point of glorious combustion.
The Gold Coast-based six-piece light the fuse and let the spectacle unfold: Guitars glow with sprightly passion, the drums pulse with sweet seduction, and the chorus harmonies are utterly intoxicating. It’s camp, it’s new wave, it’s punk, it’s pop, it’s a little bit post-everything – a theatrical joyride that’s as self-aware as it is spectacular.
Well ever since I was
A very little boy
I’ve had delusional dreams
Running through my head
Now whose bright idea was it
High up there
To go on ahead and
Let them all come true
A dazzling blend of satire and sincerity, “Loki Horror Picture Show” dances on the edge of delusion and self-discovery, channeling the euphoria and absurdity of chasing your dreams into a glittering post-punk performance. “With chasing dreams, you can get too attached and lose sight of who you are and what you’re doing, so I think it’s important to put outcomes out of your head to make good art,” Selve’s frontperson (and proud Jabirr Jabirr man) Loki Liddle tells Atwood Magazine.
“But pretend you’re anti success and you’re probably not being honest with yourself – but does self-awareness of being caught in the honey-trap make you not caught in the honey-trap?”
“The answer is no,” Liddle continues “With this song, I’m embracing the whole spectrum of identity – from my deepest most insightful depths to a blatantly superficial side – with total love and putting it all out on display, hopefully giving others permission to do the same. Punk can be radical, but so can absolute unadulterated and shameless joy.”
A seductive, euphoria radiates from every second of this track, which Liddle calls “by far the most fun song” on their upcoming album.
Written in France during a lighter moment while recording their forthcoming album Breaking into Heaven (out September 12th– and notably the first full-length album recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios by an Aboriginal artist), the song pulls from inspirations like DEVO, Talking Heads, Charli XCX, and the Rocky Horror Picture Show, fusing campy cabaret with bold post-punk energy. The lyrics flirt with delirium and grandeur, riffing on the absurdity of dreams that come true: “I’m here at Abbey Road / Like a megalomaniac fool… Next thing I’m running for president of a universe near you.”
You know you’re playing with fire
I’m telling you
I’m here at Abbey Road
Like a megalomaniac fool
Next thing I’m running for president
Of a universe near you
With an army full of spaceships
And a feature film debut singing
I think I might not be alright
I think I might just be alright…
But beneath the glitter lies a thread of tension – a wink and a wince all at once. That duality pulses through the accompanying video, a surreal, Eraserhead-inspired visual metaphor for mental health and identity, co-directed by Liddle and Josh Tate. It’s absurd, it’s stylized, and it leans into discomfort just enough to make the catharsis shine brighter.
“The ‘Loki Horror Picture Show’ music video is an exploration of identity, mental health and the dangers of getting lost in the sauce when chasing your dreams,” Liddle explains. “This version of myself in a dying delusion of grandeur is a hyperbolic representation of the parts of ourselves we are willing to sacrifice and compromise in order to pursue a vision of success. We wanted to underpin the spectacle with a little bit of darkness to make clear that we’re not glorifying it, but investigating its absurdity. The device of the gunshot came from this place – to contrast the lightness of the song and create a sense of unease – however it was important for me to have the gunshot be off-camera, stylised and implied rather than shown in great detail, as depictions of gun violence are something that I know require great sensitivity.”
Well I looked into the mirror
I was sat backstage
Like a cracked actor
In mephistopheles maze
You know i’m feeling kinda weird
Im feeling sorta strange
I feel like Lou Reed
Smoking a big cigarette
On the New York City Bridge
With a bagel or something
Maybe I should jump
Maybe I should fly
Like the sweet Frankfurter
Of this Rocky Horror Picture
Playing rock n roll forever
Till they drag me out of heaven singing
I think I might not be alright
I think I might just be alright…
“Loki Horror Picture Show” is more than a song – it’s a permission slip to be everything at once.
Bombastic and barefaced, theatrical and sincere, it invites us to laugh, to sing, to reckon, and to revel. An undeniable artist-to-watch, Selve aren’t just performing; they’re liberating – they’re throwing open the curtains and letting it all spill out. Stay tuned for the Gold Coast band’s sophomore album Breaking into Heaven, out September 12!
Well I feel like Lou Reed
Smoking a big cigarette
I’m here in Madison Square Garden
With my own fighter jet
Chatting like a brat
To Charli xcx
Bout why the global revolution
Hasn’t happened yet
That one had pizzazz
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Stream: “Loki Horror Picture Show” – Selve
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© James Caswell
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