CHIFFON MAGNIFIQUE "MARIONETTE" Single Launch

Brisbane’s Chiffon Magnifique celebrates the release of the new single and music video “Marionette” with a special performance at Mirrorball Ministries, West End, on Saturday 22 August.

The post-punk/coldwave project of Brisbane artist Jed A. Walters, Chiffon Magnifique has evolved from a solo studio project into a serpentine five-piece live band. What dawned with the debut album Anxietika (2024) has transformed on stage into a live beast of live drums, bass, saxophone, guitar and layered analogue synths, drawing inspiration from post-punk, goth rock, coldwave and minimal wave to create a darkly theatrical live experience.

Marking a new chapter, “Marionette” pushes Chiffon Magnifique further into experimental territory. This 808-driven synth jaunt, peppered with detuned guitar, growling saxophone and toy piano, is an ode to a sensual and playful world of kink and roleplay. This fresh material is bookended alongside reimagined songs from Anxietika, embracing grittier textures, extended improvisation and monochromatic bleakness infused with heartfelt new wave passion.

The evening will also celebrate the premiere of the “Marionette” music video. Co-conceived and directed by Jed A. Walters and local multidisciplinary artist Erik Oddly, the film marks Jed’s first exploration into miniature filmmaking and silent cinema aesthetics. Starring burlesque performer Red Devotchkin as a marionette dancer inspired by Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, the surreal visual follows her hypnotic performance before an audience of eager suited men and an equally animated conductor (all played by Jed).

Supporting the launch at Mirrorball are two of Jed’s favourite local live acts.

JERM combine industrial, gothic and electronic influences into immersive soundscapes driven by powerful vocals, inventive beats and rich atmospheric production. Stephanie Ganfield, armed with a keytar fed through the grittiest analog textures, fronts the live 4-piece with both warmth and ferocity. Returning to the stage after some time away, JERM have already built a reputation for their commanding live performances and captivating sonic world.

Opening the evening is Gabrielle Kerr, the self-proclaimed “Bat Prince of Folk.” Hailing from Kabi Kabi Country, Gabrielle crafts haunting songs that weave together folk, rock, Celtic and blues influences. Her poetic storytelling explores mythology, femininity, life, death and everything in between, delivered with a voice that is both delicate and fiercely compelling.

Join us for an evening of post-punk, darkwave, industrial soundscapes and gothic folk as three distinctive artists celebrate the strange, the beautiful and the beautifully strange.