Mercurine

Mera Roberts may already be familiar to listeners drawn to pop’s shadowy undercurrents through her cello work with Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Faith & the Muse, and the Cassandra Complex. After relocating to Los Angeles in 2000, she set out to assemble the project she had long hoped to encounter—one that fused New Order’s drive, the Cure’s inward gaze, and the shadowy intensity of the groups she had previously accompanied. Her search led her to keyboardist and guitarist Byron Brown, whose résumé included stints with Kommunity FK and his own outfit Human Rhythm Composer. The pair had planned to lay down early recordings near September 11, 2001, yet the attacks on the Twin Towers imposed an unforeseen interruption. Turning their attention to the post-apocalyptic visions of forfeited innocence already present in the lyrics, they recovered their momentum and completed the sessions. Their debut EP appeared at the close of 2001, followed by the album Music Is Chemical in March 2003.