AONN is not just your average musical duo. It is a dynamic collaboration that brings together the immense talents of Colton Jackson, an experienced American composer and sound designer, and Tobia Bartsch, a skilled composer and music producer hailing from Cologne, Germany.
What sets AONN apart is their deep-rooted passion for creating music that transcends boundaries. With over a decade of combined experience in crafting captivating soundtracks for film, television, and advertising, they have honed their skills to perfection. Their journey began in 2018 when fate brought Colton and Tobia together. Since then, they have been on an exhilarating musical adventure, pushing the limits of their creativity and exploring new horizons. Their shared vision and boundless imagination have resulted in a truly unique sound that can only be described as an extension and expansion of the cinematic soundscapes they’ve worked on, only now with a much more introspective and personal edge.
Starting writing in December 2022, AONN has gained attention with their captivating debut album, “Took Everything.” In February of 2023, AONN met Naomi August, a producer and singer/songwriter. After a few phone calls and sharing some tracks, they decided to collaborate on the single “Strangers”, inspired by the idea that “Sometimes your friends can feel like Strangers, almost as if you never knew them at all”.
Recognizing the power of “Strangers”, AONN enlisted the talents of director Daniel Lawrence Wilson, with whom they made a visual pairing to the staggering sounds AONN and Naomi August had alchemized.
“The goal for the video was to take this pop song and turn it on its head while staying true to my style. When I first heard the track, it instantly gave me visions of a group of teenagers running around with some type of dark secret inspired by Naomi’s lyrics. I wanted it to feel like a cliché music video at first glance but viewers are rewarded as it unfolds.”
– Daniel Lawrence Wilson
“Strangers” is a cinematic synth-pop song that touches on themes of emotional detachment, self-medication, and feelings of disconnection from friends. The lyrics suggest a longing for connection and the difficulty in finding solace in a world that feels damaged. The line “I’ve been popping pills and chillin’ until / I’m in the deep end” implies a desire to escape reality and numb oneself from emotional pain. The chorus emphasizes the feeling of estrangement from friends, as they are described as acting strangely and being like strangers.
The verse mentioning dreams being bittersweet and not wanting to wake up suggests a reluctance to face reality and a possible disillusionment with the concept of destiny. The line about going to war and crashing down from the high raises the question of whether their loved one will still be there for support during difficult times. Through their evocative storytelling and captivating melodies, AONN’s musical prowess shines, leaving listeners with a profound sense of introspection. The song’s powerful chorus emphasizes the feeling of estrangement from friends, capturing the disconnection and alienation that can arise within relationships.
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Directed by Daniel Lawrence Wilson
