safejas premieres the captivating music video for their single “Wasp Song,” directed by Finley Stewart. The moniker belongs to Lewis Shields, a UK-born, Berlin-based producer who specialises in the intricate landscapes of electronic music. Shield’s sonic creations oscillate between the familiar and the otherworldly, seamlessly navigating the experimental edges of club music and expansive ambient soundscapes.
The visual journey of “Wasp Song” begins with a hazy ambiance of flickering hi-hats and enveloping saxophone melodies, gradually revealing its wasp-like essence. Piercing through the darkness, the track submerges listeners in a menacing whirlwind of screeching walls-of-sound and tight snares. Eventually, it settles into a rhythmic exploration of chromatic smudges, reminiscent of the distinctive styles found within the PC music soundscape.
According to safejas, the inspiration for the track stemmed from the desolate atmosphere of Berlin during the initial winter lockdown. Specifically, it was influenced by a New Year’s Day walk through the Feld, a once vibrant ex-airfield now immersed in mist and void of any activity. The eerie sensation of a place, no longer bustling with its usual energy, left a lasting impression on the artist. “Wasp Song” delves into the unsettling spaciousness of that experience while being driven by a fervent intensity and a yearning for the inaccessible action and excitement.
The animation that accompanies the music video further enhances its unsettling nature, juxtaposing the mundane backdrop against the otherworldly quality of the swarms. This contrast finds horror in the ordinary and creates a disorienting and uneasy atmosphere by shifting the viewer’s perspective between object and subject. The video blurs formerly distinct boundaries, like those of subject and object or natural and artificial, creating an amalgamation that becomes almost unidentifiable.
safejas has masterfully crafted a multisensory experience with “Wasp Song,” capturing the essence of a haunting and emotionally charged journey through abandoned landscapes and uncertain realms.
safejas will be exhibiting a sound art piece ‘Common Ground’, as part of Music for Estranged Speakers with Reverse Engineering on December 1 at 90mil, Berlin. More information can be found here.
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Feature photo by @lauravifer
