STACK #190 Aug 2020

FEATURE MUSIC

BAAUER

Watching the superb mini-movie for the album, it became apparent to me how weird the human (and alien!) urge to dance is – we hear a beat, and we are compelled to move our bodies around in time.What are your thoughts on that bodily drive? I move all the time. I move when I’m making music. I’m kinda infamous for this on my twitch channel. As far as my thoughts, well - we’ve been making musical instruments before we could make vessels. We’ve been making music and dancing to music since before we even made a bowl. At some point you’d have to say it’s the most fundamental art form of being human – just making music and responding Crossover dance rediscovers its spirit in the phenomenal new record from decorated producer and Harlem Shake creator Harrison Rodrigues, AKA Baauer. He answered our questions about Planet's Mad , which tells the thumping, glimmering tale of a bizarre cosmological event during which a kaleidoscopic alien planet – and its cast of strange lifeforms – merges with Earth. Suffice to say, we're not in Harlem any more. Words Zoë Radas

Pedro

Read the full Q&A online at STACK.COM.AU

We have been making music... since before we even made a bowl. At some point you'd have to say it's the most fundamental artform of being human

to music. Kind of amazing. I don’t think you can separate the idea of being human from dancing, actually. At several points during the film we see a lens-flare containing the letter ‘B’ – it’s like we are literally seeing through your lens, or eyes. Do you feel the visuals did capture your vision as accurately as possible? Yeah the whole concept is about the world- making idea of creating an album. And so the entire visual album is directly meant to represent my perspective and imagination. The little lens fx you picked up on was a nice subtle gesture to that idea, from Rick Farin.

44 ] – which is a techno record I guess – the lead percussion splits into two lines of drum fills, seeming to split off in different directions. So when making it I already knew this should represent a worm that had been split into two sections. And over the process of months this became a creature drawn by Chloe Scheffe and animated by Rick Farin, who now has a full back-story and name. It’s awesome. It’s just about giving body to these songs. It’s something I guess I’ve always done but we’ve never directly honoured that in the visuals quite so well as this project. Which of our new alien pals is your favourite? Probably Pedro. He sits on my shoulder while I’m making music. He’s cute. He smells terrible. ZKR

Baauer's digital depiction in the mini-movie for Planet's Mad , directed by the artist and animated by Actual Objects.

How did the extra time you had to create the album’s world and characters impact the outcome of this record? Just having that luxury of time through lockdown... [and

through] continuing to discuss the world we were making, meant it all came together really easily. But the initial spark for everything was just a gut reaction to the music. In [ HOT

Planet's Mad

by Baauer is out now on clear and green vinyl (2LP) and CD via LuckyMe/Inertia.

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