English guitarist, Ed O’Brien, of revolutionary rock band, Radiohead, dropped his new dreamy song “Brasil.” “Brasil” is a nine-minute opus, which was simultaneously released as a short film, directed by Andrew Donoho.
The song begins by showing a group of people walking through a forest, as O’Brien subtly starts strumming his guitar. The mood of the song elevates as the cinematic shots capture a dark and mysterious skyline. Neon purple and green cover the sky, and the earth is glowing.
“The flame is gone, it’s over now,” O’Brien sings. “No one to blame, no. And there’s no fear now.”
The visuals of the film start to shift and intensify as the beat creeps in, halfway through the song. The people in the film are ecstatic and their curiosity is growing as these lights and glowing figures grow and appear in front of them. Omar Hakim provides the drums for the song, and fellow Radiohead member, Colin Greenwood, slaps the bass for the song.
“Brasil is a state of mind, not a place or time,” O’Brien said. “Making the song a natural soundscape for a re-imagination of human experience balancing the terror of the elimination of the individual with the beauty of a universal oneness.”
As all of the beats and instruments kick in, the video shifts. The earth is changing colors, and the city is melting into a pallet of colors. Humans are floating and experiencing what it is to be ‘one.’
“What if an alien or higher being were to come to earth to help us achieve a greater existence, and not to destroy us?” O’Brien asked. “What would it look like if everyone on earth shared thoughts, experiences and actions?”
They are all standing, watching an entity holding a green-glowing object. Nobody is running, nobody is walking. They are all standing, admiring what they are seeing. By the end of the song and video, the earth is a glowing object, that inches closer and closer to its surrounding planet.
“The theory that humans, as a species, actually represent one large, singular organism has always fascinated me,” O’Brien said. “I wanted to explore that concept visually through a variety of difference character perspectives, mediums, and impressionistic visual effects.”
Recently, Thom Yorke, singer and songwriter of Radiohead, released retro-futuristic animated video for his song “Last I Heard (…He Was Circling The Drain)”, from his latest studio album project, Anima. Yorke will be heading off on his Spring 2020 Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes Tour, kicking off on Mar. 28 in Fairfax, VA, at EagleBank Arena.
O’Brien’s first solo album is set to release in 2020, which will feature “Brasil.” The name of the album has yet to be announced.
Photo Credits: Raymond Flotat
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