Guillermo Scott Herren (Prefuse 73) newest album New Strategies for Modern crime Vol. 2 has just released as of yesterday. To kickoff the release of his new album Herren released his third single and video “Complete Rejection” which makes use of the continuing theme of crime on the album.

To begin “Complete Rejection” by onset is starts with a sense of ambience that conveys a cautious attitude. That wariness is broken down throughout the song, vigilant optimism become fearful pragmatism, by the time the drum pattern of the song is changed, the attitude now becomes irrational paranoia and finally the attitude become full nihilism as the song winds down, to were one only listens to the discordant tone of the closing of the track.

The video as well, coveys this shifting stance perfectly. Directed by Maxim Kelly, the video shows a PSA from the 1970s, as New York City is beset with a surging crime rate that had its occupants fearful for the lives. The music video begins as the PSA starts off with a fictional scenario of a women being mugged in the dark by an unidentified assailant. Then the speaker begins his message explaining how crime can create feelings of fear in the big city. The video then transitions to strategies on how to protect one’s property and person (be it padded locks, security cameras installed at points of interests, self-defense techniques to disarm attackers and knowing numbers of law enforcement agencies and private security).

The strategies then turn to necessities, as the many of the local populace that were interviewed all stated that they now care a firearm for protection.  Throughout the video, Herren has made use of AI integration to create distorted images of the PSA, much like the song itself, the images of the city and its people become more disturbed and grotesque as each new strategy becomes more violent and invasive. The video contrasts the PSA’s final message “no one’s entirely safe”, by pondering the thought whether these new strategies for modern crime has not created a new climate of fear in substituted of the one it tried to replace.

In a press release from Pitch Perfect PR, Herren explains the techniques used on the video and the reasons for it:

“The video directed by Maxim Kelly, came from a write-up I received from the artists about how the media makes us live in fear and the inspiration for the record. I loved the cinematic soundtrack, which got me thinking about updating old social guidance films on crime for a modern audience. I noticed many AI videos looked the same and already felt dated, but I saw an opportunity to use AI differently. By incorporating AI in the backgrounds or small parts of the image, we created something both modern and timeless.”

Watch Prefuse 73’s newest single “Complete Rejection” below: