Diplo’s new single “Brain” with Artemas has the techno dance sound paired with the toxic relationship lyrics. “Brain” is Diplo’s experiment with the genre of phonk, the dance-inflected hip hop instrumentals that have recently been making a comeback. The instrumentals are very techno and they play with different speeds and sounds to create a cinematic music experiment.

The accompanying visualizer has the setting of a strip club, shot on various cameras, including more vintage camcorders. A woman who is the main character in the video is dressed in a full-body latex suit as they travel around. The color scheme is red and neon, giving off the dark club vibe that the song emits.

Diplo’s other phonk projects in the recent months include the collaboration with Jennie, “Like Jennie.” Phonk started in the 2000s Memphis hip hop scene with influences from Russian teens. The genre has been slowly coming back into the mainstream.

“Brain” also came out with sped-up and slowed-down versions that give two different music experiences for listeners. The art was designed by Scott Tepper, who has collaborated with Travis Scott and MF DOOM in the past years.

Photo Credit: Mehreen Rizvi