In a post-human world, sculptural objects are shaped and disassembled, acting occasionally as a background and occasionally as a frame for Preoccupations' new music video. "Degraded," a mix of 2D and 3D animation, is full of beautiful, intricate designs, half of which seem modelled after video game graphics and half of which resemble colorful and intense astract painting.Though mainly nonrepresentational, certain desert landscapes and figures evoke the desolation of a post-apocalyptic world. While movement is central to the video, the actual landscapes appear barren and strange. Some of the creatures, like the odd marble sculptures which float in a small pond like swans, are haunting, while others seem to be imaginary, merely part of the video’s frame. Directed by Valentina Tapia, who is also behind Deerhunter’s “Snakeskin” video, “Degraded” melds beautifully with the imaginiative bright energy of the post-punk tune.
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“Degraded” is the second single off of the Preoccupations’ forthcoming self-titled LP. This will be the band’s first album since changing their name—Viet Cong, as they were previously known, were accused of cultural appropriation and racism for referencing the Vietnamese National Liberation Front. After Oberlin College canceled a show, the members agreed to rename their act Preoccupations.“Anxiety,” the first single off Preoccupations, was awarded Best New Track by Pitchfork. See the video for “Degraded” below:
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