Long gone is the time of sitting goggle-eyed in front of your shitty television while the latest Def Leppard video played every hour on the hour on MTV. These days, you gotta put a little effort into it if you wanna enjoy the nice music.
In recent weeks, a pair of artistsâlocal heavy rockers Red Fang and Peruvian experimental musician Ale Hopâhave separately dropped new interactive videos into the world, both of which encourage your active participation to move the narrative forward or, in the case of the latter clip, change the sounds coming out of your headphones.
The Red Fang clip for their smokinâ hot new tune âAntidoteâ requires the most out of you. Truth be told, itâs more video game than video. Developed with Wieden+Kennedyâs Ansel Wallenfang, Red Fang: Headbang is a 16-bit video game in the form of a smartphone app that asks users to headbang along with the song, which will in turn help pop the heads off some zombies, destroy a car with some punkers, and defeat the big boss that is comedian Brian Posehnâs head attached to the body of a mechanical spider. (Thereâs also a sweet cameo appearance by Sleep/High on Fire guitarist Matt Pike along the way.)
Sound ridiculous? Youâre damn right it does. Will you look foolish as you headbang (or move your phone around rapidly) at your desk today? Without a doubt. Head to the delightfully kitschy Red Fang: Headbang, or straight to the app store of your choice, to download the free app.
The clip from Ale Hop (AKA Alejandra Cardenas) is far less strenuous but much more musically adventurous. The new single âOnomatopoeiaâ combines various samples from the Peruvian artistâs most recent album Bodiless into a sonic collage that you can change and essentially remix through a â360-degree VR experienceâ created by filmmaker Lorena GarcĂa.
Itâs a little creepy, too, as you are bearing witness to the faces and torsos of people who all look like they are going through some manner of physical or mental distress. It works very well with the clatter and thrum of the music running through each part of this clip. And youâll get a unique experience every time you try it as the music will shift and adapt with each viewing.
If youâre lucky (or crazy) enough to own a VR headset, thatâs the ideal way to experience âOnomatopoeia,â but next best is to watch itâwith headphones onâusing iPhoneâs YouTube app. If all else fails, you can take a spin through the clip on Ale Hopâs Facebook page.