Knifeplay have previewed their upcoming album What Is Truth? with a new song called ‘Toil (Reprise)’. It arrives on the heels of ‘Love Song’, which made our list of the best songs of October. Pensive until its uproarious finale, it’s accompanied by a music video directed by the band’s Tj Strohmer, which comes with a trigger warning for self-harm. Check it out below.
“This video is a remake or retelling of Elias Merhige’s 1989 silent horror film Begotten, which, in my interpretation, tells the story of the cycle of suffering that has befallen humanity via the metaphorical (or literal?) death of God and subsequent torture and death of ‘Mother Earth’,” Strohmer explained. “While I am probably not a Christian, I do not see this story as a blasphemous one; I see it as having empathy for a god, a planet, and a people who, like Mother Earth’s forlorn child, have found themselves helpless, injured, and confused.”
He added: “Given that the song is primarily instrumental and lyrically simple, it felt like the perfect canvas to tell this story, whose themes are relevant across the whole album. The original film is shocking and uncompromising in its storytelling, which are traits I have always wanted to bring into my own artistry. Despite being an extreme amateur when it comes to video work, with a scarcity of time, resources, and courage, I attempted to tell the story in a slightly milder way that would work for a music video.”
What Is Truth? is set for release January 22 via Double Double Whammy. Revisit our Artist Spotlight interview with Knifeplay.
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