The piece begins with images recorded during a walk over an overpass, possibly with a phone while hurriedly typing a message, perhaps simply meant to capture the point of view of someone walking along with eyes cast down, lost in thought. A simple piano motif accompanies these scenes, begins to repeat itself. Underneath the overpass, yellow cabs and anthracite cars pass back and forth. Soon, minimal shifts in the melody produce a shrill and dissonant glimmer. The grid on which the person appears to be moving creates a moiré-like pattern disrupted by brief flickers of monochrome yellow frames. The person picks up their pace, the sound becomes denser. The vorticose energy of the sequence develops an intensity that is difficult to endure. Where does the movement lead the observer? Forward? Backwards? Does the pace quicken or not? Is it not the movement of the observer at all, but is it the floor that takes flight beneath them? Where is all of this taking place? Just when one has reached the point at which this confrontation with the absurd loses its initial shock, an uncanny sprechgesang comes in. Suddenly the background transforms, no longer (only) an overpass but (also) a frozen body of water. A dragging beat can be heard. The water grows even colder, the voices more insistent. Finally, the tension begins to slacken.

These scenes describe the interplay of image and sound in the video to “Fake News” by Hamburg-based artist Nika Son aka Nika Breithaupt[see zweikommasieben #10] whose official debut album will soon be released on the Belgian label Entr’acte and Moscow-based label Stellage. To Eeyore follows various solo tapes released on her own label Noctui and on Mmodemm [see zweikommasieben #17], contributions to compilations on Sky Walking, First Terrace Records, and Präsens Editionen, as well as the EP Tennō, which was produced in collaboration with F#x for Nina’s V I S label [siehe zweikommasieben #16], under the alias C. In comparison to these pieces, the tracks on To Eeyore follow a much stricter and reduced aesthetic. Beats are sparsely used and the tensions characteristic of Breithaupt’s work occur further in the background albeit without incurring any loss in intensity.

The video to “Fake News” captures and amplifies this quality of Breithaupt’s music. The visuals were created by artist Helena Wittmann, with whom Breithaupt already collaborated on movie projects such as Drift. Music and image develop impressive correspondences in the video. We are excited to offer an exclusive preview ahead of the release of To Eeyore on 20 March:

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Translation from German to English by N. Cyril Fischer