“How long has it been since you made a genuine connection…?” Greeted by this sentiment you might wonder if you’re about to launch into to tech-evangelist’s YouTube rant about Tinder. You would be forgiven for thinking we were headed in the shitty-tea motivation Instagrammer direction.
But there’s something about the delivery in this recent video post from independent record label By Proxy that has me buying what they’re selling. This isn’t highbrow by any means. But it’s neatly packaged and seems genuinely in touch with vibrant cultural undercurrents. Like a CBD beverage, Your body is relaxed. Your pupils dilate. You inhale. When we’re introduced to this collective “created by artists for artists,” you can’t help but want to know more. We’re promised a philosophical experience through sights and sounds. Anyone who dares combine the #supportthearts, #psychedelic and #unsignedartist hashtags, with a dose of #prettypotheads on the side, has my attention. The slightly-discordant, though mostly pristine, ambient music in the promo vid strikes a chord. You’re left paradoxically wanting quiet contemplation and joyous dancing at the same time. The video for Matt Ali’s “Locust,” with its mountain imagery and John Clark’s “Grantchester Meadows” with sketched triangles and techno-DNA, seem to confirm their ideals. There’s a powerful conception in here that I can’t help but hope, from the bottom of my heart, takes root.
Listen to "Vacant" here, and connect with By Proxy using the link below!