RÜFÜS DU SOL have shared their second single of 2021, ‘Next to Me’ – alongside a set of intriguing visuals.
The song, released today (August 12), follows on from the release of ‘Alive’ last month. It marked the trio’s first new music in three years, following their 2018 album ‘Solace’. Rather than working with a director for the music video for ‘Next to Me’, however, the group have instead called upon creative artificial intelligence, care of the Los Angeles-based Osk Studio.
The studio has artificially generated a series of landscapes and topographies for the video, which morph and shift in tandem with the build of the song. Watch it below:
In a press statement, a spokesperson for Osk Studio explained that the team does not perceive artificial intelligence as “a tool”, but rather “a collaborator”.
“Although much of the way A.I. operates is modeled on or inspired by us, it has a fundamentally different way of understanding that can reveal new approaches or perspectives we may not have seen,” they said.
“Merging artificial intelligence with the existing languages of film, art, music and human expression expands our notions of them all.”
Pertaining to the single itself, vocalist Tyrone Lindqvist notes that ‘Next to Me’ is “a simple love song” by design.
“[It’s] rare of us to do,” he said.
“[We wanted] to create something purely sweet without juxtaposing that with the raw, dark emotions on the other side.”