Big Red Machine, the collaborative music project from Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and The National’s Aaron Dessner, have released three new videos.
Coinciding with the release of their self-titled debut album, the videos accompany songs ‘I Won’t Run From It’, ‘Gratitude’ and ‘Forest Green’.
Directed by Eric Timothy Carlson and Aaron Anderson, the video trio features colourful layerings of images, graphics and text.
The album features a host of collaborations with Phoebe Bridgers, This Is the Kit, and members of Arcade Fire and the Staves contributing to the album.
You can watch the videos here:
Earlier this month, the two – together with Bryce Dessner – curated PEOPLE festival in Berlin, an artist led collective.
Speaking to The Creative Independent, Bryce Dessner said the trio wanted to create a festival with a difference.
He said: “It was more focused on work and process and collaboration and having no plan. It was the opposite of a normal festival – there was no set schedule, no program, no headliners, no artist fees. Even down to the last minute, there was no guarantee of who was going to play with whom.”
“Basically it allowed for musicians to come together with the least artifice and just be themselves. There was none of the baggage that comes with heavily promoting something. We were able to get in the room with each other and just make stuff.”
Big Red Machine's s/t debut, the project by @aaron_dessner & Justin Vernon, is out today!
Get it at https://t.co/fTqp1SIurw
To celebrate the album, they've shared a video series by Eric Timothy Carlson and Aaron Anderson for three tracks.
? https://t.co/b2aSALxnyV pic.twitter.com/EIr0m8Tgv8— The National (@TheNational) August 31, 2018
Big Red Machine's self-titled debut is out today via the 37d03d digital platform and all streaming services, as well as vinyl, CD, Cassette, in partnership with Jagjaguwar Get it here: https://t.co/TFSqUdmzYe
We’ve shared a video series for three tracks: https://t.co/AKxUnnPqFk pic.twitter.com/eAwL725ayz
— Bon Iver (@boniver) August 31, 2018
So excited today to share the Big Red Machine album — thanks to all our @37d03d collaborators and @jagjaguwar I hope you get as much joy from this music as we have. Thx to Eric Carlson and Aaron Anderson for this “I Won’t Run From It” vid pic.twitter.com/QFAiA62RgD
— Aaron Dessner (@aaron_dessner) August 31, 2018
The release of Big Red Machine’s latest album was overshadowed yesterday when Vernon distanced himself from a collaboration with Eminem, who released an unexpected album, Kamikaze yesterday.
Appearing on song ‘Fall’, the track sees Eminem take aim at other rappers, most notably Tyler, The Creator. On the track, Eminem appears to rap: “Tyler create nothin’, I see why you called yourself a f*****, bitch.”
Vernon has since responded on Twitter, addressing the song in response to a fan. He wrote: “Was not in the studio for the Eminem track.”
He added: “Came from a session with BJ Burton and Mike Will. Not a fan of the message, it’s tired. Asked them to change the track, wouldn’t do it.”
In a series of further tweets, Vernon said he thought Eminem is “one of the best rappers of all time” before adding: “This is not the time to criticize Youth, it’s the time to listen. To act. It is certainly not the time for slurs.”
Vernon also revealed that he asked for the song to be changed. “Wish they would have listened when we asked them to change it.”
In a final tweet, Vernon said: “I was wrong and we are gonna kill this track.”
You can read some of the fan reaction to Big Red Machine’s new album below:
Big Red Machine is ?.
— becca vogt (@Bec21Vogt) September 1, 2018
The last #PositiveTwitterDay message is that the first album by Big Red Machine (Bon Iver/Aaron Dessner from The National) is a subtly lovely thing of wonder. Ta, @RavesGrave
— John Harris (@johnharris1969) August 31, 2018
Big Red Machine is basically Justin Vernon singing over Sleep Well Beast outtakes and I’m extremely here for that
— Drew Beringer (@drewberinger) August 31, 2018
https://twitter.com/safetybuzz/status/1035719096346628097
Psa: the new Big Red Machine record is ????????
— Mike Noble (@bikemelon) August 31, 2018
https://twitter.com/ImJerryLane/status/1035847476476096512