Long gone is the time of sitting goggle-eyed in front of your shitty television while the latest Def Leppard video played every hour on the hour on MTV. These days, you gotta put a little effort into it if you wanna enjoy the nice music.
In recent weeks, a pair of artists—Portland heavy rockers Red Fang and Peruvian experimental musician Ale Hop—have separately dropped new interactive videos into the world, both of which encourage your active participation to move the narrative forward or, in the case of the latter clip, change the sounds coming out of your headphones.
The Red Fang clip for their smokin’ hot new tune “Antidote” requires the most out of you. Truth be told, it’s more video game than video. Developed with Wieden+Kennedy’s Ansel Wallenfang, Red Fang: Headbang is a 16-bit video game in the form of a smartphone app that asks users to headbang along with the song, which will in turn help pop the heads off some zombies, destroy a car with some punkers, and defeat the big boss that is comedian Brian Posehn’s head attached to the body of a mechanical spider. (There’s also a sweet cameo appearance by Sleep/High on Fire guitarist Matt Pike along the way.)
Sound ridiculous? You’re damn right it does. Will you look foolish as you headbang (or move your phone around rapidly) at your desk today? Without a doubt. Head to the delightfully kitschy Red Fang: Headbang, or straight to the app store of your choice, to download the free app.
The clip from Ale Hop (AKA Alejandra Cardenas) is far less strenuous but much more musically adventurous. The new single “Onomatopoeia” combines various samples from the Peruvian artist’s most recent album Bodiless into a sonic collage that you can change and essentially remix through a “360-degree VR experience” created by filmmaker Lorena García.
It’s a little creepy, too, as you are bearing witness to the faces and torsos of people who all look like they are going through some manner of physical or mental distress. It works very well with the clatter and thrum of the music running through each part of this clip. And you’ll get a unique experience every time you try it as the music will shift and adapt with each viewing.
If you’re lucky (or crazy) enough to own a VR headset, that’s the ideal way to experience “Onomatopoeia,” but next best is to watch it—with headphones on—using iPhone’s YouTube app. If all else fails, you can take a spin through the clip on Ale Hop’s Facebook page.