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Glass Animals - "Dreamland"

Glass Animals Video For “Dreamland” Is Lockdown DIY Perfection

This post is also available in: 日本語 (Japanese)

Musicians, artists, and producers are pretty used to social distancing and isolation. Under “normal” circumstances locking yourself in a room (sometimes with no windows) with nothing but time and the tools you have on hand is what we call, “going to the office”. But these are not “normal” times. Many artists have been forced to rethink how they can connect with their fans and still remain relevant as the planet goes through a metamorphosis. I have seen content created from artists that range from beautiful and sublime, to hilarious and frightening. But perhaps one of the best self-made, lockdown music videos that I have seen so far is the video for “Dreamland” made by Dave Bayley from Glass Animals.

From concept to execution, this video is an unbelievable feat. Part music video, part DIY maker project, “Dreamland” shows us what homemade content can be if you have the creativity and can handle a few power tools. Dave received a set of handwritten and video instructions, camera equipment, and props that he needed to navigate completely on his own. He built the sets, created the live visual effects, and filmed it – by himself. Watch the video through as it reveals the behind the scenes magic.

Glass Animals will release their full-length album, “Dreamland” on July 10th via Republic Records. The album is a very personal look back on Dave’s life and the emotional trauma of a horrible bike accident that the band’s drummer, Joe Seaward was involved in.

Bayley says:

“The idea for this album came at a time of confusion and uncertainty. My best friend was in the hospital. I didn’t know if he’d make it. The future was damn scary and completely unknown. During those weeks in the hospital, it was so difficult to look forwards that I found myself looking backwards. Digging around in my mind, pulling up old memories, finding comfort in them even if they were uncomfortable in themselves. Speaking to friends and family, I’ve realised that a lot of people are experiencing a similar sort of confusion now. Everything that we thought we could see clearly in front of us has been thrown into the air, and all the while, we can’t be out finding our footing. We can’t be out creating new memories, so…we’re diving back head-first into the old ones. I hear that in conversations. I see it in what people are watching on TV. In what we’re listening to. In what we’re eating. In dreams.

This album goes through many of the most confusing moments in my life. It’s about growing up, from my first memories as a little kid to now. Quite often those moments are funny, sometimes awkward, sometimes heart-breaking, sometimes it’s about love or hate or sexuality. It’s about realising it’s ok to not have answers and it’s ok to not know how you feel about things and that it’s ok to be and look vulnerable. In fact, all of that is quite exciting. So often life asks us for binary yes or no answers. It asks us to conform and to fit in. But the world is so much more interesting and colourful than that…it’s a much more fluid and uncertain place.

I spent weeks devastated that our big plans to bring this album to you in real life on a stage were shattered…but, somehow, in all the uncertainty and before all the unknowns…right now seems like the most insane, but also the most apt time to reveal this record. Growing up is a strange time, the hospital was a strange time and here we are in a strange time again.”

Glass Animals has also released an entirely Open Source website, where they have shared a special set of audio stems, samples, layered artwork, 3D files, and various other materials that fans can use to create their own music, videos, and other content. They are using technology in very unique ways to connect and collaborate with their fanbase. Very inspiring!

Follow Glass Animals: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Website

Listen to “Dreamland” and other Trend & Chaos picks on our Spotify Discover playlist.

This post is also available in: 日本語 (Japanese)

Dennis Martin
dennis@trendandchaos.com

Dennis Martin is a music producer, manager, composer and founder of Trend & Chaos. Follow him on Instagram & Twitter.