Although our “Listen Ahead” category is one about new stuff and new music we’re focussing on a song today that actually dates back to 2018, although the video it comes with is parkling new. Needless to say, Icelandic two-piece BSÍ isn’t that interested in traditional release structures, they are more about pushing the music itself and its messages forward. Manama is a hazy piece of shimmering lo-fi indie wave rock and while the word not not only stands for the capital of Bahrain it also describes a state or place of finding yourself after being lost. And that’s pretty much what this trippy music video, starring Folasade Adeoso wants to show the audience. It follows the protagonist wandering the streets and abanoned buildings of Mexicó City as if it was the backdrop of her own dreams. We get lost in her own thoughts, accompanied through the visuals and the trippy notion of the song itself.
Manama is taken from the really great self-titled debut EP from BSÍ and while Sigurlaug Thorarensen and Julius Rothlaender are currently working on follow-up material this song and the music video are a great opportunity to discover their mesmerizing minimalistic yet very atmospheric sound. They describe it as a mixture of a DIY spirit, Krútt pönk plus downtown worries and sorrows and that sums it up pretty well. It’s a shimmering little fever dream and the Manama music video, directed by Berlin-based Adriana Berroterán and Ana González, really underlines the vibe of the BSÍ sound as the band states:
“We’re really happy with what our friend Adriana created there, together with Ana and Fola. We liked the idea of just giving them our song and the freedom to do whatever they felt about it. For us, it was important to just offer them this space and watch and listen to what Manama feels like for these three women, in a place far away from our own.”
So, without further ado – we bring you the premiere of the video today and surely look forward to more from these folks in the not so distant future.
Every Monday we’re updating the 50-track-strong Listen AHEAD Playlist on Spotify, adding ten strong songs by sill relatively unknown artists at the beginning. This week’s new picks also include fresh songs from Slow Pulp, Baseball Game, Matt Maltese, Tim Koh, ELLE. Follow the playlist right here on Spotify and give these new talents a chance.