Swedish artist AMKosman released her new EP VOLVM 1.turbulence a month back, and we were fans. Especially fans of the track Confidence, which we said was “Soft and airy, Confidence can be thought of as a river’s flow, a deep, immersive song that sees different elements and touches drift in and out of its current’. And now Confidence has gotten a video. The artist herself takes the starring role, in a choreography piece that matches the song’s strange moods and flickers, a visual representation of its flow and fluidity. You can check out the video and a short interview with AMKosman below.
Tell us about the video for Confidence. How did you put it together?
I came with a video idea for the song Confidence to my friend Joakim Aronsson; improvised dance and recording in different speeds and forward/reverse to create simple effects. We finished off the details together regarding colours, styling, environment and special effects. I put together a team consisting of Malin Gutke, Fredrik Nordesjö, Emelie Henriksson, Daniel Leksell, Joakim and I. I got a small grant for the equipment from Stockholms Stad and we recorded the video during one day at The Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where I study. I borrowed the truly eye-catching pant-creation from Alice Jardesten, whom I have had an Instagram-crush on since 5 years back. In the post-production I worked with my friends Rikard Jarl, Erik Althoff and Marcus Nystrand. I myself did the editing of the video , with Joakim and Daniel on standby to bounce ideas with.
The video has a high-art, modern choreography aesthetic. What were you trying to express with it?
The inspiration comes from turbulence. A will to explain my take on the word and concept; turbulence. This is something that neglects all shallowness and demands a deep connection and freedom. I wanted the free improvised dance to express the freedom of letting turbulence happen instead of being hooked on say; confidence. Distorting the improvised dance, through hard editing and the effects mentioned earlier, made turbulence more present. The technical inspiration was a lot about imitating the processes that had been central in making the music. To be precise this is all about what type of tools I use to manipulate sound, I find it the most interesting to change the ‘physical’ nature of the sound, like reversing and stretching, over using effects plugins.
In the reference text [A text she wrote to discuss her artistic career and philosophy], you talk about ‘expression’ and ‘activism’. What do those two words mean to you and what do you see as the relationship between them?
This is answered easiest by simply inserting the introduction to the said text: ‘Activism is expression. Expression can be activism. I would like for these to become more intertwined in a universal matter. Expression is activism, for me. Activism is about challenging and I believe that expression is also about challenging. I want for expression to always challenge’.
Confidence is a naturally cinematic song, as is the rest of the EP. Did you imagine a visual accompaniment for it as you were writing it?
No, I would not say so. The sounds give me lots of information and stimulation, but I seldom receive actually imagery for it. Clear visual images come when I am able to take a step away from the music.
After this EP, what’s coming up next?
In the upcoming weeks I will compose music for a friend’s wedding. The rest of the summer is a bit of a mystery still. After the summer I will continue my bachelor studies in electro-acoustic composition.
AMKosman’s EP VOLVM 1. turbulence is out now on Cherish.