Rich Aucoin has a habit of pushing well past the boundaries of normal and his latest album, Release, seems to be blowing past them entirely. “The Mind,” Aucoin’s first video released from the album featured an alien presence in a familiar but imposing landscape and now “The Other,” the album’s second single, explores the dystopian society of an alien world. It’s almost like Aucoin is telling us that through escapism we might find parables for compassion and tolerance. Maybe he’s on to something…
Finding inspiration in science-fiction classics and psychological dramas like George Lucas’ THX, Ridley Scott/Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner, and Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut, the video combines a societal commentary with the visual tie-in of Aucoin’s multi-coloured skull, featured on the album cover.
“The Other video takes place on an alien planet where a tyrant rules a dystopian society divided into quadrants based on the various colours of the aliens’ masks. There is a strict no physical inter-coloured contact rule on this planet such that even the soldiers on this planet only touch others with long metal sticks,” explains Aucoin.
The video results in a bloodless coupe, as the people rise up through the sharing and blending of colours, with the tyrant eventually representing an amalgam of the full spectrum – the physical embodiment of a true democracy.
The video strips away the characters individuality, save for the ruler, to paint a very clear picture that without the colours they might be entirely indistinguishable. Rather than a frightening absence of autonomy we’re given a sense that there’s a universal familiarity to be found in that level of conformity.
“This is about the commonalities we share with other humans and recognizing that us and them, in and out group thinking stems from fear,” says Aucoin. “If we can let go of that fear we can start to recognize the prejudices we may have created by them and their displacement of our beliefs and views of existence.”
The Chic-inspired track combines an incredible amount of talent into one song, almost to the point that we’re wondering if Aucoin is experimenting with his own musical society. The track features drummer Tony Dallas (Fake Shark), three different bass players with Peter Charles playing the choruses, Jason Vautour playing the first verse and Tuperware Remix Party’s Jim Arsenault playing the rest, a vocal quartet of Maylee Todd, Reeny Smith, Kirsten Olivia and Cyndi Cain, and Jeff Mosher and Nick Dourado both playing a multitude of saxes.
Aucoin’s upcoming album, Release, is out May 17, 2019 via Haven Sounds. If it has as much thought and talent put into it as the album’s first two singles then we’ve got plenty to look forward to.
Tour Dates:
05.09-11.19 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape
05.17-19.19 – Wales, UK @ Focus Festival