Somehow, artists know just when to drop new work when hands are tied. As such, we’re a bit behind from the holiday week, but don’t worry, we’ve got all the new videos that have hit the internet in the time since. And damn, did some talented work make it out. It’s no secret at this point that the visual has become more important than it ever was, Lyrical Lemonade’s impressive rise is a testament to the power of the medium in contemporary times and these videos underline that two times. The new pieces from Qari, Phoelix, Appleby, Taylor Bennett and others could well be some of the best to come out of Chicago in one bunch in recent memory. Alright, that’s enough. We have all of those for you below and, of course, you can catch all the singles streaming 24/7 on Mild Sauce Radio.
Phoelix • “Drip”
Since emerging a couple years back behind the beats, Phoelix has since grown into one of the city’s brightest, multifaceted artists. One thing that’s always endeared me to dude has been his undying love for the Fox Valley area west of the city that he and I both called home growing up. For his video for the standout single off of the 2018 project, Tempo, “Drip” he takes it back there, set amongst the deep green of the forest beyond the burbs, the video takes on an almost psychedelic feel throughout which reflects the general sentiment of the song accurately. It’s airy, it’s experimental, it’s what we’ve come to expect from one of the more innovative young minds in the game locally. Check out the video below.
Appleby • “Young Lost Love”
At a time when everyone with a face tattoo or Kanye Stan seems to be suddenly in touch with the depths of their mental state and emotion, there’s a contingent of artists that have operated in the murky abyss of human emotion for much longer. One of those is local product Appleby, who returned from another brief hiatus to team up with Tidal for the delivery of his latest visual for the song, “Young Lost Love”.
To the point, the video does little to give away the never-ending mystery of what the artist looks like (he’s kept his face hidden since stepping out), but the video is a real masterpiece that plays on the subtleties of the song itself while also incorporating a loose but pointed storyline that deals in motifs of technology, love and the confusing interplay it can often result in. It’s a delightfully adept rumination on the intricacies of love and acceptance, and the pain that often comes from letting someone too close. The chase is always there though, beckoning for more. App does an amazing job digging deep on this one and the collaboration with Tidal couldn’t have come off more seamless. Make sure you get into this one asap.
Qari • “Baghdadi”
Summer is about making a splash and as far as creatives in Chicago, there might not be harder working individuals than Qari and the folks behind Strip Mall, who directed his latest video for “Baghdadi”.
The guys at the nascent collective have made huge strides in recent months with a heavy load of videos hitting the internet on what seems like a daily basis. Coming off the release of Ajani Jones’ “Bloom” and return here with similar aesthetics, albeit assembled in a much different way. Utilizing clever shots and cuts, they’re able to seriously underline Qari’s ever-chill nature without doing so in an obvious way. In many ways, a video is supposed to be an opportunity to pull fans in, show a part of yourself that isn’t obvious and here listeners get a clear amalgamation of images that at the end of the day sum up not only the song, but the artist as well.
Taylor Bennett • “Rock & Roll”
Taylor Bennett is gearing up for a new album release soon. With the unveiling of his cover art in the rearview, the younger Bennett has been pumping out new work at a fever pitch while teasing the tracklist and more. Last week, we got another piece of the puzzle as he released his very cinematic video for “Rock & Roll”.
Chock-full of cameos, this one takes on a sort of 70s-era feel on purpose and effectively tells a particular story. The abstract explanation makes it a bit hard to follow, but the overriding idea wants exactly that, choosing to unravel the story back to front. The reveal is a nice build that isn’t immediately expected. Get into it for yourself below.
CupcakKe • “Hot Pockets”
Like many on this catch-up, CupcakKe has come on strong in the last year or so and broke through in 2017 with a series of explicit bars that made folks uncomfortable and laugh at the same time. She’s absolutely unafraid, as her Rolling Loud set would attest to and her videos have become the stuff of legend, with few barriers to what might happen. In her latest, for “Hot Pockets” she pulls no punches.