- Official music video out today
“The themes of Sacred Spaces: Solve et Coagula is a mix of what we consider sacred space mixed in with elements of alchemy. ‘Solve et Coagula’ is a Latin term that deals with the principles and basics of alchemy, while the song overall looks at how we hold dear spaces in our lives – whether physical, emotional, or psychological – that we value. Sometimes valuing these spaces can bring about the positive, and at times they may be negative and be a cause to hinder us.
“The song looks at this and deals with the concept of needing to do away with the old in order to create something new. Musically and thematically, it is expected to resonate with audiences differently,” he explained.
Speaking about the upcoming music video, Suresh shared that it will neither be a tradition nor conventional music video, noting that there will not be any live footage of the band and that concept was purely storyboarded to be a different experience.
Describing the music video without giving too much away, Suresh said it is sure to intrigue; while he said that they do not have live footage of the band performing, the music video will contain elements of Stigmata and will be focused on a dedicated story arc.
“You can expect a lot of symbols, metaphors, etc. and it is likely to really surprise a few people – it might even scare some, but our fans will all appreciate the art,” he said. He said they worked on the video for about two months and that the song in itself is a long track – it is six-and-a-half minutes; in comparison to today’s commercial music, this is almost a feature length piece.
We asked Suresh about some of the challenges they have come across in putting together a music video at a time like this where there are limitations in gathering people into spaces, and he shared that a large portion of the music video consists of graphics, some animation, and a lot of special effects and therefore was mostly done remotely. He said it felt quite irresponsible for them to get together a production crew at a time where globally social distancing is advised.
Speaking more about the video, Suresh said that growing up in the 80s and 90s, the music videos of the time were phenomenal, stating that they were often story-based and heavy in detail – a time when the visual representation is just as important as the auditory experience. He believes in this and therefore they have opted for a music video that will convey their story.
He said, however, that he is a firm believer of letting the art speak for itself, adding that the audience should be allowed the opportunity to enjoy it in their own terms and share their own personal interpretations to your work. Once your art is out there, the people listening to it are the ones who make it what it is to them.
Suresh said that they are a self-sufficient band, and leaving aside their music, they are professionals in their daily lives and bring to the table their expertise as those in the creative industry. Therefore, they have put together most of the art work themselves. However, this time around, he said that it has been their great honour to have worked with Grammy-nominated producer Romesh Dodangoda on the mixing and mastering of the tracks for the entirety of their fifth album, and to be one of the only Sri Lankan acts to have worked with him up to date, which also ensures that their audio is on par with anything out there in charts globally.
Finally, Suresh shared that the music video is something thought-provoking and entertaining to look forward to and that he hopes that it will be received well.