Fun fact: I exist between the intervals in which it takes Atsuko Chiba time to release new music. There’s nothing quite like the band, blending post-rock, noise rock, spoken word, punk, and much more into one dizzying blend. Fortunately, I can finally breathe again, as the band are set to release their new album Trace, on April 12th. Until we are blessed with the full, and undoubtedly powerful, release, we can slake our thirst for Chiba’s sound with “New Folds”, the first single from the album. Not only is it a great track, it actually manages to have a 360 degrees video that’s good. Yes, really! Head on down below to dive into the weird experience and we’ll chat a bit later (note that in order to access the 360 capabilities of the video, you’ll need to open the video on desktop or on the YouTube application).
OK, you see? It’s really quite simple to make a good 360 degrees video (I mean, besides the hours and hours of craft that’s actually needed to make it). All you have to do is to make the technical execution add something to the narrative being told. In this case, the appearance of whatever those creatures are, their conflict with the band, and the overall atmosphere of the scene work brilliantly with the immersive nature of the video. This allows you to fully explore the oddities unfolding, inviting you to dive into the situation.
It also helps that the music, once again, is great. Trace promises to be Atsuko Chiba’s most condensed and potent release yet and “New Folds” definitely showcases that. The drums are loud, the riffs go hard, and the unique vocals, moving between impassioned screams and catchy lyricism, are back with a vengeance. Coupled with the video, this makes for a powerful opening shot for the upcoming album, which you should definitely put on your release radar. Welcome back Atsuko Chiba; we’ve missed you.