In the past 20 years, the world has gotten windier. Maybe it's global warming, maybe it's some kind of cyclical pattern. But whatever it is, winds have picked up by about five percent, and extreme winds caused by storms are up 10 percent.
This unexplained occurrence is at least part of the inspiration behind a new video for the song "Duvan," by the Swedish band . In a captivating mix of animation and live action, directed by Tobias Centerwall, a group of friends, seen as wind-swept silhouettes, haunt the countryside on the edge of town, staring out silently at a city with an uncertain future. The unseen wind is a metaphor for some sort of impending change or devolution.
The mysterious imagery and oddly motionless scenery is intercut with members of Amason seen as paper cutouts. It's a strange but mesmerizing trick that makes them look like neckless bobble heads, as Amanda Bergman sings, "Wash it out, can't come / Through and through towards the enemy set for you / Sand in my mouth / Wash it out, set sail / Here comes the wave." The lyrics are often puzzling, to be sure, but the melodies and imagery so infectious it's worth multiple listens.
Amason features members from several different Swedish groups: Gustav Ejstes (Dungen), Amanda Bergman (Idiot Wind), Nils Törnqvist, Petter Winnberg (Little Majorette) and Pontus Winnberg (Miike Snow). "Duvan" was just released this week as a single. Amason's debut full-length, Sky City, is due out Jan. 27, 2015 on Fairfax Recordings.
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