Iceage Are Restless in a Sea of Flowers in “Under The Sun” Music Video
Images courtesy of Matador Records
Iceage makes Flower Power punk with the music video for “Under The Sun.” Filmed in Tokyo during their “Opening Nights” residencies (which were also staged in NYC and LA), the video features the floral designs of renowned flower sculptor Azuma Makoto, who handpicked Iceage for his flower-music installation series “Crazy Garden x Iceage.”
Off their most recent album Beyondless, released in May, “Under The Sun” trudges along as frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt struggles with despair in the Biblical reference-filled track. “I gave you the mark of Cain,” he sings, the line particularly standing out as a note of desolation.
The video positions itself as a recording of a piece of performance art—a frame has been constructed by Makoto and in this space, the band reacts. The flower artist Makoto is known for his beautiful displays, but also more shocking exhibitions of burning and freezing flowers. For this video, he has filled the stage with an abundance of bright blooms. The blue-tinted lighting makes the band look like they’re playing underwater—the flowers reach upwards like a kelp forest. The stage is decadent, with every inch covered in tall, pristine flowers, but as the song progresses, the flowers are trampled and torn apart. Rønnenfelt causes most of the destruction, crushing the flowers as he lurches across the stage, picks them up and throws them around. The song, like the staged flowers, blooms out of darkness and it restlessly approaches a rather cathartic close—the chant “Push it up,” backed by the eastern-influenced guitars and an addition of strings, is pressing for release. Even still, at the very end, Rønnenfelt asks God if He’s “lost the steering wheel again,” and at this question of loss of control, the band leaves behind a field of mauled flowers.
Iceage are continuing on tour this summer at several festival dates before touring across Europe from September to the beginning of November. They will be returning to the U.S. for a co-headlining tour with Black Lips during November. Their final show of the year is currently scheduled for Dec. 7, when they will return to London for a special performance at the Hackney Arts Centre with set design by Christian Friedlander. Helm and Astrid Sonne will open.
Watch the music video for “Under The Sun” below and find Iceage’s full tour dates further down.