Watch Bike Lifers Shred in Sufjan Stevens and Lowell Brams’ Video for “The Runaround”
Images courtesy of the artists Music News Sufjan Stevens
Earlier this month, Asthmatic Kitty shared news that its founders, Sufjan Stevens and his former stepfather Lowell Brams, would be releasing a collaborative album of avant-garde new-age music, their second offering as a duo since 2008’s Music for Insomnia. Wednesday, they shared the second track from Aporia titled “The Runaround.”
The track leads with lush woodwinds followed by deep, tinny analog synth, recalling at once the works of seminal new age artist Suzanne Ciani and IDM legends Boards of Canada. The video, shot by Bike Life videographer ABUTTA492, features streetbiking on the streets of NYC, Atlanta and Miami. It’s enchantingly disparate, recalling the mood of those mid-’90s IDM greats and their incredible ability to set off moods with contrasting images and sounds.
Aporia points towards new sonic territory for both artists, exploring the meditative power of synth and trimmed vocals. Our two offerings thus far signal a transformative album of differing, odd elements, with Aporia set to feature 21 songs. We’ll see how Sufjan and Lowell achieve cohesion when Aporia drops on March 27.