Mountain by Age is a Box
Age is a Box is a musical art project by Noam Helfer, which blends abstract ambient, indie electronics and pop songs. It’s an emotional tornado. It can be a party, it can be a soundtrack, it's a state of mind.
Mountain(Har) is the final single release from the debut album “One by One”. The album is set to release via London-based boutique label NeedWant on August 2nd. Following its release, the project will tour in Latvia and Germany.
The music video, made in close collaboration with London based motion artist Gabriel Thomas Ayache, takes the viewer on a journey of visual enjoyment and self-reflection, one of re-connection with the elements of nature through various carefully composed Land Art pieces.
The visuals explore the relations between big and small, macro and micro, intelligible forms and emptiness. The concept started from an abstract storyline based on the lyrics; depicting a transcendent state of mind where the spiritual self is trying to reflect on relativity, harmony, and oneness.
The song was written in the north of India and comes to voice the feeling of being in another dimension, where time passes differently and where connecting to the power of nature while letting alternative forces direct you intuitively, is possible. Stepping away from the mundane city life and informally shifting into serenity, when both the body and metaphysical self, the mind, can calmly merge.
Having already found recognition from Noisey, Spin and Dummy for his previous solo project - Helfer, Noam has long established himself as an international artist at the forefront of Tel Aviv’s independent electronic music scene. With this enticing return to the public domain, his hit-making potential is becoming unavoidable. Known for crafting mercurial soundscapes, the inspired artist’s sound encapsulates the electric atmospheres of Nicolas Jaar, Forest Swords, and Bonobo, and the soulful immediacy of Kaytranada and Sylvan Esso.
The inspiration for the look development came from exploring natural landmarks and reinterpret land art pieces by celebrated artists like - Richard Long, Robert Smithson, Andy Goldsworthy, James Turrell and more… The purely digital 'human-made' compositions in the video result in minimally designed landscapes surroundings which set the tone to the allegorical story. We are looking to study and consider nature's patterns through designed scenes made with computer simulations, procedural generation, algorithmic builds, motion capture and simple 3d digital sculpting. The slow release of visual cues allows a quiet observation, giving time to consider the unfamiliar environment and appreciate every detail of the minimally designed settings.
The monotone colour palette of the mise-en-scènes reflect the different moods of each environment. They ask to support the elements, forms and calm flow while telling a little more of the story behind the characters forming within the scenes.
The Asian monks looking figures are represented by hollow bodies with loose garments; an intricate yet minimal mix of cloaks, robes and kimonos made of different textured fabrics. Those spirits represent states of mind and are generated ‘out of’ the elements at hand. They come to connect with our human disposition.
As we follow their path and transformation, they come to a rest, the meditative stage; where the quiet takes place.
Towards the end the peaceful moment comes to an end developing into a next, more agitated stage where the beings move on and become once again part of the natural elements to finally dissolve into 'nothing’, completing the cycle.
Following the wish to escape a materialistic non-spiritual urban life, Har evokes the longing to return to that same place, where pure joy took place.
Pioneering alternative electronic music since 2009.
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