Ora The Molecule today unveils the video for
“Helicopter,” the new single taken from her recently released debut studio album,
Human Safari. The film can be viewed
here following
Clash’s first look.
Of the “Helicopter” video, director
Tanmay Chowdhary – who also directed the
video for lead single
“Creator” – says,
“The video is inspired by the idea of helicopters dropping in for rescue and evacuations. This film is set in the concrete jungle of a housing complex in India and explores the mental implications of living in a world that is increasingly cut off from nature. In the film, the protagonist is stuck in this concrete maze, trying to escape from themselves. Shedding light on the mental health crises of our time, the film is a call for a helicopter to take us away from the concrete jungle of our own minds.” Reflecting on the filming process of the video,
Nora Schjelderup – the creative force behind Ora The Molecule – says,
"The video for ‘Helicopter’ was shot in the outskirts of New Delhi, India. We were visiting Tanmay’s uncle who lived in this crazy post-apocalyptic building. It gave me associations of Franz Kafka’s The Trial. We were both so fascinated by the concept of these building complexes that functioned like mini cities. The place was so impersonal and strange looking, but at the same time we understood that the people living there felt very privileged." She continues,
“We shot the video in one day, just running around the building. It reminded me of a communist aesthetic, but these were built in the capitalistic spirit. It really did feel like a visualisation of the ‘mind trap’ that the song ‘Helicopter’ is about - like a big labyrinth, where it's impossible to get perspective because it’s so massive and the individual feels so small in it." Also out today are two remixes of “Helicopter.” Debuted via
Flood, Sacred Bones recording artist and
Geoff Barrow collaborator
Anika delivers a sinister synth take on the heels of her critically acclaimed new record while the Pete Tong-approved producer
Eagles & Butterflies brings forth a thumping groove-based reimagining. Two additional remixes from Eagles & Butterflies will also be available exclusively via Beatport.
Stream and purchase the “Helicopter” single and remixes
here.
Of the remix package, Schjelderup remarks, “
I love how Eagles & Butterflies created a nostalgic ‘80s disco vibe, with some definite Todd Terje associations. Anika made a proper underground acid mix, suitable for Berghain. I love how these artists redressed the song and lent completely different feelings to it, like a new chapter in the life of ‘Helicopter!’” For her take on “Helicopter,” Anika says,
"I wanted to focus on the vocals and take them through the cityscape, like driving through Berlin at night in some muscle car, and give it a whole different setting. It's a little bit more sinister." Detailing his remixes, Chris Barratt of Eagles & Butterflies says,
“I loved working on these remixes for Nora, huge fan of her music. I wanted to make something big, moody and synthy for the dance floor. I used loads of my favourite bits of studio kit including CS-60, Juno 60, Roland 201, H3000 and the Devil Fish 303, added a little bass guitar, played some nice chords and melodies and that's it! For the Lost In A Space Echo Mix I wanted a version that was less peak time and just flowed around the vocal, something a little more dreamy. I love the harmonies in “take me to a place , take me home.” I looped this throughout the track and played the whole track back through a space echo.” Stream and purchase
Human Safari on orange crush transparent vinyl, CD, and digital platforms
here. All physical editions come with a one-of-a-kind Polaroid photo with doodle done by Nora Schjelderup (see artwork for her previously released singles for an example of her drawings).
MORE ABOUT ORA THE MOLECULEOra The Molecule is the musical moniker of Norwegian-born avant-pop artist Nora Schjelderup. For Schjelderup, life has always been about observation and finding one's purpose in the community at large. She is the molecule personified: the smallest bit of matter that retains its own identity while being part of something greater. This keen sense of inspection and willingness to surrender to feelings of wide-eyed wonder guided Schjelderup from her childhood to the release of her debut album,
Human Safari.
For the LP, Schjelderup adopted role of observer as she examined the world around her. "You could look at it like a bird walking around and feeling stupid for not understanding how everything works," she theorizes. "You feel small. When cognition takes over, those feelings can come easily because it's so much to take in for a tiny creature. It's celebrating the spectacle."
Human Safari consists of 12 songs alternating between joyous, beat-driven avant-pop and slick synthwave. "It's for sure two poles," Schjelderup explains. "The speaker is the storyteller and the instrumentals are nature or the way life goes. Sometimes you get scared, sometimes it opens up. It's life. I wanted to make a landscape where the voice could guide you through and be a safe voice. So even when it's a little bit darker, you're still in the story and it continues."
Throughout her life – and the album – Schjelderup espouses the concept of the extended chosen family and welcoming those who might otherwise feel uninvited. "It's a sense of belonging, a sense of oneness that you don't see in other parts of society," she says. "Community is everything. It's very important but it starts with the individual. If I can contribute to that, I want to do it."
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