This is one of the best things you’ll see all year. Multi-talented artist Czarina released a new music video on Friday called “Wonderland” that delivers epic grandeur unlike anything else in the dark music scene. The locations are gorgeous, the costumes are stunning, the storyline is mythic.
“Wonderland” stars Czarina as a mystical priestess who commands an ancient warrior, played by multimedia artist and long-time Czarina collaborator DeadlyKawaii, to retrieve seven glowing jars that contain the elements: fire, water, wind, earth, sun, moon, and heart. He crosses fantasy landscapes, battles smoke creatures with a samurai sword, and at one point even encounters a mermaid.
It’s a stunning music video on a massive scale. Everything about this production is top-notch—it looks like they spent millions of dollars making it.
The video was shot in Galicia, Spain, where Czarina resides, and directed by Deliris Films and The Kitsunes, who used a variety of cinematography techniques, including drone footage and underwater shots.
The video’s description on YouTube reads:
“Wonderland” celebrates the magic and cosmic mysteries of the Spanish Kingdom’s Druid and Pagan history. Produced in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, “Wonderland” is a song about rebirth and realigning one’s spirit with the wonders of nature and the cosmos as the world rises once again from the ashes that once burned.
Czarina’s upcoming album is called Arcana
“Wonderland” is the second single from Czarina’s upcoming sophomore album, Arcana, which should be out in Fall 2021. Her debut, Painted Holograms, was released in 2018.
Earlier this year, she released “Atomic: Ad Initivm,” a blast of electronic bombast that I named one of the best songs of the year so far. “Wonderland” has a soothing beat and more organic feel than “Atomic: Ad Initivm,” though it’s no less extravagant.
The strength of these two songs proves Czarina to be one of the most exciting and talented artists in dark synth music. Few other artists are delivering content this ambitious, and Czarina’s voice compares to some of the best in the scene, including Toal’s Luzi Lacole and Black Nail Cabaret’s Emese Arvai-Illes. I compared her vocals in “Atomic: Ad Initivm” to Sarah McLachlan, but on “Wonderland” she’s giving me Florence Welch and Zola Jesus vibes.
The music video for “Atomic: Ad Initivm,” another impressive visual feast, features a science-fiction setting that serves as a nice contrast to the mystical, Pagan-themed premise of “Wonderland.” They’re only connected by Czarina’s incredibly sophisticated costumes that are quickly becoming one of her trademarks.