The incredibly talented audio-visual artist CZARINA released a new music video last week for her track “Excelsior.” It’s another knock-out visual feast from an artist whose talent and ambition continue to soar.
The “Excelsior” video features drone footage of CZARINA performing in fantastical costumes surrounded by gorgeous landscapes. As a testament to CZARINA’s musical prowess, she portrays various characters performing the song’s instruments: guitar, keys, drums. My favorite visual from the video is CZARINA air drumming as large bursts of bright energy appear in the spots where she taps a beat. It’s magical.
The video was directed and produced by The Kitsunes, a creative duo comprised of CZARINA and her husband, the artist DeadlyKawaii. The description on YouTube says:
“Excelsior” was filmed in their coastal home in Costa Da Morte in Galicia, featuring epic seascapes, the regions’s natural raw beauty and the artist’s untethered, multi-faceted performances. CZARINA, who is a devout pagan and Animism Plus mystic, weaves emblems of her spirituality and culture within all her work and artistic universe.
Arcana is one of the best albums of 2022
“Excelsior” comes from CZARINA’s second album, Arcana, which arrived in February and is among my favorite albums of the year. It’s a mid-album, experimental track that blew me away the first time I heard it. I included it on my list of the best songs of the year (so far).
While CZARINA’s music is rooted in synthesizers and darkwave, “Excelsior” defies genre. She topples on additional instrumentation and her unique vocal stylings, including a rhythmic chant that sounds otherworldly. The song changes course so many times, which gives it a distinct prog rock feel.
“Excelsior” is the fourth video from Arcana. Prior to the album’s release, she debuted videos for “Atomic: Ad Initivm,” “Wonderland” (my number one video of 2021), and “Medusa.”
