“The old science fiction/future fantasy films are not far-off from what we see today,” says art pop performer Rié.
The Japanese-born, London-centered artist’s new EP, Levels, is releasing on 13 November. In anticipation of the record’s release, she is showcasing its first single, “Secrets”, in the form of a music video.
As Rié compares the sci-fi of yesterday to the reality of today, a deeper narrative reflecting on propaganda and conspiracy theories begins to unveil itself. That is especially evident in the single’s accompanying music video, which features propaganda footage from World War II amongst other evocative imagery.
“I started getting into classic films like Metropolis, 1984, and Brazil and the connoted imagery,” Rié continues. “As I dug deeper into the video archives, I found propaganda footage set during World War II and found it ironic that we are still repeating the same thing, the media itself embodying and functioning as a demagogue.”
She remarks that “those deceiving tendencies have become more prevalent in recent years through media, politics, and so on.”