Premiere: “Auckland” by LANZ
A new song from the Beirut member comes with an Andrew Ondrejcak-directed video
Premiering here, “Auckland” is the lead single off of a forthcoming second LP from LANZ (aka Benjamin Lanz). A touring member of The National and Beirut, Lanz has a solo sound quite unlike the indie-stylings of those bands—yet anybody who’s a fan of them will certainly find something appealing here. Lanz blends a pop and dance vibe into the tune, as well as various blips and electric guitar licks. The glitchy sounds serve the song’s inception—as Lanz was inspired to write it during a soundcheck. He says, “I was in Auckland with The National a couple of years ago, playing a festival and in sound check I got super-excited about these drones and blips that I was getting through my synth chain. Over the next couple of days there, I worked on a sort of electro tone poem based off of these sounds and inspired by the landscape and energy of the city. Back home in my Brooklyn basement, the song just sort of happened—the bass and drums laying in perfectly with the sonic postcard that I had brought back from New Zealand.”
Directed by Andrew Ondrejcak, the video pays homage to actor and dancer Cyd Charisse, who Ondrejcak was watching in “Silk Stockings” when Lanz sent him the song. He played the song over the film. “They seemed to shared a similar spirit,” he says. “One of looseness and ease, of an effortless cool.” The outcome is a juxtaposition of old and new, thanks to Ondrejcak’s use of split screens and clever editing. While showcasing Charisse’s film scenes may have nothing to do with Lanz’s original inspiration, it’s a coupling that makes perfect, charming sense.
“Auckland” appears on Hoferlanz II, releasing 13 April.
Image courtesy of Kate Diago
