There’s always been something a little alien about Sound of Ceres. Listening to Karen Hover (a.k.a. “K”)’s distinct vocals intertwine with fantasy-infused dream-pop soundscapes, Marina Abramović’s use of the term “galactic” possibly best sums up the band’s unique take on woozy psychedelic pop. In fact, Abramović’s voice can be heard throughout the band’s forthcoming LP Emerald Sea providing narrative glue to hold the piece together, further cementing the group as a more experimental evolution of their original form under the moniker Candy Claws.
The latest taste of the new record, though, leans into the alien soundscapes they construct, with “Sunray Venus” embodying the curious minds of its creators, K’s soft vocals nearly getting lost in the swelling of piano, strings, and the ambient textures that have defined the project’s work since the beginning—much like the song’s narrator in an unfamiliar surrounding. “Venus Caelestis, the morning star, has left the cradle of the void to climb sea-crags and delve in grottos for the flame spied from afar,” songwriter/producer Ryan Hover shares, expanding upon the song’s theme of curiosity, “a flicker beneath the waves, the deep wish of the unknown to be known.”
The video, appropriately, sees K strolling natural locales, from fields and streams to the caves depicted on Sound of Ceres’ debut LP’s cover, as if stumbling upon such landscapes for the first time. “Listening to the song and speaking with K and Ryan, an image of a visitor to this planet popped into my mind,” shares the video’s director Matthew Maddox. “I wanted to capture the mystery and child-like wonder of what it would be like to explore a new world for the first time.”
Watch the clip below.
