Amtrac and Future Islands’ Samuel T. Herring Soundtrack Office Anxieties in “Domino” Video

Herring contributes vocals to the producer’s latest single.
First Listen

Amtrac and Future Islands’ Samuel T. Herring Soundtrack Office Anxieties in “Domino” Video

Herring contributes vocals to the producer’s latest single.

Words: Mike LeSuer

Photo: Ross Laurence

August 26, 2022

As we recently detailed, Future Islands’ frontman Samuel T. Herring is a guy you wanna have featured on your song. While our investigation focused on his moonlighting rap career as Hemlock Ernst, his scratchy vocals feel just at home within the deep-house universe of Amtrac, who tapped the multi-talented vocalist for his latest single “Domino” from a yet-unspecified project. “I wanted this record to be a ray of sunshine during times of uncertainty,” he shares of his decision to reach out to Herring for a collaboration, “a feedback loop of hope.”

Singing over a skittering electronic instrumental, Herring is in his bag here as the soundscape recalls that of Future Islands enough that his soaring, dramatic vocals feel right at home. “I was asked during lockdown, ‘If I could work with anyone right now, who would it be?’” Amtrac continues. “Samuel Herring had been at the top of my list for quite some time. Fired off a blind email and it all unfolded—and this tune really shaped my upcoming album.” 

Just as notable as the song itself, the Cameron Veitch–directed music video for the track is a comic exaggeration of the anxieties tied to our recent returns to an office setting, with a manhunt in the first half of the video giving way to brief dance interlude before waking up to a bizarre sitcom-esque reality. “The video pays homage to some of my favorite filmmakers, with hints of the sci-fi/horror realms created by John Carpenter and the bizarre futuristic narratives of David Cronenberg,” Amtrac says. “We wrap at the end with an almost Tim & Eric, off-kilter take on the office workplace.”

Watch it below.