Flamingods have shared new single ‘Dreams (On The Strip)’.
The band flew out to Atlanta to record the track, working alongside Grammy award-winning producer Ben H. Allen. It’s a stunning return, melding together other-worldly psychedelia, analogue synths, Middle Eastern disco, and a whole lot more besides.
A determined dip into the unconscious, ‘Dreams (On The Strip)’ recalls everyone from Giorgio Moroder to Animal Collective, with Flamingods adding their own unique flavour. Lyrically, it’s about connection, and how through dreams we can uncover different aspects of ourselves.
Frontperson Kamal Rasool comments…
“The power of dreams has got me hooked over the past few years. When I lost my Dad to Covid three years ago, I started having lucid dreams about him where he existed within these surrealist settings that felt both poetic and nonsensical. It felt like he was trying to reach me in these dreams, to give me advice or perhaps just be closer to me. It changed my perspective of dreams and the sometimes-potent effects they can have on you…”
As an added bonus, Girl Ray’s Poppy Hankin and her partner Joanie Eaton add harmonies to that lush chorus, while the striking, colourful video was shot between Los Angles and London by rising Indian, LA-based director Tanmay Chowdhary.
The band appear in the clip, alongside LA-based, Lebanese-American belly dancer and skater Alia Mohamed – who perfumes a stunning belly dance as the song breaks out into its peak.
Director Tanmay Chowdhary explains…
“We wanted to design a visual aesthetic that is reminiscent of the 80s and 90s, a time when Kamal was growing up in Bahrain. We used old VHS cameras and combined it with a more modern lens in capturing Alia’s talent, who like the band is an artist with complex roots.”
Kamal adds: “‘The video’s pomegranate imagery is a reference to the name of the Bahraini village my dad was born in (Ras Rumman / رأس الرمان) where Pomegranates were once cultivated. The motif is our way of paying tribute to him, alongside featuring some of his belongings like his boombox, binoculars, sunglasses and clothes.”
Tune in now.
Photo Credit: Tanmay Chowhary & Genevieve Reyes
