Eclectic producer Subculture and rising British Zimbabwean artist Rachel Chinouriri have joined forces for their brand new single The River Bend.
Opening with the steady pulse of a repetitive bass line and Chinouriri’s smokey vocals, Subculture underlays the surface of The River Bend with twisting, constantly shifting percussion, eerie, ricocheting electronics and piercing, haunting bursts of woodwind and brass, letting these elements build until they overtake the song. Speaking on the single, Subculture commented; “I wanted to create something classic sounding with a futuristic spin, kinda like if Kanye produced a Nina Simone record.”
The video director, Otis Dominique commented; “when I sat down with Subculture and heard ‘The River Bend’ for the first time, I knew the film had to be made! Symbolically, Rachel stumbles across a place that’s unfamiliar to her on her journey. Confronted by strange, unwelcoming inhabitants that try to deter her from her path, she builds confidence and resilience as she takes them on one by one. A feeling of judgment is sensed throughout the piece and I really wanted that to intensify as her walk grew longer.”
In solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and with the intent to spark more action in the fight towards racial equality, a portion of label streaming revenue from The River Bend will be donated to the Minnesota Freedom Fund as well as The Black Curriculum.
Watch the visuals for The River Bend above.