Out of Focus: Mélat, Pataphysics and more

by Nick Hanover
Out of Focus

There are a lot of videos coming out of Austin these days, so we’ve decided to make life easier for you by compiling some of the most notable into a recurring feature called Out of Focus

Mélat “Weak”

Title aside, nothing about Mélat is weak on “Weak.” The enchanting R&B queen has truly come into her own over the past couple years, with an increasingly more powerful voice and a strong aesthetic, the latter of which is beautifully showcased in Sanetra Longno’s video for the single. Shot in royal hues that emphasize Mélat’s regal air while also giving a sensual atmosphere, the video for “Weak” is a perfect match for the song’s mood of romantic longing and desire. Austin is home to quite a few R&B sirens, but “Weak” once again proves that few artists here or anywhere are as suited to being in front of a camera as they are on stage.

Pataphysics “Computer Chair”

The humble computer chair finally gets its moment to shine in Pataphysics’ spaced out mini-synth rock opus “Computer Chair.” The lyrics talk of “traveling across the universe in a computer chair,” but Amber Navarro‘s video keeps things a little more down to earth, with a generic office standing in for the universe at large. But our pink dress protagonist sure acts like she’s on a celestial journey, rocketing across the empty office after hours, using the titular computer chair as a vessel for some decidedly unprofessional antics. Sure, an office park isn’t exactly a bold new frontier, but the message is clear: the right computer chair will make you feel like you’re exploring the cosmos while you’re filing those TPS reports.

SpaceMan Zack x The Teeta “Audrey Hepburn”

Despite how dark and ominous The Teeta’s music frequently is, his visuals tend to be more dayglo than goth, with neon graphics and floating cats and lasers. But for “Audrey Hepburn,” Teeta’s collaboration with emo rap act SpaceMan Zack, director T. Aubrey fuses together early ’00s emo MySpace imagery and grimy street styles for the most accurate visual representation of Teeta’s style yet. The color mostly comes from Zack and Teeta’s fashion aesthetics, with Zack in particular standing out in pink and purple flashes. Meanwhile the footage has the burned out and degraded feel of scorched home movies, making even the neon backdrops Zack and Teeta pose in front of come across as muted and haunting. It’s a far cry from the default Austin rap video aesthetic, where hordes of kids rocking fake assault rifles party in either McMansions or hollowed out shacks or both. And thank the mixtape gods for that.

Lou Rebecca “Break It Apart”

Lou Rebecca’s new material has an exciting amphetamine club vibe to it that deviates from the lush and stately mood of her early work, so it’s only natural that her video aesthetic would shift towards something more vivid too. “Break It Apart” is the first sign of that, with Rebecca adding grand, HD nature scenes to her signature dreamy 9mm style. There’s still a degree of the macabre and eerie to the visuals, though, as Rebecca– now clad in purple-gray hair rather than blonde– dons a forest-spirit-at-a-disco outfit and sashays around the hills and woods. The effect is as alluring as ever, but also more bracing and clear, much like the music itself with its pulsing beat and ’80s action movie synth pad bursts.

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Nick Hanover got his degree from Disneyland, but he’s the last of the secret agents and he’s your man. Which is to say you can find his particular style of espionage here at Ovrld as well as Loser City, where he mostly writes about comics. You can also flip through his archives at  Comics Bulletin, which he is formerly the Co-Managing Editor of, and Spectrum Culture, where he contributed literally hundreds of pieces for a few years. Or if you feel particularly adventurous, you can always witness his odd .gif battles with his friends and enemies on twitter: @Nick_Hanover