China Aster has unveiled the video for their haunting and gorgeous jangly dream pop single, “If I Could Dance.” In flower language, the China aster symbolizes empathy, and it is emoted in droves with this powerful track.
Hailing from Guernsey, UK, China Aster is comprised of Joshua Moore, Oliver Marson, George Le Page, and Luke Davies. Having already played alongside acts such as the Kaiser Chiefs, Macy Gray, and Maverick Sabre, they already have a seasoned sound, reminiscent of Ultravox, The Smiths, and more modern acts like Perfume Genius. Masters of the key change, this meandering track packs an emotional wallop.
“Challenging the distinction between nature and technology, the song is about how parts of the human body are like little machines,” says Moore. “Body parts are treated as prosthetics, in the sense of aiding activities that they might not usually be associated with. Talking, which we do with the mouth, becomes something that might also be done with the eyes. In this sense, the song is a creative take on Karl Marx’s idea that technology is part of an ever-changing human nature.”
The DIY video for the song depicts ecstatic dancing along a dusky coastline; the band skillfully juxtaposes the polemics and style of the post-punk genre with the ‘realize your dreams’ rhetoric of pop, lulling us into a state of lucid daydreaming.
Watch the video for “If I Could Dance”, below:
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