Norwegian-UK post-punk outfit Permafrost have unveiled the video for their new single ‘Restore Us’, a shimmering melody brimming with hope to overcome our collective trauma, numbness, and malaise caused by years of political strife and a literal plague.
With a classic post-punk melody culled from the collective unconsciousness of the kind of 1980s optimism found in stacks of vintage vinyl, Permafrost’s “Restore Us” hits the reset button hard, letting the nostalgia push us forward with the promise that it can and will be better again, but hopefully better than before with the wisdom we have learned during these darkest of times.
The accompanying video’s footage was shot in 1987 by keyboardist Daryl Bamonte, taken during Depeche Mode’s Music For The Masses tour, with whom Bamonte was working at the time. Highlighting a bygone era where a band could hit the road cross country in a van, drive down Route 66—and after hitting 101 shows, celebrate in triumph by selling out the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
But with some bitter irony, the unchecked optimism of the 1980s led to the birth of a new consumerism era whose negative aspects we are still feeling today. So with a chance to start again, will we shed our rose-tinted glasses, and learn from our mistakes?
Watch the video for “Restore Us” below:
The single release of “Restore Us”, includes the original version and two remixes. This will be available as of September 3 via the Fear of Music label with distribution by Secretly Noord.
Find it on Apple Music, Bandcamp, and pre-save it on Spotify here.
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*Photo by Sofie Amalie Klougart