Xeno & Oaklander Tap Into the Sweetly Sinister and Surreal in “Poison”

Brooklyn’s minimal synth maestros Xeno & Oaklander have just released the second single from their long-anticipated LP Vi/deo. The LP, due out on October 22nd via Dais, is the duo’s seventh album to date and continues their exploration into the furthest reaches of minimal electronic pleasure. With that in mind, watch the video for “Poison” below:

“Poison” begins with a wash of ethereal pads and a enticing lead line before exploding with a driving electronic beat and throbbing, acid-infused synth bass. Liz Wendelbo‘s vocals serve as a heavenly siren’s melody that floats in perfect harmony with Sean McBride‘s expansive array of modular analogue frenzy. It’s arguably the band’s catchiest single to date, clocking in at a perfect four minutes long, with powerful and alluring hooks at every corner. The duo continue to stun with their expansive mastery of both clever song craft and immaculate sound design that is often imitated, but never duplicated.

The video, a collaboration between the pair and longtime collaborator Scott Kiernan, explores the seedy, yet surreal world of Italian horror films. Tapping into the otherworldly technicolor palates of Argento and the world of Giallo horror-thrillers on the whole, the video features Wendelbo pantomiming the song while seemingly engaging in an eerie, yet enticing ritual, all manipulated by the use of video manipulation to give a cinematic, yet disorienting effect. McBride appears, in photographic form, placed into a white envelope, and whether he is the intended recipient of Wendelbo’s ministrations, or if this sparse appearance serves as a confession in itself, it is open to interpretation.

“Poison” taps into Vi/deo‘s overarching themes, all of which refract and distort concepts of synesthesia, intimacy, escapism through art, and deep concepts of retro-futurism. While the duo have always held deep fascination with bygone eras, their music and visual art has never once toed a line into self-parody. Instead, Xeno & Oaklander remain at the forefront of the current electronic scene, constantly pushing boundaries and moving forward with grace and passion.

Check the full track listing and ordering details for Vi/deo below:

Xeno & Oaklander- Vi/deo
1.  Infinite Sadness
2.  Poison
3.  Afar
4.  Technicolor
5.  Television
6.  Gain
7.  Movie Star
8.  Rain Garden

Pre-order here

Photo by Liz Wendelbo