Sydney-based electro-pop emissary Dominic Price, aka Dead Language, is a man unafraid to make bold musical choices with his output, and perhaps none of his work has demonstrated that as well as new single The Man Who Killed My Father.
The song is a wildly infectious, upbeat groover of a track that actually deals with deceptively serious lyrical themes. The catchy, ostensibly "fun" tune is actually an "extravagant ode" to Price's late father, who passed away a few years ago following a struggle with mental health issues. Price has achieved a rare balance between musical memorability and lyrical depth; thoughtfulness and entertainment; happiness and heartbreak.
It's a dichotomy that translates beautifully into the single's video, directed by Rory Pearson (Varna Park) and premiering today on theMusic.com.au. Price and his director worked on the concept of the video together, their collaboration being the result of a referral by one of Price's friends.
"We knew that the video was going to be dealing with some very dark themes, but this was also a video for a pop song," the muso explained in a statement. "One night, I emailed Rory proposing that the narrative should be a disco taking place at a wake. Between then and now, we tweaked the idea, discussed composition, and shot the video in a chapel! It gave me the chance to create, with my friends, a piece of Australiana-inspired art. I’m so proud of how it turned out."
The tune, which has been on the receiving end of broad support from community radio and the blogosphere since its release, comes ahead of Dead Language's debut EP, Like Heart, which is due for release on 26 April and will be followed by a series of launch shows, set to be announced in the near future.
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