Flavorwire Premiere: Torres’ Binaural “Strange Hellos” and “Son, You Are No Island” Videos Make Your Ears the Microphone

Share:

In an era in which most people watch music videos on their computers or phones, rather than their televisions, the idea of what makes a music video pop is much different now than in MTV’s halcyon days. Torres, a Brooklyn-via-Nashville singer songwriter who made noise earlier this year with her album Sprinter, out on Partisan records, has decided to take advantage of the fact that most people watching her videos will be doing so with headphones on.

In these videos for Sprinter cuts “Strange Hellos,” and “Son, You Are No Island,” Torres paired with a company called Hooke Audio to record the songs binaurally, a technique that serves to give the music an immersive, feel-like-you’re-there quality. Using two omnidirectional mics, one in each ear, it’s ostensibly supposed to sound like it would if you were in the room. Everything was recorded in one take, and it sounds incredible. Check out the two videos below:

Torres has been opening for 90s legacy act Garbage, and will continue out her own through the end of January. Tour dates below:

Wed. Oct. 28 — Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club w/ Garbage

Thu. Oct. 29 — Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club w/ Garbage Wed. Dec. 2 — New York, NY @ Webster Hall (Ground Control Touring 15th Anniversary) Tue. Jan. 12 — Toronto, ON @ The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern Wed. Jan. 13 — Grand Rapids, MI @ The Pyramid Scheme Fri. Jan. 15 — Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall (Tomorrow Never Knows Festival) Sat. Jan. 16 — St. Louis, MO @ The Firebird (The Art of Live Festival) Sun. Jan. 17 — Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop Mon. Jan. 18 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe Wed. Jan. 20 — Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s Thu. Jan. 21 — New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom Fri. Jan. 22 — Allston, MA @ Great Scott Sat. Jan. 23 — Burlington, VT @ Signal Kitchen

Sun. Jan. 24 — Hamden, CT @ The SpaceTue. Jan. 19 — Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel