The Newcastle-based electronic artist offers a trip through his unique imagination in ‘Jaguar Serpent’
The last six months have been game-changing for Newcastle-based electronic artist Atlas Franklin Alexander.
After traversing the globe for more than 15 years, spending his time living in different cities and travelling to different continents, Altas Franklin Alexander – the project of musical chameleon Pete Stals – returned to Australia last year to put the finishing touches on his debut EP, Enter Echo.
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Released in November, Enter Echo comprises six tracks of diverse, ethereal electronica, produced by the artist himself. The captivating vocals are teamed with swirling mind-altering melodies and palliative synthesisers which have you swaying around the room until the beat drops and a whole other feeling is evoked.
Featuring previous singles ‘Ancient Choreography’, ‘Valis 五百四’ and ‘Sonder’ – co-written with William J Coleman – the EP draws inspiration from relationships and everyday observances, garnering a terrarium of kaleidoscopic notions, flaunting an array of devices and techniques to encapsulate Alexander’s artistic visions and abilities. From traveling, relationships, bus drivers, and pets, to baristas, homeless people on the street, psychedelic ceremonies, sobriety, and drunken madness; anything and everything inspired this debut.
“My debut EP Enter Echo was recorded in many ways in many different locations; in the back of my car, on park benches, libraries, hotel rooms, ashrams, garages, friends lounge rooms smashing out vox takes, bus stops, monasteries, on trains, on planes. Anywhere and everywhere you can put a laptop down basically,” he explains.
“Writing and recording music is almost like my form of therapy. The collection of songs I have written is like a terrarium of trinkets plucked from my brain, one by one a narration of different events that have transpired and affected me in one way or another.
“I don’t really stick to any kind of writing process. It’s more like if something comes to me, I just write it down or record the bloody thing. I like to write and collaborate with friends on. I do the majority of it myself but I do love writing and collaborating with friends. William J Coleman is a pal who I’ve collab’d heaps with! William and I co-wrote a track off my EP ‘Sonder’ and also a mate Thomas Rawle mixed Sonder and Valis. Collaborating with filmmakers for music videos is something I really love doing too, it always turns out so differently to what you’d expect initially.”
A mesmerising collection of upbeat, chill ambient-electronic tracks filled to the brim with expansive soundscapes, Enter Echo showcases the DIY artist’s bold vision and fine attention to detail, with intricate production and adventurous arrangements underpinning thoughtful musings on identity, growth, and understanding.
Now we’ve been gifted another taste of Alexander’s bold vision with the release of his first short film, ‘Jaguar Serpent’, with the help of Newcastle videographer and director David Fulham.
Forgoing the conventional constraints of the music video format, ‘Jaguar Serpent’ sees Alexander focusing on a new medium to execute his creative vision, putting out something unique and surreal, offering music lovers something new and refreshing to discover.
“I just really wanted to write and direct a short film to release instead of another music video single. Don’t get me wrong I love doing music videos, I just wanted to make a little unique short film, so my pal Dave Fulham and I created one.
“I really love Alejandro Jodorowsky. He would have to be my favourite filmmaker. David Lynch is excellent too. I just really like unique surreal films, they make my bloody day and are so refreshing to discover.”
Allowing him to hone in on his artistic vision more than what a standard music video can do, the short film is a masterpiece in miniature.
Running for just two minutes and 12 seconds, the surrealistic imagery in the short is very captivating, but it also has a dark tone to it.
From scenes picturing a lighter and a skull-shaped ashtray on the ground and Alexander walking through a darkly-lit home to spinning vinyl, a razor vibrating on titles, and Alexander brushing his hair and vaping under fairy lights outside, the short is full of bizarre images and scenes that seem to have no rhyme or reason for being there.
Taking you on an unforgettable adventure all in the time it takes to finish a coffee, the short is narrated by a robotic VoiceOver, adding to the absurd yet imaginative and outlandish experience.
A curious slice of cinematic art, inspired by films like ‘The Holy Mountain’ and ‘El Topo’, this film was made to shock the audience and leave viewers wondering what they just saw.
On making the short film, Alexander says, “It was all very DIY. I worked with Dave Fulham to make ‘Jaguar Serpent’. Seeing as though this short was my first go at writing and directing it was interesting because I had not much of an idea of what I was doing. Dave works in film and could help me along with the process, but it happened organically.
“Dave has a camera and we both have similar interests, so we thought what the hell let’s make something weird together. We shot the whole thing around my house in Newcastle one afternoon earlier this year. It wasn’t too far away from my songwriting process, chaotic and unorganised.”
The short video arrives ahead of Alexander’s forthcoming EP launch show at The Oxford Art Factory in Sydney on June 9. After performing his first live show since the pandemic in his hometown back in March, Alexander is keen to share his diverse electronica and mind-altering melodies with a new audience.
“The Art Factory is always a bloody great time! Such a fantastic Sydney venue! The launch show is going to be nothing short of that. Pretty stoked to finally have some vinyl pressed for the show also!
“Supported by two awesome bands Miramar and Trip Fandino. Expect exceptional vibes and lovely people.”
Continuing the subtle but profound creative progression in the Atlas Franklin Alexander canon that began with 2018’s single ‘Ancient Choreography’, his debut EP and ‘Jaguar Serpent’ is his most dynamic outputs to date, crafting magic with mesmerising electronic instrumentation and textures replete with surprises and as awash in splendour as anything he as an artist has ever done.
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