PILGRIIM SHARES BLUE LAB BEATS’ REMIX OF DEBUT SINGLE ‘FLUX’
pilgriim
SHARES BLUE LAB BEATS’ REMIX OF DEBUT SINGLE ‘FLUX’ LISTEN HERE
A British producer and songwriter who lives in Medellín, Colombia, pilgriim has led a nomadic life that his songs seek to document. Particularly inspired by the rich culture and expansive landscapes of South America, pilgriim traveled around the continent before moving to Colombia to work in video journalism and documentary film production, recording his travels in photo and video. These photos and videos now inspire his visual aesthetic as a musician.
Having recently dropped his debut single ‘Flux’ (featuring the British-born Nigerianpoet Joshua Idehen) as well as its official video, pilgriim now shares its official remix from Blue Lab Beats. The duo brings their future-facing fusion of jazz, Afrobeat and electronica to the original, which mixed the poetic flow of artists such as L.A. Salami, George The Poet and Saul Williams to an experimental take on hip-hop.
Blue Lab Beats commented, “We had so much fun remixing this song. The lyricism and delivery are absolutely awesome. It was enjoyable and honestly the lead vocalist made the process easy as well. It was generally such a natural remix for us to do as both vocal performances really gave it they’re all and we were just vibing with the song.”
Blue Lab Beats consists of groundbreaking producer NK-OK and the formidable multi-instrumentalist Mr DM. Starting out as bedroom producers, remixing tracks from A-listers such as Dua Lipa and Rag’N’Bone Man, the pair quickly grew into something far more potent – crafting a supple, wide-ranging sound inspired by the pioneers of hip-hop and the music of the African diaspora while staying true to their London roots. The duo recently won a GRAMMY for their production on Angelique Kidjo‘s track ‘Fired Up’ from her ‘Mother Nature’ record, which won Best Global Music Album. Their own album, ‘Motherland Journey’, was released earlier this year to widespread critical acclaim including playlist support at 6 Music, 1Xtra and Jazz FM. They’re set to embark upon a UK and European tour later this month.
pilgriim’s visual style is represented by the self-directed ‘Flux’ video. It takes a documentary aesthetic and injects it with a healthy dose of imagination, using natural actors from the Comuna 13 neighborhood of Medellín to depict a skateboarder’s journey into a surreal world of filtered purple that is reminiscent of Richard Mosse’s infrared photography of the DRC. With street-level videography complemented by aerial footage from FPV drones, the video follows a young man as he grapples with his inner demons. The acrobatic aerial imagery charts a descent into darkness and disconnection, and an eventual return to light. The protagonist’s personal journey mirrors that of the neighbourhood around him: Comuna 13 used to be one of Medellín’s most notoriously dangerous neighbourhoods, but today is a vibrant tourist destination. Watch the video HERE.
While pilgriim’s story may sound like a stranger-in-strange-land trope, the truth is somewhat different. He has immersed himself in Medellín over a number of years, and aims to use his multidisciplinary art as a vehicle to assist the city’s continued progress, as well as change people’s perspectives on what life there is really like. Excited about the possibilities of Web 3.0, pilgriim plans to mint NFTs whose sale and resale will generate revenue for grassroots organizations in the places – like Comuna 13 – that have inspired the visuals for his releases.
