Music Video Premiere: Kan Wakan’s “Never Call” Is Here
Photo credit: Hristo Yordanov
It's always a good day when Kan Wakan releases new music, even more so when it comes accompanied by its own music video, since -as everyone who's heard of him knows by now -the Bulgarian- born producer and composer has an undeniable penchant for what is commonly described as "cinematic music". On one hand, his songs feel ponderous and deliberate, like an inexorable march to something greater, however, they don't force their way in, there's no rush to arrive anywhere or do anything in particular, yet they feel like they always accomplish their goals once all is said and done. Each song feels like an integral part of the moment, it elevates it and effortlessly shuts out everything that doesn't have to do with what's going on in the present... exactly what a good film score does.
This new release features the excellent Alexander Vincent on vocals, near-whispering in our ears the hook -and title-, letting the repetition worm its way into your brain to drive the message ever deeper. "Never Call" is a music video that examines a situation in which two people need to get out of their own way and reach out to each other for help, one to give it and the other to receive it; as Kan Wakan himself puts it: "¨[...]to find the strength to seek out help and to overcome one's fear of being a burden to others. On the other hand, it's also to try to avoid prioritizing your own ego at the expense of helping a loved one in need."
Listening to the song on its own, you notice a certain hidden intensity to it, one that's not rare in Kan Wakan but here seems heightened in no small part to the two-tone beat he's chosen. That same intensity is made manifest more clearly in the music video, where plenty of more-than-symbolic aggression takes place, no doubt a representation of the internal struggles described by Linev above.
Though normally based out of Los Angeles, Kan Wakan has been spending quite a lot of time In Bulgaria recently, with the majority of his most recent album "Phantasmagoria Vol. II" being recorded mostly in the country and being highly influenced by bits and pieces of its folk music. This particular music video was of course shot in Bulgaria, featuring the appropriate crew and cast, and it was directed by Martin Biserov and Gariel Pendov, who is also the male counterpart to Evelyn Malezanova's character in the video.
This song and music video, of course, belong to "Phantasmagoria Vol. II", an album that picks up where "Phantasmagoria" left off by being an assertive tour guide in its themes of synchronicity and authenticity. Though, the video release certainly does feel like it closes in on the release of "Vol. III" sometime in the (hopefully) near future.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Samuel Aponte is Venezuelan-born raised and based.
I joined Rival Magazine after a few years of doing PR work for independent musicians of all stripes; understanding their struggles to be heard in a sea of constant ADHD noise and paywalled access to platforms, I now bring a willingness to always appreciate and encourage the effort and creativity that artists put into their work . Can also find some of my writings on LADYGUNN and We Found New Music.