On Friday, August 16, Guatemalan-Italian artist Bird Call—aka Chiara Angelicola—is releasing her newest single and video from the forthcoming LP The Life is Extraordinary, due to drop on October 18. The video is an expressionistic dream, utilizing the fluid medium of dance to tell a story and interact with the lyrics of the single, titled “Tiny Transistor.”
Angelicola uses her body in twisting, contradictory ways over the course of the video while she sings. She’s free-flowing and interpretive, utilizing expressive movement to reveal different elements and emotions of the song. While she keeps her movements mostly fluid and smooth, there are moments when she takes a jarring shift, almost turning on herself. This is notably expressed in the snake-like movements of her left arm.
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“‘Tiny Transistor” was written as I was being clinically diagnosed with OCD during the first wave of the pandemic,” Angelicola said in a press release. “I spent several months not being able to leave my house because I literally thought the virus was on my doorstep. I was so grateful I was still able to write and exercise my craft because much of my time in isolation I felt incapacitated.”
She continued, “The song is inevitably a story about my journey through that time, the incessant internal chatter, and the process of quieting the prattling worries of the mind through music. The creative process of making records has always allowed me an opportunity to heal and empower myself after experiences like the one told in ‘Tiny.’”
Chiara Angelicola of Bird Call Heals and Quiets Her Mind Through Movement in New Video for “Tiny Transistor”
Chiara Angelicola took on elements of her own mind for “Tiny Transistor,” exploring them and healing through movement and dance. She explained further that this was also her first time experimenting with choreography.
As much as the music video is about empowerment, she said, “The video for ‘Tiny’ was also my invitation to heal through movement,” adding, “I took a giant leap into the unknown working with choreography for the first time.”
However, there was a familiar face waiting to catch her after that leap. Angelicola worked with her boyfriend, Martin Yernazian, for the first time as well. He directed the video for “Tiny Transistor” and helped bring the Bird Call vision to life.
“I’ve never collaborated with my romantic partner on anything creative,” said Angelicola, “so it was a healthy challenge to see each other in a new and inspiring way.”
Overall, the story of “Tiny Transistor” is expressive, inspiring, and healing. Watching the video, Angelicola’s movements almost break through the barriers and limitations of film, allowing viewers to experience her healing as well. For Angelicola, that propensity for movement was inspired by her relationship with her daughter.
“As an artist, I feel this untethered propensity to communicate stories through both musical and physical shapes now,” she said. “Somehow, motherhood made me want to dance. Somatic expressions from the heart. Late nights in an empty studio in Silver Lake understanding my body’s inherent knowledge, returning to the first language we are all born with.”
Angelicola trained with choreographer Jules Bakshi for the video, and, as she explained, “It was a reflexive propulsion to incorporate [movement] into the creative expressions of this new record.”
Featured Image by Martin Yernazian
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