THE AUSSIE psych machine that is the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets released their first single of 2020 earlier this month, “Mr. Prism”. It’s a familiar but refreshing mixture of the Porn Crumpet’s uproarious, fuzzy-guitar heavy choruses and ethereal lyricism, with added bouts of electronic reverie.
The video for the track also arrived recently, created by frequent collaborator Oliver Jones, and employs an art direction as extraordinarily kaleidoscopic as any of their past work. This Claymation spectacle envisions the Wonka-like, fantastical realm of ‘Sweetsville’, with the anxiety-ridding words fitting seamlessly into the visual escapade.
Frontman Jack McEwan says of the video’s conception: “A prismatic man needs a colourful adventure, so when we were throwing ideas back and forth with Oliver it was hard to pass on an edible Claymation.
All of us were in awe when he sent us through the final animation – proper cherry-on-top work!”.
The video’s dark nature, with the Alice in Wonderland-esque character juxtaposed by ingesting edible organs and the agitation in the lyrical honesty, was inspired by the Porn Crumpets’ previous touring onslaught. Consequently, McEwan became riddled with illness and the feverish haze ensued which brought about Mr. Prism’s birth, alongside the burdened lyrics like “New year comes, no more lungs, Doctors says I’m done. He tells me that I should probably quit smoking…”, “Rectangular pills prescribed/ Thank you Alexander Fleming”.
McEwan elaborates on this, saying: “I had a plethora of reasons to see a doctor. First, he thought I had tonsillitis, so prescribed me penicillin, which didn’t help at all. I did Falls Festival over New Year’s and barely got through – turns out I had pneumonia.
“I was pushing through on all sorts of meds until someone offered me the HMS Hunter alternative and I realised no matter how I’d ever be, I could never turn one down. Mr. Prism was born.”
The band earned praise for their astronomically fun and creative third album, which they toured relentlessly in the UK and Europe in the second half of 2019, as well as numerous festivals in their native Australia.
The future sees the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets’ return to Australian audiences, as they join Sydney’s Ocean Alley on the road in early 2021. Their creative genius unfettered by 2020’s many impediments, they aim to release their fourth album early next year, sharing several other releases in their new chapter along the way.
Check out the video for “Mr. Prism” below.
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