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Music

Röyksopp and Robyn's "Monument" + Behind-The-Scenes Feature

The new music video for Röyksopp and Robyn's "Monument" is a cosmic voyage through other worlds and dimensions, centered around an illuminated ceremony. In the seven-minute clip, the viewer floats above and around the...

The new music video for Röyksopp and Robyn's "Monument" is a cosmic voyage through other worlds and dimensions, centered around an illuminated ceremony. In the seven-minute clip, the viewer floats above and around the Scandinavian pop legends, inspiring the feeling of a gravityless realm—all thanks to a specialized spider camera. "It's about exploring the space around you and finding your own space in it all," says director Max Vitali.

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Following our track-by-track breakdown of the musician's collaborative mini album Do It Again, as well as a sneak peek of them on the set of the title track's music video, The Creators Project is debuting the visual epic for "Monument" (above), which we produced alongside a behind-the-scenes feature on the video's creation.

Though the narrative is better watched than explained, Röyksopp, Robyn, director Max Vitali, and choreographer Jefta van Dinther sat down to describe the project's inspiration, as well as the filming tech used to create a seemingly weightless world in a behind-the-scenes documentary below:

Vitali heard "Monument" very early on and began discussing his ideas of a mystical zone filled with interpretations of futuristic meditation. "He had a very strong feeling and he started developing it," says Robyn. "We had all these conversations about what this place could look like, how do you explain these emotions, how do you communicate these things in a way that feels sincere." The final result is a otherwordly environment, "influenced by the iconic imagery in 70s sci fi comics that we grew up with," explains Svein Berge.

To materialize this divine landscape, the crew implemented a spider camera, SCAI 3D, that Torbjørn Brundtland described as something that could itself be "a sci-fi character in a movie." The wire-based device is hung from the ceiling using four wires, and in the middle there's a rig with the camera hanging from a gyro head, enabling it to be controlled remotely. The dynamic gear can be manipulated so it rotates 360 degrees and offers a free-flowing feeling of weightlessness. "The song has a big, slow presence, and that's something we'll hopefully create with these cameras," notes Vitali.

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While contemplating the tech's role in the video, the director added:

"I like technology, but I feel like it's nice if you hide the tech…Things can slide over into being too cold and mechanical but if you can merge it with something else, then I see film as a hybrid of technology, emotions, and artistic vision. That's what Röyksopp and Robyn do: they merge something real with something computer generated."

Check out Röyksopp and Robyn's summer tour dates below:

For more Röyksopp and Robyn, check out their Do It Again tour dates below, and visit their website here.

August 15      Pukkelpop (Belgium)

August 20      Pier 97 (New York, NY, US)

August 21      Wolftrap (Washington, DC, US)

August 22      HB Pavilion (Boston, MA, US)

August 24      Pritzker Pavilion (Chicago, IL, US)

August 25      Echo Beach (Toronto, ON, Canada)

August 30      Zurich Open Air (Switzerland)

Related:

[Video] Watch Röyksopp and Robyn On The Set Of "Do It Again"

[Video] Röyksopp and Robyn Break Down Their Future-Pop Collaboration "Do It Again"

[Exclusive Premiere] Take A Cosmic Trip With Metronomy's "I'm Aquarius" Music Video