Dan Bejar, the enigmatic force behind Destroyer, has emerged with “Hydroplaning off the Edge of the World,” the second glimpse into his forthcoming album Dan’s Boogie. The track arrives with visuals that merge grainy daytime wanderings with nocturnal urban exploration, crafted in collaboration with longtime visual partner Sydney Hermant.
The video, shot partially on Hermant’s vintage Canon GL2 camera, captures Bejar in a series of contemplative moments throughout Vancouver’s streets. What began as a simple visualizer evolved into something more complex, with Bejar himself manning the camera for the night sequences. “I love the grain of the picture,” Bejar notes, describing scenes where he wanders the city “trying to look Parisian, talking to the crows.”
Hermant, who has previously helmed several Destroyer videos, describes the project as “a nesting doll of visualizers that are relaxing until they are not.” The visual narrative shifts dramatically with Bejar’s night footage, creating an unsettling counterpoint to the daylight sequences.
Watch the video below:
Dan’s Boogie, set for release March 28 via Merge Records, follows 2022’s LABYRINTHITIS. The album’s first single, “Bologna,” dropped last month, suggesting a continued evolution in Bejar’s distinctive songwriting approach.
Before the album’s release, Bejar will join Father John Misty for a series of North American dates, performing in a stripped-down configuration. The full seven-piece Destroyer lineup is scheduled to reconvene this summer for appearances at Primavera Sound and subsequent European dates, where they’ll debut material from the new album.
The timing of Dan’s Boogie marks nearly three decades since Destroyer’s inception in the mid-1990s Vancouver indie scene. Throughout this period, Bejar has maintained a reputation for crafting intricate narratives that blur the lines between the personal and the abstract, a tradition that appears to continue with this latest release.
Tracklist
- 1. The Same Thing as Nothing at All
- 2. Hydroplaning Off the Edge of the World
- 3. The Ignoramus of Love
- 4. Dan’s Boogie
- 5. Bologna (feat. Fiver)
- 6. I Materialize
- 7. Sun Meet Snow
- 8. Cataract Time
- 9. Travel Light
Still Credit: Sydney Hermant
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