Growing up in the internet era means knowing everything at once while knowing that there’s somehow still a vast world out there to discover. Orrin is an artist who is the embodiment of that sentiment. When the New York City-based rapper came by the VICE office a few months ago he dressed in a style he referred to as “dadcore,” which basically meant 90s athletic wear and aiming more for being comfortable than being fashionable. But despite the nostalgic impulses of his fashion sense, we ended up talking about all the important shit for his Beats 1 interview—like technology (mainly bitcoin, he knows a lot about bitcoin), the state of the world, and how we make sure society keeps learning to improve communication amongst us while still retaining our humanity.
His video for “Vampire,” which we’re premiering today, is a great example of how his mind works. Filmed in upstate New York “where we could find more nature and trees,” “Vampire” is an ode to Michael Jackson’s 1983 “Thriller” video. The song and video allude to the idea that the technology that’s allowing all of our bold new visions might also be literally harming us. Our phones can help as do a lot stuff, but they also, the video argues, might be draining us of all life and awareness.
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“Vampire” is most defined by its “dark witch house” vibe, which for the uninitiated means horror-influenced house production, throughout and the video fits the unsettling slapper perfectly. In it, Orrin finds himself in the woods and driving down a highway, hauntingly channeling the destruction he believes we’re succumbing to through technology. The distortion effects add to the creepy feeling very well and the whole thing is reminiscent of early Odd Future videos. Honestly, it’s the best weird thing you’ll see all week.
Watch the video for “Vampire” above.
