Taylor Nelson, AKA Circuit Faker is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and electronic producer originally from Minneapolis. His musical style blends electronic production with acoustic instrumentation. After taking a hiatus invested in travel photography, the COVID-19 pandemic brought Taylor back to music. He set up a home studio and recorded some demos, resulting in his forthcoming album “CIRCUMVOLVE”  and finding inspiration for his latest single “Ocular Therapy” as he longed for the world beyond lockdown and restrictions. Collaborating with videographer Justin Shen, they created a music video that reflects the song’s urgent message about our shared struggle.

“Ocular Therapy” paints a vivid picture of isolation and the longing for deliverance. The imagery of being adrift at sea and lost in the trees conveys a sense of being overwhelmed and in need of rescue, however, the lines “Here we are, on planet Earth / Look around, feel your heart? / Each of us, bound to breathe / Making most of what we see” seems to contrast the earlier feelings of solitude, suggesting a shift towards a more hopeful perspective. 

The single does not arrive alone. It comes packed with a somewhat frantic-paced music video shot by videographer Justin Shen. “Ocular Therapy” features several of Chicago’s landmarks with kaleidoscopic visual effects alongside intentional glitching and whiplash-inducing cuts, all together approximating the visuals to a trippy modern version of Godfrey Reggio’s ‘Koyaanisqatsi’ in my opinion. Of course, as impressive and enthralling the cinematography is, Faker’s vocals and vanguardistic electronic sound don’t need to compete for protagonism, making for a truly audiovisual experience where no part should be extricated from the other.