On lespecial‘s most recent album, 2017’s Cheen, the Connecticut-bred three piece continued to explore its self-made genre of “heavy future groove.” With nearly 15 years together, the band has found its rhythm in a scene teeming with instrumental acts. By keeping a wide swath of influences, from hip-hop to metal to house, the band manages to stay fresh and continue to evolve.
lespecial is also a band that treasures its roots, that’s why on the new music video for “Donut Ghost House I”, from the Cheen album, the band went all the way back to childhood. This nostalgia-loaded video begins with every kid’s first introduction to electronic repair: blowing into the Super Nintendo cartridge. After the cartridge is thoroughly cleaned by that brief gust of air, we plug in Super Mario World and get to work. Only the familiar Italian plumber doesn’t pop on screen, instead it’s guitarist Jonathan Grusauskas whose movements are controlled by the A,B,X,Y buttons. This video is not only for Super Nintendo enthusiasts, but also for everyone who has ever been at a concert and thought they were somehow controlling the band’s movements. Bassist Luke Bemand said of the video,
The track is a nod to both the spooky, 8-bit puzzle glory that is the Donut Ghost House levels in Super Mario World, as well as one of our favorite producers J Dilla, and his album “Donuts”. We recorded our album “CHEEN” at Applehead Studios in Woodstock NY, where we were fortunate enough to use the great John Medeski’s mellotron, to give the song that creepy, cinematic feel.
The video is a tribute to the classic Super Mario World game on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System that so many of us grew up playing as 90’s kids. Directed and edited by visual wizard Vin Pugliese of VFX Design Studio, the video was created by merging analog and digital visual techniques, much like the recording of the audio. Vin has something of a mad scientist layer in his basement, including a custom built pyramid of old tube TVs. Welcome to the Donut Ghost House y’all.
Watch the music video for “Donut Ghost House I” from lespecial.
lespecial – “Donut Ghost House I” (Official Video)
[Video: lespecial]
Since Cheen‘s release nearly three years ago, lespecial has kept up a constant touring schedule, playing shows and festivals across the country. The band recently stepped back into the studio, and released the single “The Vessel“. Visit lespecial’s website for information on upcoming releases and tours.