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Photo: Kelly Kazmierczak / Courtesy of LunaSea Media

Katmaz Celebrates the Sadness with “Alone (With Me)” (premiere)

Brooklyn-based art pop artist, Katmaz dances his cares away with a new single (and video) that chronicles a doomed long-distance relationship.

Often, sad songs of loss are masked by funky, danceable beats and catchy melodies. It can be a way to cope with the heavy subject matter. The new single from Brooklyn-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Katmaz was written, in his words, “as a love song to a woman who moved across the country, but it quickly developed into a song about the unattainable.” The whole concept of wanting something you cannot have is countered by the loose, funky vibe and major chords of the song, creating a nice bit of artistic friction.

“I want to run away together,” Katmaz sings, “But you’re always leaving the room.” The instrumentation gives the songs a somewhat synthetic, art-pop feel with Moog synths and both real and programmed drums meshing with a very uncomplicated yet sophisticated classic pop atmosphere. After a dreamy guitar/keyboard/vocal harmony interlude, the chorus crashes in one more time, with swooping, pronounced synth lines driving it all home.

The video, directed by Andy Morin, mainly consists of Katmaz walking through Brooklyn’s McCarren Park on a sunny, late fall day, with a random cast of characters weaving in and out of the frame as Katmaz is, in his words, “walking through life, oblivious to my surroundings”. The first minute and 45 seconds of the video was shot in one take, breaking for a bit of cosmic fun as Katmaz, his guitar, and some puppets float through a green-screen galaxy. The video’s final scene is arguably the most entertaining part, as Katmaz and the cast are back in the park, this time joined by a small dance troupe whose presence was a last-minute, unplanned appearance. “As we were filming, some kids walked by and looked interested in what we were doing,” Katmaz explained. It turns out they’re part of a step team called the Unity Queen Steppers. Their cameo at the end of the video is a perfect bit of serendipitous casting and caps everything off beautifully.

Despite the subject matter, “Alone (With Me)” is an infectious, funky bit of musical optimism. Let’s hope that Katmaz continues along the same path but doesn’t need another breakup to make it happen.

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