Live Review: PREMIERE: Fait's 'Reverie' video reminds us to stop and smell the roses

WA rising star FAIT has had a remarkable few years since the release of her debut EP, Atmosphere, back in 2014. Playing coveted festival spots and receiving critical acclaim for her meticulous and intricate shoegaze music, Fait blew minds once more with her most recent EP last year, titled Sonder, and now she's back to do it all again with a brand new video.

Teaming up with regular collaborator, Matsu, the pair joined forces once more for Fait's latest single, 'Reverie'. Visually spectacular, the clip may appear simple in means, but is anything but. Focussing on a woman traversing Japan from countryside to city streets, this clip is all about finding brief but meaningful moments of peace whilst life moves quickly around you. Stop and look around, or you might miss it.

Shot over six days, Matsu travelled over 600kms throughout Japan, and spent over 30 hours on trains to capture this footage, and interestingly, only used the natural light available in the shot. It's truly beautiful, and as Fait's 'Reverie' underpins the visuals with it's meticulous loops and hypnotic sounds, a reminder of the constant moving of time.

Fait said of the clip, “Matsu and I have a very intuitive working relationship...when he suggested setting the clip in Japan, it made perfect sense. It's the clash of two worlds - technology and nature, that juxtaposition between chaos and calm. 'Reverie' is about escapism. Elevating yourself above the white noise of the modern world and appreciating beauty in the little things.”

There's a real beautiful subtlety about this clip, what were you trying to portray with it?

'Reverie' is about escapism. Elevating oneself above the white noise of the modern world and appreciating beauty in the small details. Matsu (who filmed, directed and edited the clip) has an incredible knack of capturing the subtleties of human emotions, and he uses natural light in such a poetic way. It speaks volumes.

As for location, Japan was the perfect setting. It's the clash of two worlds - technology vs nature, that juxtaposition between chaos and calm.

Is there any symbolism around the fact that the clip centres around being in transit?

The protagonist feels disconnected from the world, but the train is her one constant...it allows her to passively observe the outer world from the safety of her inner world. I love how her mood subtly changes as the train grows more crowded. When she disembarks, she is lost.

Matsu spent over 30 hours riding trains through Tokyo, Hakone and Osaka shooting these transit scenes...he covered close to 900km! The amount of work that went into this video is quite extraordinary. He has done an incredible job.

You're most recent EP Sonder is somewhat cinematic in that it really takes listeners on a journey. How do you like to take listeners on a journey with your music?

I think at the core of my music is emotion - each track is infused with a distinct mood & feeling, it's evocative. I also use a lot of space in my compositions, which allows the listener to sink in a little deeper.

The real journey happens when we play live though - it's an immersive audio visual experience. Each song has carefully curated visuals. We work hard to create the right atmosphere.

Your sound has really clicked with the Asian Market, particularly in Japan where you've released music through tower records, what is is about Asia that Resonates with and inspires you?

- was Asia always a target for your sound?

Asia was never a specific target as such, I only really write for myself, so if someone else out there connects with it, that's an absolute bonus! So I was pretty amazed when Tower Records reached out.

I'm fascinated by Japan & love to experiment with eastern instruments. I actually used samples of 2 traditional Japanese instruments on 'Atmosphere' - a koto and a shakuhachi flute. It'd be a dream to be able to tour there one day.

Coming from the shores of Perth, would you say there were any distinct influences or key venues that have supported and nurtured your band?

The Perth music community has been incredibly supportive of Fait since its inception. I wrote and recorded my first EP 'Atmosphere' when I was living in London, then built the live band when I moved back to Perth. I hadn't lived in Perth for a number of years, so I was pretty new to the Perth music scene, but was welcomed with open arms.

One venue in particular played an integral role in the growth of the band, and that was The Bird - they've nurtured us from day one, and are probably the most artist friendly venue we've ever played. I've struggled to find an equivalent since moving to the east coast. RTRFM have also played a pivotal role, consistently supporting and promoting my music. And I toured for the first two years with the support of government grants.

The generosity & support of the Perth community is really quite special. Talking about it has made me realise how much I miss it.

What's next? Tours/releases?

It's been a pretty hectic 12 months so for now I'm going to take some time out to focus on writing.

Sonder is out now via Inertia Music. Get it here.

Words by Emma Jones

WATCH MORE NEW MUSIC HERE

SEE ALSO

WITH A TOUCH OF HER FINGERTIPS VERA BLUE CAPTIVATES ONCE AGAIN

LUCIANBLOMKAMP ONLY MAKES THINGS CREEPIER WITH 'THE OVERMAN' VIDEO