When the overcast skies begin to part, those first stray beams of light pierce the veil, like celestial spotlights searching the ground for answers to questions not yet asked. Karen Vogt’s voice on “Panacea” propels the pristine stillness of Pepo Galán’s composition into motion, languidly moving from cloud to cloud, a weightless angel pulling the planetary strings. Prismatic colors blossom into lucid rainbows covering the surface of everything, bearing new life and creating a soft landing place for the emotional strife woven in the threads of the song.
Drea Louise’s mesmerizing video situates itself in the center of those feelings and the strong sense of connection and purpose that exists throughout “Panacea.” “ I wanted to retain the delicate, tender feeling of Panacea and represent that visually by giving the impression that we are looking at memories,” Louise explains, “especially ones that express a feeling of love and a fire that resides in the heart.” This tenderness comes through in the imagery she selects and in the way the color palette shifts over the course of the piece.
Midway through “Panacea,” a shift occurs as a coda created by American composer Akira Rabelais emerges, taking the song into a new phase. Louise’s imagery follows that shift. Galán nails it: “It almost feels like you have moved out of a state of limbo and have started to find or realise something,” he says. Memories blur past, picking up speed and coalescing into a solid determination. There’s hope yet, especially in the darkness, waiting for the right moment to reveal itself. “You’ve got your head in a cloud,” Vogt gently belts out, “That won’t move on without a storm.” Hold fast. Hold strong. Help is on the way.
Galán / Vogt’s The Sweet Wait is out on November 12 and can be pre-ordered starting today:
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