A musician adept at picking visual collaborators to bring his piano compositions to life (several of which having featured on our pages through the years), Hauschka recently commissioned Italian digital artist Sergio Pastore to create My Kids Live On Mars, the first music video from new album What If. A sublimely enchanting tale of altruism leading to planetary rejuvenation, we invited Sergio to explain how Hauschka’s music inspired this beautifully realised story of hope and salvation.
It was great to have the opportunity to collaborate with Hauschka and make the video for this track from his latest album What If. I had heard his previous albums and thought it would be great to work on his music. We came in contact right at the end of last year and he was actually planning to release What If. I find his approach to musical composition truly inspiring, both classical and hyper-contemporary at the same time.
It may sound strange but when I start working on a music video I never know exactly what shape it will take in the end. I’ve found that having specific visual references may not always be a help. I usually start with some rough idea and really let the music suggest scenarios, settings and actions – trying different things until I find something that works. The purpose is to create something complementary and closely connected to the song. Then, I try to reduce concepts to the essentials, seeking a compromise between expressive and productive needs.
The purpose is to create something complementary and closely connected to the song.
It took several weeks to complete the work. As usual, I started with the backgrounds and the choice of colors – this gives me a reference mood for the entire video from the beginning. I have a multidisciplinary approach, which in other words means not always following the same path. I use digital photography, photo-collage and digital art as well as traditional painting and modeling, and from time to time I choose the most suitable technique. In My Kids Live On Mars I used a mix of photography and hand-painting for the setting, while I made some real puppets for the characters.
Speaking of the characters, I liked the idea of making them somehow mysterious. They arrive on a desolate planet to save the last remaining form of life and they do so kindly, giving protection quite literally through their own bodies. It’s all about an idea of salvation and rebirth, I guess.
