US art rocker Zola Jesus has released an epic new video for her brand new single Lost, which you can watch in full below. The new video, directed by Mu Tunç, shot on location in the Cappadocia area of Turkey.
At the same time announces her sixth full length album, Arkhon, due for release through Sacred Bones on May 20.
“It’s true. Everyone I know is lost," says Nika Roza Danilova, the singer, songwriter, and producer who since 2009 has released music as Zola Jesus. "Lost hope, lost future, lost present, lost planet. There is a collective disillusionment of our burning potential. As we stray further from nature, we drift from ourselves. Lost is a sigil to re-discover our coordinates and claim a new path.
“I wanted to shoot the video in a place that carried a lot of energy, with someone that I felt understood the spiritual backbone of the song. It was a surprisingly natural process to make this video with Mu Tunc in Turkey. I put my faith in him and in Cappadocia, a labyrinthine city built within 60 million-year-old caves. Throughout human history these caves have served as a citadel for so many different groups of people who went there to get lost. It is a testament to the resilience of humanity, and the durability of our earth.”
“The story of Lost is a visual litany of devotion," adds director Tunç. "Reflects the exodus of the true self through the mystical environments of Cappadocia. Zola Jesus is for me like an outcast philosopher of today’s confused society.’’
Arkhon means "power" or "ruler" in ancient Greek, but it also has a specific valence within Gnosticism. "Arkons are a Gnostic idea of power wielded through a flawed god," says Danilova. "They taint and tarnish humanity, keeping them corrupted instead of letting them find their harmonious selves. I do feel like we are living in an arkhonic time; these negative influences are weighing extremely heavy on all of us. We're in a time of arkhons. There's power in naming that."
Danilova worked with producer Randall Dunn, known for his work with Sunn O))) and on Jóhann Jóhannsson’s score for the film Mandy. She also began collaborating with drummer and percussionist Matt Chamberlain, whose prior work appears on albums by Fiona Apple, Bob Dylan, and David Bowie.
Arkhon will be available through Sacred Bones, Bandcamp and various independent retailers, as well as on CD and cassette. You can view the artwork and tracklisting for the new album below.
Zola Jesus: Arkhon
1. Lost
2. The Fall
3. Undertow
4. Into The Wild
5. Dead and Gone
6. Sewn
7. Desire
8. Fault
9. Efemra
10. Do That Anymore
