Alex Exists is the new project of Alex Pulec, founding member of rock bands The Ruby Spirit and The Nursery. Inspired by absurdism, hyper surrealism and optimistic nihilism with an acid tongue firmly planted in his cheek, he is fascinated by pop culture and ego. The signatures of Alex‘s creative work are his unique sonic touches, drum heavy rhythms and classic “pop through a blender” melodies.

“Dancing With Chaos” is the first single from forthcoming debut album, Everybody’s Famous (Except Me). “This song is for anyone that feels overwhelmed by the state of the media, politics, and the unrealistic societal expectations that are placed on us,” Alex explains. “It’s an ode to confronting chaos head on, and having fun with it, instead of running for the hills.”

The visuals play off the hypnotic vortex sucking you into the “Alex Exists World” of tragedy, comedy, and booty-shakin’ tunes. Alex created the artwork using a composite of his baby photos, street photography and computer software to re-imagine himself as a baby, lost in the streets of New York City screaming out the soul while the city is spinning, warping around them.

We caught up with Alex Exists for an exclusive Video Voyageur you can find below!

1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?

A song is for anyone that feels overwhelmed by the state of the media, politics, and the unrealistic societal expectations that are placed on us. It’s an ode to confronting chaos head on, and having fun with it, instead of running for the hills. It’s a mesmerizing mellotron driven dirge that paints a vivid pastiche of urban life, and the otherworldliness that lies underneath the facade. Much like the tone and humor in John Carpenter’s classic movie “They Live”. I wanted to visualize this in a completely abstract way. Taking an avant-garde approach. No narrative, no obvious scenes, or storyboard. Just emotions, feelings, colors and moods meant to permeate the psyche and leave someone resonating with the song more on an emotional level vs. an intellectual level.

2. What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?

The visual style was inspired by the German expressionist film movement which peaked around the 1920’s to the 1930’s. These films were characterized by their use of dramatic lighting, distorted set designs, and exaggerated acting styles. These films often dealt with themes of social injustice, personal struggle, and psychological turmoil. Check out movies like “From Morn Till Midnight”, “Dr. Caligari”, “Metropolis” and “Nerves” if you wanna check out some of the specific films to get a visual idea of what I mean. Our twist on it was the use of projector lighting to create the warped world that the song illustrates.

3. What was the process of making this video?

Being indie filmmakers, we often work with limited budgets, it requires more creativity to fill the gap to make something look unforgettable, good quality and mesmerizing. The budgetary restrictions can make it challenging to create elaborate sets and worlds for their films. However, with the right creativity and resourcefulness, it is possible to create a convincing and immersive world even in a basement or other limited space. We shot this in a basement and the creative direction was largely helmed by director/designer Agata Waclawska (Moon Reel Media) who shot and produced the whole video.