Moses Sumney has released a live performance video for his song “Bless Me,” filmed at his home studio in Asheville, North Carolina, and merged with abstract 3D animation using Microsoft Azure Kinect.
Sumney originally planned to create a museum installation using the Kinect software before the pandemic. With the onset of Covid-19, the piece transformed into “an experiential piece exploring isolation and solitude,” Sumney says, transforming the performance into a commentary on the global pandemic.
Sam Cannon, one of Sumney’s frequent collaborators, worked with the artist to create the digital performance video. While social distancing, Cannon directed Sumney’s physical actions via Skype, and his movements were captured via Azure Kinect, the sensors tracking him in real time with AI-powered Body Tracking SDK. The final image renders these sensors as tiny dots over Sumney’s body, with an RGB camera adding depth and texture.
“Bless Me” comes off of Sumney’s second studio album, the two-part Græ, which was released on February 21st and May 15th. It follows his debut LP Aromanticism and the subsequent EP Black in Deep Red, 2014. Along with “Bless Me,” Grae includes the previous singles “Cut Me,” “Virile,” “Polly” and “Conveyor,” and was recorded at his home in Asheville.
From Rolling Stone US
