New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Today, up-and-coming German electronic-alternative crossover act Johnny Tupolev debuts their first video for the catchy track, "Shot In
Black & White." The cinematic piece starts off showcasing the three-piece set against sweeping vistas on towering boulders high atop the oceanfront, visually echoing the boldness of the lead track from their upcoming album, which will be released on indie label COP International Records later this year.
Says the band of the message behind the song: "You are at most a silent movie star, who has nothing to say. The real stars are not in front of cameras. You can find them in real life and not on movie screens."
Johnny Tupolev is made up of Tom Berger (vocalist, songwriter, guitarist, programmer), Jens Grebe (bass) and Dietmar "Didi" Noack (drums) who have crossover appeal in both electronica and alternative rock.
The name Johnny Tupolev also aims to connect both worlds-West and East-through a mix of culture and music in one universal language. While "
Johnny" symbolizes American rock n' roll and blues music, "Tupolev" refers to the electronic forms of pop music hailing from European inventors like
Kraftwerk and CAN, referring to the band's wholly unique sound that has been seen in various promos they have been teasing on social media.
In addition to the music the trio makes, the band also engages with visual creatives on their team, including Emmy nominated cinematographer/documentarian/music video creator Christoph Vitt and OSCAR nominated Visual FX Supervisor Frank Petzold, both of whom worked with the band on the video for "Shot In
Black & White" on location in Mallorca, Spain. Most of the filming was done between 5 and 7 AM to capture the rising sun and the band challenged themselves to do sequences under water, including attempting to balance the drum kit at the base of the water.
"Didi fought against drowning, just to film a few good shots," says Grebe, "but all in all it was fun to produce this video on such a nice island."
Johnny Tupolev's upcoming debut for COP International Records will be released this year, helmed by the lauded John Fryer whose production credits include Depeche Mode,
Nine Inch Nails and Love & Rockets. Fryer also acts as COP International's A&R agent. The band's addition to COP International Record's roster furthers COP's global presence with more international artists being added to the Oakland-based label family as it celebrates 30 years in 2021.
