by Nick Spacek
Troma Entertainment alumnus Dylan Greenberg recently directed a sci-fi-themed video about the Rutherford Radium experiment for the artist Luxtress, an electro-pop artist who writes unorthodox but catchy pop songs about technology and late-stage capitalism. It’s the perfect mix of dance music and weird, low-budget sci-fi, and we’re proud to premiere it here, alongside a Q&A with both the artist and director…
STARBURST: Your video for “Haldol” had horror elements, much as the video for “Rutherford” has sci-fi elements. What’s the appeal of genre films for visuals?
Luxtress: I’m a huge horror and sci-fi film nerd. I think because of that I just naturally go in that direction with video. I think it’s sort of a gesture of appreciation for these genres and a way to make my own mini-film as well.
This track is way more poppy than anything you’ve done thus far. How’d you come to this sound?
Luxtress: I love music and playing around with different genres and sounds. I switch it up a lot to keep writing interesting and challenging for myself. I’ve written a lot of music over the years in various bands, most of which isn’t online. I decided a few years ago that as a solo artist I’d write and record whatever I felt like and not worry about a consistent sound.
How much of the concept for this video was yours, and how much was Dylan’s?
Luxtress: I remember I wanted a mad science lab vibe. The song was inspired by a certain scientist, among other things, so I explained this to Dylan who then came up with a lot of great ideas and went from there.
Why did you choose “Rutherford” as your next single?
Luxtress: I think it’s a fun song and I also thought it would make a great sci-fi-themed music video, which interested me. I was talking to Dylan about making a video for one of my unreleased songs a while back, and “Rutherford” seemed like the most logical and fun choice for us to base a video on.
How’d you come to work with Luxtress?
Dylan Greenberg: We met through the incredible Coney Island USA event Music of Curiosities when we both played a festival opening for The God Bombs. As solo music performers, we both like to make irreverent pop songs about obscure historical figures and inventors, so it was one of those odd, perfect coincidences that we met. I double as both a songwriter and a filmmaker so I was really excited when I got to work with Luxtress, who was very open to my bringing the sense of movement and performance I have from my own experience into this video. I definitely feel like both of us have very unique visions that blend well together.
What did your time with Troma bring to this video?
Dylan Greenberg: Troma taught me how to make a lot with a little, and certainly in the music video world that’s important. Unless you have a multi-million dollar budget, using your imagination is very important, and thankfully Luxtress and I were able to stretch our minds to turn a few props, some creative lighting and cinematography into an epic, dystopian story.
I definitely also think the concepts of radiation, poisoning and environmental pollution that I incorporated into the story were inspired by Troma. When one really pays attention to a Troma film, beneath the absurdist exterior is often a very profound message about the environment and the dangers of corporate irresponsibility at the expense of human life.
I was always struck by the disastrous health effects of radium being sold to people as, among many things, medicine, and was immediately drawn to this song when Luxtress brilliantly opens the lyrical story with this same concept.
Where was this shot?
Dylan Greenberg: The lab scenes were shot at my friend Kat Green’s studio! Kat is basically a mad scientist in real life, so she had a lot of these amazing props that worked great to create our surreal laboratory! For the factory scenes, we shot in Highbury Pub, which was generously opened up to us by my friend Adam Torkel! I realized that a bar counter works fantastic as a substitute for a conveyer belt [laughs], so with some clever use of backdrops, fog and good old-fashioned acting, a pub became a turn-of-century radium factory!
Find more music by LUXTRESS on Spotify, Apple Music, and Soundcloud
