Salvation Egg is a tough nut to crack. Think parallel universe, think possession, think astral projection—and then think harder. This video by the duo of the same name defies all expectation and explanation. We at The Dentonite like nothing more than a heady, noisy challenge, and that’s exactly what Michael Briggs (of Vexed UK and Denton’s Civil Recording) and John Clardy (of Tera Melos) have delivered.

The music for the Salvation Egg video is an excerpt from the Salvation Egg EP's second track, "After." The video stars Max Creed and Cody Cantu, two people who (notably) could not look less alike. One lies upside down on his back in dark, shallow water as the video begins, the current pulling his blond hair to the left. One sits on a chair while his fingers twitch on his jeans.  Somewhere, an oblong hole has been punched through the drywall of a barren white room that seems to exist out of time. These are the three disparate focal points: Creed, Cantu, and the hole.

On a first viewing of the video, nothing seems connected. In fact, everything seems so disjointed as to be entirely unrelated. But look again: when Creed lies on a hardwood floor, his hair sweeps in the opposite direction. When Creed’s mouth begins to open, so does Cantu’s. Someone with light facial hair drives a car; Cantu, barely conscious in the driver's seat of his own car, rubs his chin. The hardwood floor becomes the house frame visible behind the hole. Clothes are swapped. When Creed’s arms displace the water, it’s like the fabric of space-time is being disrupted. The two men stare at each other from an ominous distance. In the final shot, Creed gets out of the water and only his hand is visible—it flexes the same way someone's hands did earlier. Whatever has happened, it’s something cosmic and beautifully sinister.

Salvation Egg’s music is as enigmatic as their video. If you visit their website, you’ll see the album described as “improvised noise.” (Hats off to these two for some truly astounding improvisation.) Briggs’ ambient drone work is noisy on the surface but shapely and intricately composed beneath; his unintelligible vocals lend an especially troubling feel to the piece. If you’re already familiar with Clardy’s drumming for Tera Melos, prepare to feel totally disoriented and enthralled. This is a slight departure from the math-rock syncopation of the band's records, but Clardy retains every drop of that intensity and inventiveness. This is an exercise in purposeful confusion. We highly recommend giving in to it.

Salvation Egg is available on Bandcamp on a name-your-price basis (be generous. This is worth it.) The duo’s first live performance is scheduled for October 12th at Mable Peabody’s Beauty Parlor & Chainsaw Repair.

Header image design by Kristen Watson