Boston, MA rock band JUNIUS
are today premiering an acoustic rendition of their single, Transcend the Ghost, via Decibel. Transcend the Ghost was originally taken from their 2011 album Reports from the Threshold of Death, with the newest iteration of the track serving as a fresh reenvisioning of the song through a filmic perspective by 10 Seconds to Comply – a Philadelphia / Detroit film production nexus of writer Andrew Bonazelli, DP / director Manny OA and DP / director Ken Whiting.
WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR TRANSCEND THE GHOST (ACOUSTIC) VIA DECIBEL HERE
Speaking on the premiere, JUNIUS‘ guitarist Joseph E. Martinez comments: “When Andrew approached me about the treatment he had written, I thought it was super interesting. A script inspired by a song, which in turn inspired me to transform that very song into something that would hopefully complement a future video.
“Knowing the treatment was on the darker side of things, I decided to lean into the light and ethereal, keep it more optimistic. So I had my daughter sing on it which added this haunting beauty, that I’m over the moon about. Having her contribute to this project has been a very surreal experience and undoubtedly a highlight of my life. Not to mention, Tom Syrowski’s amazing mix and production, he definitely took this to the next level, always honored to have him work on JUNIUS music.”
Andrew Bonazelli also shared: “I’ve interviewed, conservatively, 500 zillion bands for Decibel, and while it’s never boilerplate and always at least an interesting ride, pitching an artist on collaboration is still painfully nerve-wracking, even at my decaying boomer age. I was relieved at how receptive Joe was to my treatment, which was written specifically for him despite the fact that we’d never met.
“While I Cherish His Entire Catalogue, Michael Bolton-style, Reports From the Threshold of Death is a record that, no pun intended, has eternal life in my collection. I never would have imagined an extended meditation on the afterlife could be so well-researched, thought-provoking, crushingly heavy and emotionally poignant. Transcend the Ghost seems like an outlier on the album with its vulnerable, isolated vocals, that perfect kick drum before the distortion crashes in, the disarming optimism in the lyrics… it was a massive honor getting a seat on the sidelines while Joe crafted this gorgeous, delicate variation that marries so well to the images Manny crafted.
“The vast majority of our work at 10 Seconds to Comply has thus far been heavy on the old ultraviolence (our name is a Robocop reference, after all), so it was refreshing to have the opportunity to bring something so nuanced, enigmatic and (hopefully) moving to life. That can all be attributed to the hours of hard work that Joe and Manny poured into this.”
With Manny OA adding: “When I was approached with the treatment and song for this music video, I immediately had a vision for the concept. The idea of an old Victorian house with very soft light and ethereal motion felt like a perfect complement to the tone of the music. I also wanted this to be a fully narrative story without performance elements that could stand apart from the music, but also one that — together with the music as the score — would make a strong emotional impact.”