With his lo-fi, reverby, and VHS-era retro work between the years of 2009 and 2011, Washed Out (aka Ernest Greene) helped define the fleeting genre known as chillwave. He branched out a bit with 2013’s Paracosm, a more lush and psychedelic album, and since then, we haven’t heard a peep from him.
Today he returns with a new song and video entitled “Get Lost,” a dancey jam that’s a little more club-ready than most previous Washed Out tracks. In contrast with the syrupy pace of Greene’s best-known tracks, “Feel it All Around” and “New Theory,” “Get Lost” is more clear, razor-sharp, and in-line with house and/or nu-disco. In short, there’s no way you could call this track chillwave.
The song’s video is an equally impressive piece of work. Comprised entirely of animated magazine cutouts, it loosely follows a lavish day in L.A., convertibles, palm trees, and all. Its vintage, Less Than Zero-era ‘80s decoupage vibe is perhaps the track’s only connecting thread to chillwave. Director Harvey Benschoter appears to be a relative newcomer to the music video game (though his Vimeo page has some pretty trippy experimental video work), but based on the “Get Lost” visuals, he’s already an ace.
“Get Lost” was shared via independent rap/funk/dance label Stone’s Throw, and if this means that Washed Out has recently signed to the label, that’s exciting news, both for us and for Greene. There’s no news of a new album yet, but head over to his site to check out upcoming summer tour dates.
