Exclusive Video Premiere: ‘No Sleep,’ Snow Culture

Today, we’d like make an introduction to a dark Swedish duo that call themselves Snow Culture. They arrive with “No Sleep,” their first-ever single and its accompanying video, premiering exclusively below, but insist on maintaining an air of mystery, and reveal themselves only as “A” and “O.”

“I like writing as if I’m passing the mic to someone that doesn’t always get the mic, or won’t even ask for it,” explains A, who in the case of “No Sleep” wrote from the point of view of an outcast, someone off the grid, uninterested in consumer culture—”someone awake,” says A. The film, directed by Andreas Öhman and Maja Kin, looks to Stockholm at night to express this buzzing feeling of being wholly aware and open. “‘No Sleep’ is a song about refusing to close your eyes,” adds O, and what, as well as who, you might find when they’re wide-open. But that’s not to say it’s all pretty, and if you’re seeking clarity, you won’t find it here. 

This video’s distinct point of view—lo-fi images, drenched in red, paired with a steady percussive thump and slowly sung lyrics—suggests that Snow Culture’s vision is fully realized and itching to be shared. Although the group only formed two years ago, this project is a “liberating” one, says O, and born of discontent. “We shared similar experiences and had both grown a bit tired, musically and personally, of trying to please so many people around us,” recalls A. “We wanted to create, for ourselves, without any outside input or ‘rules.’ We didn’t even tell anyone. We just did it, for us.” The result certainly has our attention, though we can’t say what’s next.  

“NO SLEEP” (NEON GOLD RECORDS) IS OUT NOW. FOR MORE ON SNOW CULTURE, VISIT THEIR WEBSITE.