Johnny Marr has followed up last year’s dystopian concept album, Call the Comet, with another apocalyptic ecology-themed single called “Armatopia.” The synth-driven dance track questions “Who’s buying utopia?” and then offers up the answer “Let’s kill it - oblivion.” In the Kris Rimmer-directed video for the song, the former Smiths guitarist hosts a karaoke dance party for a bunch of young people living on the same block. Rimmer tells NME about his concept behind the video:
“Johnny and I wanted to work with the idea that even when the future of a person seems bleak and uncertain, they can still choose to pursue pleasure and self-indulgence. In this case, that hedonism is embodied in our four main characters. We chose the derelict tower block to contrast their eccentricities and followed them on a journey to ‘the last place on earth left open.’ There seems to be something quite significant about finding romance in the last days of existence.”
Marr had this to say about “Armatopia”:
“‘Armatopia’ is the odd state we find the ecology and ourselves in today. Have those in control made people feel like there’s only one thing left they can do? ‘We’re smoking till we burn out’, so we dance and party. It’s Eco-Disco for 2019.”
Watch the video for “Armatopia” as well as Marr’s KEXP in-studio performance from last year below.
The former The Smiths guitarist shares b-side from the Call The Comet sessions.
