Prolific edm/hyperpop/classical music producer and PC Music veteran Danny L Harle just released his second full length album, “Cerulean”, highly anticipated after his debut “harlecore” in 2021. He prefaced his European tour with a special screenings tour, showcasing a breathtaking album film at select locations (unfortunately none in Berlin), featuring Harle and entourage dancing to his new tunes at a derelict maritime station.
Visualized by Director Lilian Hardouineau and DP Florian Solin, who have a long history collaboration with Oklou, Malibu, Eartheater, FKA Twigs and many more, delivered an absolutely magnetic experience, providing a framework that can handle Harle’s alternating melancholia and ecstasy.
It doesn’t surprise me that this film is a collaboration with NTS – their session films for Moin or THEY ARE GUTTING A BODY OF WATER are heavy hitters with strong visual concepts. Their commitment to invest in complex projects and platforming a huge range of artists is nothing but refreshing and impressive.
Coming back to Cerulean: Harle’s nostalgic trance snippets mixed with ear worm inducing pop hooks by artists like Caroline Polacheck, Clairo, Oklou or Dua Lipa, t-boned by noisy break beats fit Director Lilian Hardouineau’s style like a glove. Early 2024, Hardouineau directed and shot Malibu – So Far Out Of Love and I remember being completely overwhelmed with the emotional intensity transported by the combination of Malibu’s intimate ambient and his time-bending visuals that made me wallow in memories of being a teenager on the beach.
Cerulean carries this further, adding a hefty sprinkle of melancholy to the mix. The mix of slow motion and speed warps translate Harle’s tracks beautifully, webbing slowly drifting portraits of fellow introspecting ravers into the enchanting edit. Raindrops on the lens introduce dreamy flares and artifacts, and flashing lights briefly illuminate hidden corners in the venue. The transitions between the songs are done through a mix of grainy POV drone footage, surveilling the premises, or Harle exploring the remnants of the maritime research center. We always find ourselves back at the heart of the venue, where Harle’s DJ desk has been placed, set-dressed like a inorganic vital organ, filling the abandoned building with long forgotten pulses of energy.
I can’t get enough of this album and the film played a crucial role in getting me hooked. It provides a context for (the thoughts behind Harle’s album whilst still leaving plenty of room for your own. I urge you to take 30 minutes, put on some headphones and let the film transport you to where ever it might take you to.
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