Mei Ohara, “Bystanders”
Channeling Bladerunner is no easy task. Owning it is otherworldly. As is Mei Ohara, Boston’s solo experimental dynamo who here shines through a lens inspired by dystopian science fiction. Produced and directed by Jesse R. Sherman, the video captures Mei Ohara’s chaotically beautiful sound. “There’s an idea of who we each belong to, if not ourselves, and to what degree one runs from themselves or others to fulfill their own identities,” she tells Vanyaland. “The Blade Runner elements show up in the glowing eyes and dystopian visual scheme: city-line, dark color palette. Also, as a general nerd of space and science, I made sure to include make-up with a Neptunian trident — my home planet! — and a Saturn-esque silhouette on my forehead. The third of the make-up looks includes a third eye, which ties in to identity, psychological perception, and also just a futuristic/alien/non-human feeling.”