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Still running hot from the release of his debut album Ganbaru earlier this year, Melbourne electro star Yeo has released the third single from the LP, Got No Game. Accompanying the track is one of the grooviest videos you’ll ever see as Yeo directs contemporary dancers Trevor Santos, Alix Petah, and Ben Dennis.
As he prepares to tour the single with SAATSUMA and Take Your Time, Yeo took some time to speak about the truly infectious song and the even more mesmerising film clip.
Yeo’s Got No Game is a fuzzy dance masterwork with a video to match. Join the party and jam like you’re the last one on Earth.
Musically, Got No Game gnaws away at you, buzzing through the intro, until it fully inserts itself in your head with an effortlessly rhythmic chorus. Similarly, the video takes its time to warm up before our dancer’s launch into their glorious routines against a low-res background of space, forests, and ocean.
You almost don’t know what to do with this song because it’s so much fun to listen to, and the video reflects that, but it covers some pretty joyless territory at times from a narrative point of view.
Speaking of the correlation between track and video, Yeo said he usually likes to keep things simple.
“I have always liked clips where things happen in time with the music. It could be dancing, or editing, or both. The song and video are both intended to make the audience feel less self-conscious and at peace. We’re all just humans!”
It’s fair to say if the video doesn’t make you want to join in on the purely bangin’ moves that are taking place, you must be deaf and blind because the performers just go for it. Dancing like that one person at the club who just does not care, they still remain completely choreographed and in time.
Got No Game is set to become one of the year’s more popular videos, so how exactly did it come together?
“Most of Ben’s friends have seen him dance before, and we all agree that it makes us feel very happy and full of love for him”, explains Yeo.
“Scott and I spent two hours shooting his improvisations to the song in front of a green screen. Trevor and Alix did their pieces in front of the screen afterwards.
“It only took one night to film all the dancing. Then, it took me about five days of solid work to develop the background visuals, key the footage and edit everything together.”
It only gets better the more we see, with Ben throwing caution to the wind to create a completely uninhibited performance that would bring a smile even to the sourest of faces.
On the somewhat unpolished background feature images, Yeo said they contributed in a big way to the theme he was working with.
“The idea behind destroying grand images with visual effects comes from the over-arching theme of Ganbaru. It’s great to dream and set goals and work towards them, and don’t feel bad if all you can afford is the lo-fi version for now.”
Lyrically, the song explores some pretty literal issues that seemingly come straight from Yeo’s personal experiences. It’s mildly surprising but also a great pleasure to hear such honest and heartfelt writing on an electronic track, something Yeo was happy to talk about.
“The song is an ego reset; a magnifying glass on all of our screw-ups. It’s an anxiety dream when you fight with all your friends – you wake up, stress a bit more, but then get a sense of relief when you realise it wasn’t real.
“When I wrote Got No Game, it was real. After I finished, I felt way better, because, whatever man. You can hear me working it out in the second verse when I realise we’re all in the same boat anyway.”
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One often wonders about the fine line that artists tread when transposing their life onto their art in this way. When do you decide that you don’t want to delve any deeper into yourself and let everyone see it, or is it the only way to make great music? For Yeo, it’s always a meticulous consideration.
“It’s not the only way, but it is a strong method that often works. I worry about making my friends feel bad, which is why I’m careful with mentioning names or being too specific with lyrics.
“In terms of my soul though, I feel like I handed it over to music a long time ago. Baring my soul through song is my way of absolving my troubles. That way, I’m not afraid to say how I feel.”
One thing is for sure, Yeo has struck the right balance between sounds, visuals, and emotion on Got No Game. It’s a multi-layered song that only becomes more fun and exciting when you watch the video and it’s sure to be a hit when he tours it. Dancing will be compulsory.
You can catch Yeo with his special guests in September as they travel through Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Tickets available here.
