Rogov's Video for "Sunrise Sunset" Encourages Make Outs

We are kinda kidding with that headline, but hey you clicked, and guess what we're speaking truth. In this awesome animated video copious make outs occur—with slithery paper tongues. Perhaps this leads to a full blown animated orgy. Maybe! But who are we to spoil the, ahem, climax? But let's pause for minute. Who is this Rogov guy? Well this past summer, back when no one remembered what cold felt like and we imagined we'd ride bikes in short-shorts till death, we premiered Gregory Rogove's first solo track. Back then he was called HOOOPS, but then he had to change his name (for boring reasons), so now HOOOPS is Rogov, which you might notice is Greg's last name without the e. That's first of all. Second of all, this silver fox currently drums in Devendra Banhart's band, and in the past he's made music as Priestbird, Megapuss (with Banhart and The Strokes' Fab Moretti), collaborating with a ton of other cool people. But his solo steez is currently our hot topic.

Below is the the premiere of the video for "Sunrise Sunset," a spectral, slip of a song—a uke soflty strummed, percussion like the clippity-clop hoof-falls of a tiny pony, someone murmuring "It's all right," inches from your lobe. There's something very soothing in this song's sparsity, and even more so as it builds and builds. The visual accompaniment is both whimsical and meticulous, a collaboration with one of Rogov's favorite artists, Elena Stonaker, whose work, he feels, embodies the ideas in "Sunrise Sunset": "Equal parts light and dark, innocent and wise, chaotic and ordered."

"We discussed a variety of scenarios that tell this tale of conflict and resolution, heartbreak and love, abandonment and reunion, death and rebirth," explains Rogov of their collaboration. "Then we set those situations to parallel landscapes and seasons. She went off and painted all of the backdrops and characters. We reconvened to nudge each limb and eyelid millimeter by millimeter together."

You can see a lot of love and care went into this. Begone CGI! Shouts out to the painted paper sax! No sax makes an appearance on this song, but in the video—wail, baby, WAIL! As for the song itself, Rogov offers: "It's about how good and bad things come and go—the only thing that is unchanging is change." He continues: "Fortunately, we have some agency to influence the events of our existence as they continue along their mutable path. And no matter how difficult or damaging a certain moment seems, in time it settles down. In the end, everything somehow works out just fine.

"It seems timely to put this out as the current cultural and political landscape is particularly grim. I hope it serves as a salve and tiny motor for moving forward. These are turbulent times. But now that all the detritus has risen to the surface, what better time than now to skim it off the top?"

That's right! No sleep till 2020. Catch Rogov, if you're anywhere near Mexico, this December. Or even if you're not near… maybe you're sick of the chill and it's time to get the hell out. You know where to go…

Rogov Tour Dates
Dec 2 - El Plaza Condesa - Mexico City w/ Devendra Banhart
Dec 6 - Departamento - Mexico City (solo acoustic)

Hooops is out now.