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'The Pied Piper' [Music Video] by The Chronicles of Manimal and Samara

Titled after the medieval legend of ‘The Pied Piper’, the rat-catcher of Hamelin, the song and video is about the “Rat Race of man”, and the endless, self-defeating pursuit that awaits for all who are lured into competing in it.

Created by the band (The Chronicles of Manimal and Samara), under their graphic design and video production arm, TCOMAS Studio, the video clip contains 3D and 2D animations and visuals inspired by graphic novels and virtual reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) gaming. The video is a sinister and dystopian take on our progress oriented, results-driven society, and the digital and increasingly alienating virtual world we live in.

Andrea, on what inspired the song early on: “The song’s inspiration started with my own experience of early morning commutes in the tube in London, as well as observing the people around. It made me think of the slaves of Egypt who were toiling to build the great pyramids with no reward. This formed the basis of writing, composing, and creating the video for ‘The Pied Piper’.

Daphne: “‘The Pied Piper’ is probably the most sinister song on the album. It is narrated through the voice of ‘The Pied Piper’ who will “lead the people to the slaughter”. The lyrics are inspired by German political playwright, Bertolt Brecht, whose work I'm acquainted with having performed many of his plays back in my theater school days. In particular, I drew a lot from his 1934 poem, ‘All of us or none’ (Keiner oder alle), it being a slave’s cry for freedom."

  • Daphne Ang
    Director
  • Andrea Papi
    Director
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Experimental, Music Video, Short
  • Genres:
    Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Music Video, Metal Music
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 19 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 15, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Daphne Ang, Andrea Papi

About The Chronicles of Manimal and Samara
Hailed as ‘pioneers of a new form of expression’ through the performance of poetry in music, The Chronicles of Manimal and Samara (TCOMAS) are a UK-based duo comprising Daphne Ang (Singapore) and Andrea Papi (Italy), who came together in London in early 2020 to record their debut album, Full Spectrum, released on 26 Feb 2021. Breaking new ground in the way they combine progressive music, poetry, and vision, TCOMAS fills a gap in music by bringing literature, theatre, and history, fusing rock and metal, with poetry performance. Their sophomore album, Trust No Leaders, was released on July 1, 2022.

About TCOMAS Studio
London based multidisciplinary artists and musicians working across video, illustration, graphic design, painting and poetry. Trained in art history and honing their craft initially through creating visuals and videos for their own band, The Chronicles of Manimal and Samara,TCOMAS Studio now provides creative direction for other musicians, as well as creating conceptual music videos and visuals for Spotify and designing cover artwork for albums. Drawing from a deep seated interest in Jungian psychology and mystical traditions of the east and west, their creations focus on capturing the human experience and consciousness, and aspects of the inner worlds of the unconscious, bringing together materials from the past and present to create new works of art.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Taken from the title of the medieval legend of ‘The Pied Piper’, the rat-catcher of Hamelin, the work (original music composition, lyrics, music video/film, artwork) is about the “Rat Race of man”, and the endless, self-defeating pursuit that awaits for all who are lured into competing in it.

We produced an animated music video for “The Pied Piper” under our graphic design and video production arm, TCOMAS Studio. The video clip contains 3D and 2D animations and visuals inspired by graphic novels and virtual reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) gaming.

The film is a sinister and dystopian take on our progress oriented, results-driven society, and the digital and increasingly alienating virtual world we live in.

The hypnotic harmony of meandering layers trace cultural and musical connections across the Silk Route. The haunting sounds of the Chinese bowed-erhu give way to undulating rhythmic beats reminiscent of the music from the Arabic, Middle Eastern, and Persian worlds. The lyrics deal with the complex interplay of power, control, and helplessness in modern society. The verses draw inspiration from the narrative style of the 1934 poem, ‘All of us or none’ (Keiner oder alle), by the German political playwright, Bertolt Brecht.”