NATHAN BAJAR PREMIERES ANIMATED VIDEO
FOR “SPEEDY RACERRRR” ON HYPEBEAST
DEBUT PROJECT PLAYROOM OUT NOW
ON IN REAL LIFE
Nathan Bajar by Meron Menghistab |
Filipino-American multi-instrumentalist and producer Nathan Bajar debuts his video for “Speedy Racerrrr” today—watch here. Premiered on Hypebeast and animated by Kevin Gomez, the video follows Bajar’s dad as he crosses country and ocean to pursue his dream girl.
“The idea for the song came from learning the story of how my parents got together,” says Bajar. “In the Philippines, my mom and dad were friends. My dad was attracted to my mom but she was in a relationship at the time. A few years later my mom and dad are living in the United States but on opposite coasts. My dad then took a crazy journey of planes, trains and automobiles from San Jose to the East Coast to be closer to her and court her. The track documents the journey and is sung from his point of view.”
“Speedy Racerrrr” is taken from Bajar’s debut project, playroom, out now on In Real Life—listen here.
Bajar’s music is rooted in family, with his early memories colored by jam sessions at family gatherings. At age 13, Bajar’s dad and uncles taught him to play guitar and his lessons would continue through his teenage years. A self-taught producer, Bajar’s early beat demos uploaded to Soundcloud caught the attention of contemporaries including Mndsgn, Pink Siifu, Moruf and Illegal Civilization, who featured a song in their short film Summer of 17 Episode 2. His track “when i’m with her” can be heard in season 3 of Dear White People on Netflix—listen to the song here. It was also featured prominently on the Spotify POLLEN playlist this year.
The passing of Bajar’s father in 2018 sparked a creative awakening and pushed him to create playroom in one summer. The project serves as a tribute to his father and is inspired by family history, as well as his own romantic and familial relationships. The 11 track project, produced and recorded by Bajar, includes a photography zine that timestamps the record’s gestation and the characters included—see images here. Since the release of playroom, Bajar has headlined a sold out show at New York’s H0l0 and toured the United States with Still Woozy and Jakob Ogawa.
Nathan Bajar — playroom
1. playroom (lover’s paradise) |