Nov 11, 2022

By Caleb Campbell

Photography by Ea Verdoner

Last month, Danish pianist and songwriter August Rosenbaum released his latest solo LP, Songs People Together. Rosenbaum has made his name over the years as a producer, composer, and collaborator, working with Kendrick Lamar, Dev Hynes, Dijon, and Kim Gordon, all while he has been steadily growing a solo career, one he’s continued with the cinematic compositions of his latest effort.

Though Rosenbaum’s work most often happens from behind the keys, Songs People Together explores new angles to his compositions, relying more on vocal melodies and blending influences from R&B, experimental, soul, and pop music. Today, Rosenbaum is back with a new live video for one of the highlights of the record, “Hypnotized,” featuring vocals from fellow Danish singer/songwriter Jada and premiering with Under the Radar.

On the record, Rosenbaum grafts “Hypnotized” into a chilled reverie, filling the song with moonlit melodies, painting it with crisp production, and leaving the track feeling slick and effortlessly cool. As Rosenbaum says, Romy from the XX wrote the beginning so the song, and there’s plenty of their fingerprints in the studio version. In the live setting though, “Hypnotized” becomes more stark and stirring, with Rosenbaum slowing down the tempo, stripping out the percussion, and adding a gorgeous new texture. Meanwhile, Jada bring out echoes of soul and R&B songstresses, giving the lyrics new emotion when reframed in the glassy confines of her vocals.

Rosenbaum says of the video, “It’s always great to be in a room with Jada, her energy is radiant and very inspiring to me. She’ll come to the studio completely down to earth, cracking jokes one minute and then the next making all hearts tremble with her incredible voice. I enjoy our collaboration a lot.”

Check out the song and video below. Songs People Together is out everywhere now.