Dust Cwaine “Aliens in LA”
“Aliens in LA” is a delicious retro lollipop that speaks about beauty of being different. Like the visuals of the music, the track creates a hyper-reality where it’s out of the world yet at the same time very earthy and connected. It’s interesting how Dust Cwaine reflects on the illusional and almost fictional aspects of our reality that are odd and don’t make sense (we live in a world with imperfection, but why do we constantly surround ourselves with the illusion of perfection?) This very question brings us to “Aliens in LA,” where Cwaine speaks about fatness, bizarreness and inclusion.
They bring us a sonic world that is most authentic to themself. Cwaine’s voice is just delicious in your ears. Their voice is very textural and full of personality with a touch of imagination — just like their songwriting. Producer Josh Eastman expands on top of that with more illusive, ethereal licks and sounds. The sonic palette in this song feels like a walk on Venice Beach as the sun goes down. The night brings us closer to who we are. It’s colorful, fierce, but tender and courageous, something that feels precious and dear to your heart.
Cwaine describes “Aliens in LA” as their “fat anthem.” Reflecting on fatness, they commented, “I spent a lot of time thinking about fatness and how it is so out of rhythm with the rest of the world and how amazing that is, how much power that yield. This song carries that reflection.” The soundscape in the track fully explores an exuberant, satisfying, almost magical texture where all the creative sparks, sprinkles, and fairy dusts bring together into a retro-modern celebration.
As the song dives in, you could really feel yourself sinking deeper into the river of love and magic, where the bizarreness and fantasy stops being pushed to the corner. Here, you celebrate them and see the uniqueness of being different — that’s the vibe in “Aliens in LA.”
The visual aspect of the track is created by drag performer, writer, director, and producer, Miley Mumford where they bring the element of palm tree, open road with stars and nebulas. “The queer colors and prismatic and diffused style of cinematography roots the work in the celebration of the magical nature of queerness and trans nests. Where we may feel othered, we can create whole new worlds around ourselves,” said Mumford.
