Irish artist Eoin French, who goes by stage name Talos, creates a sonic palette with which to say goodbye on the stirring elegy “Far Out Dust” along with its accompanying visual, premiering today (March 11) on Billboard.
Already a proven master of invocative electronic music from his 2017 debut Wild Alee, Talos reaches for loftier heights on the gripping soundscape of “Dust,” which captures the rawness and fragility of directly coming to terms with one’s mortality. Through the song’s ebbs and flows, Talos walks the delicate balance of conciliation and loss on a transformative journey to an ultimately cathartic yet peaceful resolution.
“This was the first song I wrote for the album,” Talos tells Billboard. “It outlined a set of sonic rules for the record, so to speak. In the studio, myself and [co-producer] Ross Dowling worked to make this song feel like a continuous build. I wanted it to die just at the point that it felt like it should peak. This reflected the sentiment of the overall song in that it was intended to capture a last goodbye.”
Tying in the project’s cross-continental influences, Talos makes special mention of the collaborative effort behind “Far Out Dust”, saying, “Valgeir Sigurðsson [Sigur Rós, Feist] and Francesco Fabri of Greenhouse Studios in Reykjavik added some amazing textures and moments, bringing it beyond what I had imagined it could be.”
Though Talos laid the groundwork with the song’s expressive imagery, his emotionally resonant vocals are further punctuated by the video’s stark imagery.
“This video is a last goodbye played out through a dream sequence of surreal visuals with hidden meanings,” director Brendan Canty explains. “‘Far Out Dust’ is my favourite song on the record so it was an absolute pleasure to make the visuals for it and to work with [lead actress] Ann Skelly again — she has such a powerful and striking presence on camera.”
“Far Out Dust” is the title track from Talos’ sophomore effort, available now. U.S. tour dates are listed after the jump.
Watch the video for “Far Out Dust,” exclusively on Billboard, below.
Tour Dates
March 13 — SXSW @ Augustine, Communion Showcase
March 14 — SXSW @ Velveeta Rooms, Music From Ireland Showcase
April 30 — Boston, MA @ Great Scott
May 01 — Washington, DC @ Union Stage
May 02 — Brooklyn, NY — Baby’s All Right
May 04 — Toronto, ON @ The Drake
May 06 — San Francisco, CA @ Popscene at Rickshaw Stop*
May 08 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Moroccan Lounge
*Co-headline with Bayonne