Before the Award: RÜFÜS DU SOL's 'Alive'
Credit: Elliot Lee Hazel
As the week of the GRAMMYs has come to an end, we’re reflecting on the promotion of this year’s award-winning releases. First up is RÜFÜS DU SOL.
Teasing Their Return
Australia’s RÜFÜS DU SOL scored the GRAMMY for Best Dance/Electronic Recording for their single ‘Alive’. ‘Alive’ was the first new music from the trio in three years, and first made its way into the public eye via the RÜFÜS DU SOL website, with a brief message stating ‘we’re back’ and an option to sign up to their mailing list. Fans in Los Angeles and Sydney were encouraged to visit the site by street posters which featured the single artwork and the site’s URL.
Visual Accompaniments
The single was released on July 14, following a premiere on The Zane Lowe Show. Later that month, remixes of 'Alive' by Solomon and Anyma were released, which were premiere by RÜFÜS DU SOL during a DJ set. Shortly after, the trio performed ‘Alive’ on The Late Show With James Cordon and returned to the live stage for the first time in 18 months, taking to the stage at Red Rocks.
In early September, after sharing the follow-up single ‘Next To Me’, RÜFÜS DU SOL shared an immersive video for ‘Alive’. They joined forces with director James Frost, who worked on videos like Radiohead’s ‘House of Cards’ and OK GO’s ‘This Too Shall Pass’. During a time when worldwide travel was off the table, the video was created in collaboration ith Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, who were able to transport viewers to digitally-rendered landscapes. It’s not until the video's final moments that the landscapes are revealed to be photorealistic creations.
Furthering the single’s connection with digital assets, RÜFÜS DU SOL also made the release’s artwork available on their website, where fans could explore it as a realm.
The Album Lead-Up
As the year continued on, the band unveiled further releases and announced the release of their fourth studio album ‘Surrender’. They continued efforts with a range of live shows and television appearances, and even an album listening bike ride, truly pedalling their way towards their first GRAMMY win.
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