Model Man's 'Beta' channels the trial and error of computer games

After their debut EP ‘City Songs, pt.1’ met critical acclaim earlier this year, Model Man return with ‘Beta’. As their first and lead single from their second upcoming EP, the release explores the idea inspired by computer games “where you have to make hundreds of mistakes before accomplishing anything,” according to brothers Rob and Mark Brandon behind the project.

“Everyone gets so fascinated these days with perfection, so we thought it would be cool to put something out that is raw and incomplete,” they explain. “We wanted to explore that idea of trial and error within ‘Beta’. It’s about perseverance and routine and getting to the end of things.”

Coming along with the music, the video directed by Rob, features two female fighters (Naomi Ferne & Naomi Weijand) locked in artsy yet grisly combat which starts over and over again every time they die. Through the beautifully-shot choreography and unsettling editing, it toes the line between tenderness and hostility, complementing the music’s mood.

“It’s about that feeling of trying to get to the end of something, a process, and often beating yourself up a lot along the way,” Rob says.

Model Man is the sound of two worlds uniting, as they take the Chicago house of their youth and shine it through a prism of real pianos and drums. For the new EP, the brothers have visited five different cities around the world, meeting people, studying the culture and making field recordings – with a view to creating a concept EP of house-inflected tracks that capture something sincere and real about each place.

Watch ‘Beta’ now:

Catch Model Man’s debut live show at London’s Studio 9294 on 5 Feb 2020.