Where do we even start with [@toradifrance] and ‘Pisonia Prologue’?

‘Pisonia Prologue’ is one of the most creative uses of visuals and social media to date.

Tora is a name I was not familiar with, but upon hearing ‘Pisonia Prologue’ I instantly became a fan. Not only has she got great vocal range on the track she delivers it with a calm swagger. Well written verses and a hook of course make the song what it is but it’s the personality to it that I think really pushes it up a notch. The production compliments Tora‘s voice perfectly – it’s slightly trippy but still strong without being overpowering. Even towards the end of the track where the production rises her vocals blend with the beat as if to add another layer and section to the production. It is an amazing audio experience and that’s even without touching upon the creative use of environmental sounds like cars and a camera’s shutter.

‘Pisonia Prologue’ is great as a standalone song, but there is so much more to it in both the visuals and its release. Visually it is a delight so shout out to Silence Lola on that. We get an array of types of shots, and not even your typical drone or 360 shots, the creative direction here was on point. There are definite Black Mirror and Unfriended vibes to this video, but also interesting uses of the various mediums of visuals. Stills, CCTV, selfie-style video, and your traditional camera video work are all blended seamlessly to create something truly different. These are the kinds of creative practices that keep things fresh and progressive, hopefully, it inspires more people to break the traditional video mould.

Speaking of breaking traditions ‘Pisonia Prologue’ is currently only available on IGTV. This is the first instance of a music video that I’ve seen that has released solely on IGTV and been optimised for that platform. As a rollout it’s really interesting, social media is where a lot of people’s attention is focussed so it’s a surprise that we don’t see music videos tailored to that. I think this kind of risk is exciting as just like with the visuals it pushes the boundaries of what to expect.

I think congratulations are in order to Tora on this one, the concept and execution was spot on in all aspects of this release. It is an important cultural moment as to just how flexible a music release can be if the correct thought and strategy are behind it. ‘Pisonia Prologue’ may just be a prologue of what’s to come from Tora but it’s difficult to imagine that it will be anything other than innovative and of the highest standard. Tora is an artist’s artist – one who might not get all the shine but who’s impact is felt.