More to the game than just music
Since the inception social media platforms, the do-it-yourself approach to making and marketing music has grown. Artists need to have something more than just an album to get noticed these days and must look to other creative outlets.
Local rapper and producer Andrew Erdman—also known as Rockchilld—completely understands this, which is why he’s in the process of creating 11 interconnected music videos that tell the story of an unsuspected bank heist.
Erdman has already released part one and two through various social media channels.
“We’re doing part three in the coming weeks now,” Erdman says. “The more professional videos will be in the middle of the series, but it should all wrap up in September.”
Part one, titled “Clockwork,” has Erdman running from the heist on top of a city rooftop while sporting a bloodied white dress shirt, slacks, and a pullover mouse mask. This is until he’s chased by a hooded assailant in a black ski mask who wants the takings for himself.
Erdman has been working with local filmmakers Six Six Films since the release of his “Tonight” music video, which was featured during the Edmonton International Film Festival in 2013. Six Six Films had the initial idea to do a bank heist music video series.
“I’m a huge fan of Quentin Tarantino so I think, after part three, we’re going to … jump back into what happened during the [bank heist scenerio]. ” Erdman says.
The lyrics found within a Rockchilld song span from rapid, somewhat freestyle verses to more laid back emphasizing choruses—the lyrical content is all across the map.
Part two of the bank heist series, “Fantastic Highs,” has Rockchilld rapping about his bank conquest using various pop culture references from Street Fighter, South Park, Dragon Ball Z and Lord of the Rings while in a getaway car.
On screen, fortune falls short for Rockchilld again after the same hooded figure from part one viciously rips him out of the car, ending the video.
“It’s great. Part three is basically going to be me getting my ass kicked while rapping,” Erdman laughs.
The person dishing out the beating will be local rapper Esteban Gonzalez—who goes by the name Neftali—and is also featured on the song. Additionally, Gonzalez is Erdman’s partner in their rap group HaiKai. Together they have an album’s worth of content that remains unreleased. This seems to be Erdman’s style. He also has a fully-recorded and mastered EP just sitting in the can, waiting to be released.
“It all comes down to timing,” Erdman says. “I’m trying to work more on the marketing and music video side now, but I think I’ll release it one day.”
Erdman’s music career takes full priority in his life as he writes, records and engineers five songs a week. He also owes many different people he’s met online for the beats he crafts songs around. It all comes back to online branding that artists now need to be conscious of.
“The internet is a flood and it’s impossible to siphon out all of the stuff out there. So to stand out from it, branding is so important,” Erdman says. “Think of Insane Clown Posse. They branded like crazy when things like Pokemon cards were coming out and now everybody knows about the hatchet man.”
Rockchilld
vimeo.com/sixsix
Stephan Boissonneault
stephan@vueweekly.com