Fontaines D.C.: a “Stranger Things” star appears in their new video

Fontaines D.C. have released the video for "Japan", the new single taken from "Dopamine Chamber", the Irish band's fifth studio album, out last Friday. The video's lead is played by Charlie Heaton, the British actor and musician best known for his role as Jonathan Byers in the Netflix series "Stranger Things". Directed by Luna Carmoon, the clip stands out for its surreal, visionary atmosphere, in keeping with the increasingly unsettling imagery of Grian Chatten's band. Alongside Heaton, the video also features Angèle Metzger and Sean Black. This isn't the first time Fontaines D.C. have brought a familiar screen face into one of their videos: Barry Keoghan previously starred in the clip for "Bug". Watch the video for "Japan" below.

Produced by James Ford, "Dopamine Chamber" arrives two years on from "Romance" (2024) and marks a further step in Fontaines D.C.'s sonic exploration, pushing ever further into experimental territory and unsettling atmospheres. The record was preceded by "Marianne" and "Tongue", as well as "Where Is Gone?", a collaboration with Rosalía that Chatten has called one of the most important moments of his career. Speaking about the Spanish singer in an interview with NPR, the frontman said: "I have a suspicion that her heart is similar to mine. She's a truly extraordinary arranger, composer and lyricist. It was incredible to find out she was interested in singing on something we'd arranged ourselves".

The title of the new record reflects the idea behind the whole project. "The album itself is a dopamine chamber," Chatten explained. "You walk into it and we experiment on you with different songs capable of altering your mind or mood". Compared to its predecessor, the singer describes an even darker work, shaped by the sense of a humanity progressively reshaped by technology and automation. "I think 'Romance' was maybe 60% human and 40% corrupted by automation and a loss of sensitivity. This record feels 60% corrupted to me: it's as if the mask has taken the place of the face. I thought it would be more powerful to strip away hope and portray ugliness honestly. It had to sound like a catastrophic warning".

The Irish band is currently preparing for a European and UK tour that will also stop in Italy, on October 26th at Unipol Arena in Bologna. Big stadium shows are also planned for 2027, including two nights at Slane Castle in Ireland on June 26th and 27th.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google