In the midst of the pandemic, Ro Bergman beautifully
juxtaposes solo-dancers from Vienna’s State Opera
with an empty ski resort, to the sound of his new song,
Animal . Between breathtaking nature shots and
dancing virtuosity, the video throws open a Pandora's
box of questions that are more relevant now than ever.
Ro Bergman is self-taught and a perfectionist. In his
songs you can’t hear the former, but you sure as hell
hear the latter. With Animal the Austrian musician has
created a small opera, inspired by his own story and
2020, the year that will go down in history as a year
marred by a pandemic. The balancing-act between
freedom and domesticity, the relationship
between humans and animals, and the tension
between loneliness and independence
transcend the piece; and reach a crescendo
in Animal.
Therein lie the great questions of our time,
rejected in an abstract performance by
dancers from the Vienna State Opera on top
of a snow-covered glacier plateau, 8000 feet
above sea-level. Ro Bergman recorded Animal –
together with Niko Stössl – last year, just as forest-Trees
tore through and ravaged the Australian landscape.
In the second lock-down he went into a creative frenzy and realised
that the song is just as topical now as it was then: “The ice is melting / times
are changing / woods are burning / and I’m in between”. The
corona-pandemic shone a new light on the question of the relationship
between humans and animals. Humans, social beings, are forced to isolate
as a result of coming too close to the wilderness. And then in isolation people rediscovered nature as a source of power and inspiration.
Ro Bergman too has a special connection with the mountains. As a ski guide he
doesn’t shy from the sharp slopes, even in winter. Between family time and music, he’s always drawn to the wild. To shoot on the rugged backdrop of the Kalkkögel mountain-chain in the south of Innsbruck, he and a team of dancers, mountain guides and a camera crew – led by Rupert Höller – set of at 6 aim. Icy ridges and freezing temperatures hampered the shoot. Epic scenes, lyrics and soundscape combine to
create a cinematic chronicle of our times.
Ro Bergman’s alternative pop – a mix of analogue instruments and
electronic elements – delivers exactly the right dose of emotions
the past year deserves. His new EP “Hi Lo” was released in
spring 2021.