Published on May 8th, 2019 | by Guest Contributor

Holly Recruits Portuguese Rapper Slow J for New Music Video: Encontrar

Portuguese DJ/producer Holly surprised his fans today by sharing the music video for his new single Encontrar feat. Slow J from his upcoming EP Avenal 2500 that is scheduled for a May 17th release on Deadbeats. The name of the EP happens to be the city and zip code of his hometown, which already insinuates the self-reflective nature of his art. Since he’s been a close friend of Holly’s, Slow J’s appearance on this inner-directed song and multifaceted EP is no surprise to the fans of the established rapper.

The hook “nunca encontrar” translates to English as “never to find”, which is a major hint for the whole concept of this song. As an artist, constantly ameliorating one’s art in the process of achieving perfection is a painstaking task, since the desire for self-betterment can hinder the acknowledgement of new successes. Holly conveys the exhaustion he feels with this song by utilizing the shades of black and white to create a somber atmosphere, an exquisite modern dance choreography that implies a journey of self discovery, and the infinity patterns placed cleverly throughout the video that establishes the never-ending process of advancing one’s craft.

Holly provided more information about the record and collaboration with Slow J:

“‘Encontrar’ is an extremely important record for my soul at this point in my life. Every day, I’ve been facing this process of self-betterment and striving to become the best artist and person that I can be rather than fearing that I won’t achieve my goals, which makes me feel like I’m climbing up a never-ending stairway. It makes this record even more special to have the energy of Slow J, since he’s one of my closest friends in music and is also an artist that I look up to immensely.”

The music video, shot in Lisbon, was directed and edited by Made in Lx and produced by Sente Isto. Although the viewers mostly see the main dancer Elohim Atons, fans can also spot cameos by Holly and Slow J.