Obfuscation (song)
Encyclopedia
"Obfuscation" is a song by Between the Buried and Me
. The song was released as the first single from their fifth album The Great Misdirect
. "Obfuscation" appears as the second track on the album, directly following up from the previous track, "Mirrors" and even features occasional time signature-followings as well as lyrics that are reflected in "Mirrors".
"Obfuscation" is featured as downloadable content for Rock Band
, via the Rock Band Network
and appears in Saints Row: The Third on fictional radio station The Blood 106.66.
was produced for the song. It was directed by Kevin McVey and released on November 29, 2009. It is considered to be a "short film".
Set in Marfa
, Texas
, the video begins with a man (played by Bill Oberst Jr) driving a Chrysler
and newspaper headline about a UFO appearing, before cutting to a boy (played by Tyler Smith) attending a magic show with his family. The magician performing invites the boy's sister (played by Sasha Stuber) to appear in one of his tricks, where she will enter a box, disappear, and return. When the girl enters the box, she arrives in a demented world where she is menaced by cloaked figures. The girl returns clearly traumatized and the boy begins to take interest in the magician. At their home, the girl panics and runs outside when she sees the television is showing "Killers from Space." She vomits a noxious acid and dies.
Meanwhile, the man arrives at a gas station to get directions, but is forced to shoot the clerk with his Walther P38 when she notices a tattoo on his neck.
The boy decides to go to the carnival the magician is performing at to get revenge for the death of his sister, and arms himself with a switchblade and a lighter. He sneaks into the magician's tent, but the magician is alerted to his presence and puts him into the box, sending him to the mysterious world. The man also arrives at the carnival, kills the magician's clown assistants and confronts the magician himself. The man had previously warned the magician that he would kill him if he touched the boy. The magician responds he hasn't touched the boy yet and proceeds to enter the box; the man follows in pursuit.
The magician chases after the boy, but is stopped when the boy hits him with a tree branch and stabs him with his switchblade. The man enters and shoots the magician in the head. It is then revealed that the man is the boy's future self, who warns the boy that he is not immortal. As they leave, the boy wakes up and the man is seen driving away in his car.
Production
Between the Buried and Me
Between the Buried and Me is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina. They have released a total of five studio albums, as well as a cover album, an EP and a live DVD/CD...
. The song was released as the first single from their fifth album The Great Misdirect
The Great Misdirect
-Personnel:Between the Buried and Me*Tommy Giles Rogers – vocals, keyboards*Paul Waggoner – lead guitar, vocals on "Desert of Song"*Dan Briggs – bass*Dustie Waring – rhythm guitar*Blake Richardson – drums, percussionGuest musicians...
. "Obfuscation" appears as the second track on the album, directly following up from the previous track, "Mirrors" and even features occasional time signature-followings as well as lyrics that are reflected in "Mirrors".
"Obfuscation" is featured as downloadable content for Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
, via the Rock Band Network
Rock Band Network
The Rock Band Network is a downloadable content service designed by Harmonix Music Systems with the help of Microsoft to allow musical artists and record labels to make their music available as playable tracks for the Rock Band series of rhythm video games, starting with Rock Band 2...
and appears in Saints Row: The Third on fictional radio station The Blood 106.66.
Music video
A music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was produced for the song. It was directed by Kevin McVey and released on November 29, 2009. It is considered to be a "short film".
Set in Marfa
Marfa, Texas
Marfa is a town in the high desert of far West Texas in the Southwestern United States. Located between the Davis Mountains and Big Bend National Park, it is also the county seat of Presidio County. The population was 1,981 at the 2010 census....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, the video begins with a man (played by Bill Oberst Jr) driving a Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
and newspaper headline about a UFO appearing, before cutting to a boy (played by Tyler Smith) attending a magic show with his family. The magician performing invites the boy's sister (played by Sasha Stuber) to appear in one of his tricks, where she will enter a box, disappear, and return. When the girl enters the box, she arrives in a demented world where she is menaced by cloaked figures. The girl returns clearly traumatized and the boy begins to take interest in the magician. At their home, the girl panics and runs outside when she sees the television is showing "Killers from Space." She vomits a noxious acid and dies.
Meanwhile, the man arrives at a gas station to get directions, but is forced to shoot the clerk with his Walther P38 when she notices a tattoo on his neck.
The boy decides to go to the carnival the magician is performing at to get revenge for the death of his sister, and arms himself with a switchblade and a lighter. He sneaks into the magician's tent, but the magician is alerted to his presence and puts him into the box, sending him to the mysterious world. The man also arrives at the carnival, kills the magician's clown assistants and confronts the magician himself. The man had previously warned the magician that he would kill him if he touched the boy. The magician responds he hasn't touched the boy yet and proceeds to enter the box; the man follows in pursuit.
The magician chases after the boy, but is stopped when the boy hits him with a tree branch and stabs him with his switchblade. The man enters and shoots the magician in the head. It is then revealed that the man is the boy's future self, who warns the boy that he is not immortal. As they leave, the boy wakes up and the man is seen driving away in his car.
Personnel
Between the Buried and Me- Tommy Giles Rogers – vocals, keyboards
- Paul WaggonerPaul WaggonerPaul Waggoner is the lead guitarist of the American heavy metal band, Between the Buried and Me from North Carolina. Being an avid fan of progressive rock, he is heavily influenced by John Petrucci, Pat Metheny, Allan Holdsworth and Steve Vai. He formerly played guitar in the metalcore band, Prayer...
– guitars - Dan BriggsDan Briggs (musician)Dan Briggs is a musician from Erie, PA, best known for playing bass guitar for the American progressive metalcore band Between the Buried and Me.He also plays guitar in the band Orbs. He is vegan...
– bass - Dustie Waring – guitars
- Blake RichardsonBlake RichardsonCartland Blake Richardson is the drummer for the American heavy metal band, Between the Buried and Me as well as the drummer for the deathcore band Glass Casket with fellow member of Between the Buried and Me, Dustie Waring...
– drums
Production
- Produced by Jamie King
- Music video directed by Kevin McVey