Will Shenton
When people say "DIY," it can bring any number of things to mind—most commonly in the music biz, four dudes playing lo-fi rock at a donation-supported show in somebody's basement. But the latest video from Oakland artist Perhapsy, aka Derek Barber, takes the acronym to a new, endearingly weird level.
In it, Barber's fantastic single "O, Su Yung" serves as the score to a kind of triumphant ghost story. We follow Su Yung, a fearsome but lovable spirit that goes to battle with a clan of anthropomorphic dinosaurs, in a loose homage to early Mortal Kombat games. However, for the visuals, Barber embraced an even more simplistic style than that of an early-'90s video game: hand-drawn stick puppets, plastic toys, and gore made from red jello.
The video is playfully rough around the edges, with Barber's distinctive illustrations and deadpan cameos providing a nice counterpoint to Perhapsy's somewhat melancholy sound. When it comes down to it, he writes happy music that sounds sad, his own goofy optimism as irresistible as the layered guitars. "O, Su Yung" is a perfect encapsulation of that nostalgic joy.