You might not know UNO Stereo by name, but you probably know his work: the Melbourne-based producer, born Nic Martin, has had a hand in a stack of lauded R&B projects over the past few years, including Kaiit’s lush 2019 single “Miss Shiney” and Khalid’s debut record American Teen. Now, Martin has released “TEXT,” a lovelorn, late-night tale of unrequited love that takes place in the moments when your text thread just won’t light up with those three dots. A collaboration with Amindi, the Jamaican dancehall singer whose “Pine & Ginger” hit big a few summers ago, “TEXT” is a striking, modern take on unrequited love ballads.
Today, The FADER is premiering the video for “TEXT,” animated by Chris Yee, who has created animated videos for Justin Bieber, TOKiMONSTA, and the Free Nationals, among others. Drenched in pinks and blues, it’s a clip that perfectly evokes the dream-like haze of “TEXT.”
“TEXT was the first song Amindi & I made during our first session round mid-2018. I remember specifically how easy it was to work with Amindi that day. She writes really quickly, and unlike a lot of artists who tend to freestyle a demo melody guide or a rough sketch when they hear a beat, she kinda just kicked back on the couch on her phone for like 30 mins or so, then popped up like ‘I think I got it’,” Martin says of working with Amindi.
“Their eye for colours and how to convey emotion with the characters & their worlds within worlds was perfectly matched to this song,” Martin adds of his experience working with Chris and his brother Andrew. “Amindi felt the same when she saw the early sketches, and was legit blown away when she saw the first draft of the section of the clip where her room falls apart & she’s falling through the phone into a world of confusion.”
Watch “TEXT” above.
