When the DPR team began teasing an upcoming release ominously referred to as “The Voyager 737”, I, and many other fans, were more than excited to expect a comeback from DPR Live, the company’s primary recording artist. However, during the teaser when crew member Cline asked “Yo, is that Cream?”, it was a welcome shock. The release turned out to be DPR’s main producer, DPR Cream‘s first solo project, a single The Voyager 737, featuring the tracks “Color Drive” and “Problems”.
DPR’s MV director, Christian Yu, creates a stunning visual explosion through “Color Drive”’s MV, showing Cream as he navigates an alien planet, Planet 737. His space cowboy-esque persona is highlighted through many fantastical scenes — from his spray-painted car drifting across a color-changing desert, to an extensive shot of him nailing a piano solo one-handed. Yu immerses viewers in the world of Planet 737 through constant camera movements and glitching effects that paint an ever-changing, alien landscape.
In addition to how intriguing this alien planet appears, it is clear that this concept was not done solely for aesthetic purposes. On Cream’s Instagram, there is an image of a tattoo of an astronaut falling backwards leaving a trail of rainbows, as well as a noticeable effort on Cream’s part to hide his face behind hats and sunglasses. The MV’s theme, centering on Cream’s travels on his alien planet, seems to be a fun nod towards his love for space, and his elusive persona. Throughout the MV, his face is covered by a cowboy hat or cast in shadows; this visual motif carries on his tendency to hide a part of himself. The only clear shot we get of him is when he is sporting impressive neon makeup in a purple-curtained room.
This level of inclusion of Cream’s personality showcases how in-tune the DPR team is to each other in all forms of the creative process. Cream’s shadowed face is also slightly reminiscent of the MV for DPR Live’s “Know Me”; in it, Live is largely in the shadows, highlighting how his audience didn’t really know him yet, but would soon.
The song itself immediately recalls Cream’s earlier work as part of the duo Laybacksound, specifically “Where”. While “Where” has a more somber vibe, “Color Drive”’s bright, jazzy energy is a welcome re-introduction to what makes Cream such a stand-out artist. His soulful vocals paired beautifully with the intricate instrumentals to create a sultry flow throughout the piece. The highlight of the song definitely goes to Cream’s display of his signature piano skills; the jazz piano solos give the song yet another creative dimension that truly rounds out the production. Fans of the DPR crew should be familiar with Cream’s piano skills from past works, and seeing Ian highlight his talents with solo shots of him one-handedly playing the piano is a real treat.
Another notable moment in the MV is how it ended by featuring the album’s other track, “Problems”. As “Color Drive” comes to an end, Cream sits in the car listening to a muffled voice repeatedly ask “Is anyone there?” on his radio. When he exits his car, a snippet of “Problems” plays as he strolls down the beach, before the car sinks in the ocean, with “To be continued…” displayed on screen. Despite the brevity of the scene, it definitely made me excited for whatever the team comes out with next. One can only hope “Problems” will continue on in a dedicated MV, hopefully showing another side to the planet Cream inhabits.
The addition of Cream to DPR’s roster was a great decision on the team’s part. Following Live’s world tour last year, it has been a relatively quiet year for the team, which makes Cream’s debut all the more exciting. As creative director Scott Kim, also known as DPR Rem, said on Twitter earlier this year, “…but don’t ya’ll ever [mistake] our silence for apathy or disregard towards our fans or what we were made to do.” With a possible follow-up MV in the works and Live’s performance at the Head In The Clouds Festival in August, I’m excited to see what the second half of this year brings for DPR.
