Multidisciplinary artist Promiseland (aka Johann Rashid) shares his new single and video “Only Broken,” mixed and mastered by DARKSIDE’s Dave Harrington and released via House of Feelings Records. The video is an audiovisual feast, a literal end credits-esque montage of evocative imagery soundtracked by Rashid’s kinetic new wave production, embedded with quotes from Susan Sontag, Elliott Smith, Roland Barthes, Andrew Tarkovsky, and Georges Bataille for additional cinematic and philosophical heft. Filmed both in Mexico and in New York, it doubles as a reflection of Promiseland’s dual artistic homelands.
“‘Only Broken’ is a raw reflection on the nightlife world that shaped Promiseland, where the line between survival and self-destruction blurs,” he shares. “I wanted the intensity of the lyrics to be reflected in the video, weaving together Russian roulette, chaotic club floors, and flashes of life’s highs and lows into a chaotic spiral of sex, death, and the desperate urge to keep dancing even as we — and the world — bleed out. The video unravels like the final frames of a film, pulling backward through memories and chaos, collapsing into a kind of Big Bang. A recurring symbol of both violent creation and inevitable decay.”
Known for bringing the same level of ferocity, if not considerably more, to his live shows as his studio work, Promiseland’s performances are not to be missed.
Promiseland’s music is a fiery collision of punk vocals, propelling beats, poetic chants and ritualistic lyrics. His catchy dance songs and the stunning energy of his stage show have quickly earned him a rabid fan base that includes Julian Casablancas, whose label, Cult Records, released Pomiseland’s first album, Sad but Happy (2023), including the menacing “Take Down the House,” aptly featured on Casablancas’ Grand Theft Auto V radio station K.U.L.T. 99.1 FM.
Though the credits unfurling throughout the video for “Only Broken” might evoke a sense of finality, they more accurately double as Promiseland’s 2025 overture. He will continue to release a series of singles throughout the year that build upon his talent for cinematic videos and lyrics that describe the desperation of our frenzied states. As his international fanbase grows, particularly in Mexico, Promiseland is setting a course for the future, with each single a world unto its own.
