Under the influence of COVID-19 and the epidemic prevention policy, our bodies have to be isolated at home for weeks. Based on the current situation, the concept album Human-Virus Utopia came into being. The concept focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on surrounding things, such as psychological problems, material panic buying, the uncertainty of virus symptoms, and electronic screens as our only social windows. Quarantine Hysteria is the second track in this album. It presents the mental sensibility and negative hallucinations to the quarantine spaces through the elusive penetrability of deconstructed electronica style and low-frequency drumbeats from the hardcore-techno music.
Visually, the music video of Quarantine Hysteria reinforces the delivery of the track more. The news-like intro and the rising infected cases data reflect the collective panic worldwide. A messy table, a sink full of dishes, a trash can around the building’s corner, a steak next to the oven – they are being amplified, with the virus-like characters flying around, which implies the aggravation of hysteria and hallucinations. The video investigates the extreme details of the spaces through futuristic raw 3D modelings and acid strategy to travel between them from the video-game-like perspective. The suppositional virus character shows fear when we access the public space, such as the laundry room and the mailbox area. The fear toward the virus gradually establishes with the climax of the song. It shows the anxiety and ecstasy emotions and reveals the delicate world of conflicting emotions inside.
Alejandro Junyao Zhang 