Greetings, dearest gentle readers and all you music lovers out there. I am thrilled to welcome back the phenomenal US artist Ellery Twining to our blog. His past works, such as the visually striking “disengaged b/w slipping” and the touching “Results,” are pieces that have always been close to my heart, owing to their sheer honesty and depth. This artist has a rare talent for making even the most avant-garde of work feel personal, and he has come back to us once again with a brand-new visual and musical odyssey entitled “Oy.” This was released on March 7, 2026, and I think we need to discuss just how profound a collaboration this is.

To really get a handle on the visual and aural landscape of “Oy!”, it is, of course, necessary to discuss what this production is, and that is because “Oy!” is, in fact, a film that is a far cry from a traditional music video in any respect, and is, in fact, a near 12-minute short film directed by Ben Bostian, and one that acts as a visually stunning vessel for Ellery Twining’s very evocative and improvisational score, and so, in this respect, a strict and rapid-fire breakdown of this film is less useful, and discussing its overall narrative progression is useful in understanding exactly how this music and this visual combine.

The film is a cinematic experience that filters out all the noise of the world, concentrating solely on the journey of two friends going on a snowboarding trip up a very quiet, snowy mountain. There is virtually no dialogue to advance the plot of the film. Instead, the camera focuses on the sweeping views of the snowy landscapes, the exercise of climbing, and the smooth, carving action of descending down the mountain. As the day comes to a close, the visual experience culminates in a very simple, yet beautiful, long take of the sun setting. It is not a flashy, highly edited ending, but rather a still experience where the sun represents a form of closure, ending the day with a reflective, rather than a loud, experience.

It’s here that the genius of Ellery Twining’s musical contribution truly shines, and where the theme of the work truly comes together. The soundtrack is an example of “indeterminate music,” built from multiple takes of purely improvisational work. Without a narrative to inform a specific theme, the theme of “Oy!” is one of great emotional depth, concerned with moments of stasis, beauty in isolation, and the connection of two people in a relationship against the backdrop of an uncaring but beautiful nature. Twining’s minimalist score doesn’t try to overpower Bostian’s images or heavy-handedly inject emotion into the work. Instead, it floats along beneath the images, providing an emotional barometer. When the snowboarders carve through the snow, the score breathes along with them. When finally the sunset colors the sky, Twining’s understated arrangement raises the stillness to a form of reverence. It’s a wonderful collaboration that proves that music can completely transform a work of visual storytelling simply by providing space, allowing the viewer to project their own feelings of peace and contemplation onto the landscape.

There’s a brief dialogue where one character asks if they should turn back, and the other replies that they’re too far gone. In this part of the video, you can hear the eye freak synth sounds, but you can also hear the stomping sounds that their boots make as they walk through the snow. There’s yet another dialogue when one character asks the other how they can appreciate a sunset, which is recurring and common and the other answers that he should look at it with his naked eye so he can appreciate it more. Then, finally, the video ends with the title “Oy” and the credits roll.

There is something almost mystical, almost predestined, in the beautiful synergy that exists between filmmaker Ben Bostian and musician Ellery Twining. Not only do their worlds intersect, but also their creative visions seem to have a similar tone and style. Bostian, currently working to hone his filmmaking skills at the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), has always been a huge fan of the guitar-based soundscapes created by Delta of Venus, the Mystic, CT-based band re-imagined in 2025 with Twining’s poetic musical style. However, the roots of their meeting run much deeper than mere admiration. In fact, as Bostian explained, he was introduced to Twining’s work several years ago because of his cousin Issy, who used to be in a band with Twining. When the two artists did finally meet to work together, it felt almost like a reunion. There was an instant bond between them, as Twining fondly reminisced to Bostian about the “second greatest gig” of his life, which took place right there in front of the SCAD campus. They even shared a laugh over their recollection of the famous Ramada Inn in downtown Savannah, turned student dorms.

It is precisely this sort of organic and humanistic alignment that provides the basis for the soundtrack that is utilized in the film. As it is based upon the idea of “indeterminate music,” the soundtrack was specifically created with a sense of delicate and unobtrusive intentionality. Rather than imposing a sense of structure, Twining took the approach of creating the soundtrack as if he were engaged in a living and breathing conversation. As such, he worked with the various pieces by purely improvising upon the previous work, carefully extracting the raw and unadulterated mood of the film with minimal interference. The soundtrack is one that breathes in perfect synchronicity with the film, representing what happens when two artists are completely and utterly in tune with one another. I’m familiar with Ellery’s work, and I have never been dissatisfied. I look forward to working with this talented artist soon!

Stream the “Oy” on YouTube

Follow Ellery Twining here and on his socials; X, Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp,