If someone were to ask you about Crestone, Colorado, you likely won’t have much to say about the town. It’s a fairly nondescript mountain town that is definitely beautiful. But honestly, it’s no Denver, right? Well, it’s the center of the universe for a group of SoundCloud rappers in the new documentary, aptly titled “Crestone.”
With “Crestone” arriving on VOD next week, we’re happy to give our readers an exclusive look at the new documentary from filmmaker Marnie Ellen Hertzler. As mentioned above, “Crestone” follows the story of a group of SoundCloud rappers (folks who release their music on the popular streaming service and have developed their own sort of sub-genre of hip-hop). They all live in solitude in the aforementioned mountain town where they spend their days growing weed and making music for the internet masses. In the exclusive clip, we’re introduced to A.M. the A1, a rapper that explains the beauty and loneliness associated with living in Crestone.
Even if you’re not a huge fan of SoundCloud rappers, “Crestone” is a unique experience for a number of reasons. First, the documentary aims to take a look at the people behind the music and peels back the layers of their internet personas, as we see in the clip with A.M. the A1. Also, the score of “Crestone” is actually written and performed by Animal Collective, an experimental pop band that has been making music for the better part of 20 years and adds something truly different to the typical music doc.
“Crestone” debuted at last year’s SXSW (though the event was initially canceled due to the pandemic). Now, the documentary will finally be available to anyone else that wants to watch it when it hits VOD on February 16. You can see the exclusive clip below.
Here’s the synopsis:
In the desert of Crestone, Colorado, a group of SoundCloud rappers live in solitude, growing weed and making music for the internet. When an old friend arrives to make a movie, reality and fiction begin to blur.