There are a couple of exceptions to this week’s post as two of the videos are featured aren’t new in the traditional sense. Next week, reissues of the first three M83 albums (M83, Dead Cities, Red Seas, And Lost Ghosts, and Before The Dawn Heals Us) will be released. As a celebration we are treated to an unreleased video for “Lower Your Eyelids to Die With The Sun”. There isn’t much going on in the video besides beautifully crafted slow motion shots but it matches the dreamy number perfectly. The second video to break the traditional rule I usually follow is Imogen Heap’s “The Listening Chair”. Published back in July, this video has been out for a while alongside a number of others. My reason for posting this is merely because her album came out this week and I really enjoy this video. If you have been following these posts you should realise by now how much I dislike performance driven videos. Every now and then there is a music video which takes this boring and lazy format and does something completely brilliant with it. This is exactly what Imogen Heap does and what makes it even better is the elaborate story and meaning behind the song and the video. Each part of the location represents 7 years of her life, you can watch the behind the scenes here. The Weeknd’s video for “Often” also changes this traditional format and it is truly glorious. One of my favourite techniques in filmmaking is the art of the one-shot video/scene, etc. The camera moves around him elegantly dipping in and out of different periods of time whilst things happen around him. The cinematography is stunning and the camera work is gorgeously choreographed. As for the other two videos, they are in this list for one simple reason: they are both highly entertaining spoofs.
Enjoy!
5. M83 “Lower Your Eyelids to Die With The Sun”
Directed by Yoonha Park
4. Imogen Heap “The Listening Chair”
Directed by Alexander Goodman and Imogen Heap
3. The Weeknd “Often”
2. Action Bronson “Easy Rider”
Directed by Tom Gould
1. HAIM Feat. A$AP Ferg “My Song 5” Remix
Directed by Dugan O’Neal