Dam Native “Behold My Kool Style”

1995-dam-native-behold-my-kool-styleThis video could be described as a bunch of guys sitting around a table, playing poker, smoking and drinking. And it would sound like a typical mid-’90s Tarantino-inspired music video. But no. “Behold My Kool Style” is far beyond that. It is confident, stylish and kool.

It’s not just any old guys sitting around that table; it’s Dam Native in Edwardian suits. The poker table scene alternates with shots of the group posing like early 20th century well dressed Maori gents having their portrait taken at the town photographer. Teremoana Rapley isn’t dressed from the same era, instead she’s wearing a slinky gown. It’s this little touch that firmly keeps the video routed at the other end of the 20th century.

The Jonathan King-directed and NZ Music Award-winning video is shot with sepia tone and scratchy old film effects. This makes it feel suggestive of lost footage from an alternate history, a different route the 20th century could have taken.

It takes skill to not only make a video that perfectly works with a song all about cool style, but for that video to still hold up over 15 years later. Behold its cool style.

Best bit: the group portrait. So cool.



Director: Jonathan King
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Next… a day at the airport.

3 thoughts on “Dam Native “Behold My Kool Style””

  1. Thanks for generous comments! Huge contributions from Darryl Ward who shot it and Jonathan Venz who edited it.

    * Fun fact: we actually printed the film and physically scratched it by hand / floor / hammer / foot …

    1. Real film scratching! That probably explains why it looks so cool. My memory of digital film scratch effects from the ’90s is not a happy one, so it looks like real was the way to go!

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