2013 – Page 25 – 5000 Ways to Love You

King Kapisi “Second Migration”

There are two versions of the “Second Migration” video. I’m not sure if the second video had NZ On Air funding, so I’ll look at both of them.

The first version is basic as. King Kapisi, Tha Feelstyle and DJ Raw stand behind a desk with turntables and a mixer on it. The entire Overstayer Crew is in full effect – DJ Raw DJs, King Kapisi and The Feelstyle rap. It looks like it was filmed in someone’s garage, with some ye olde film scratches digitally added to give the video a bit of texture.

The trio are all wearing t-shirts from King Kapisi’s Overstayer range of streetwear. Their uniform look is rounded out by bright white hats. Occasionally there’s a postcard-like photo of a Pacific Island (matching the lyrical themes), but most of the video is just three men in a room. Ok.

The alternate version kicks things up a notch. It’s like when a TV show comes back for a new series with bigger, bolder opening titles. The original footage of the trio is used, but slotted into a bold computer animated world.

The video begins with scenes of tropical islands, and later switches to city scenes. The two locations both look appealing and sinister, which nicely works as a metaphor for the experience of migration.

The basic footage from the first version also finds itself playing on huge screens in the bustling metropolis. It’s like these guys have come to this bold new country and promptly managed to take it over. Which is kind of what King Kapisi had done musically.

Hey, so maybe the first version of the video represents the newly arrived migrants, operating with basics, while the second version is the migrants having fully embraced their new home, taking full advantage of all it has to offer.

Best bit: DJ Raw getting really meta by scratching with King Kapisi’s “Reverse Resistence” LP.

http://youtu.be/EXXmtRxsgS0

Alternate version

http://youtu.be/RjsCI_X7WtE

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision – version one
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision – version two

Next… a hearty headbang.

Fuce “Peacekeeper”

Fuce were a Christchurch rock band and “Peacekeeper” is a tense, ambient piece with great percussion. The video is simple, with shots of the band and their freaky friends hanging out in a white studio. A guy eats a banana, two girls flip off the camera, a hairy guy rants, a kid writes on glass and a dreadlocked chick holds a sparkler to the relaxing music of Fuce.

“Peacekeeper” could just be another pleasant video from 2000, but the passing of time has given an eerie edge to the video. One of the freaky friends holds up a mock front page for The Press, Christchurch’s morning paper. The headline reads “EARTHQUAKES FLOODS”. Oh crap. Back then, those were things that didn’t happen to Christchurch so the headline could be used for dramatic exaggeration. But in these post-earthquake days, it gives the video a strange tension.

At this point I was feeling a little bummed out. Fortunately the video got a little goth, with the band dressed in black suits playing the song in a black studio, so in 2013 it was an opportunity to feel a little mopey mournful about Christchurch. But it wasn’t all retrospective natural disaster grief. I keep thinking back to the scene of a punk couple and a dreadlocked guy gleefully dancing. And hey, if they can have a good time, so can I.

Best bit: the awesome millennium hair of the two girls giving the finger.

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Next… taking over the world.

Dark Tower “You Beauty”

This is Dark Tower at their flyest. The video starts with the duo experiencing inner city pressure. While hanging out in front of a large graffiti wall, they find themselves bothered by another couple of rival homies, one played by Jon from “Ice TV”. Homeboy Jon consults his “Hip-Hop Rulebook”, confused at this pair who rap in New Zealand accents and wear a lavalava.

Dark Tower leave the oppressive city and head for a farm, where they will be free to be themselves. Wandering the pastures, they unleash some brilliant rural lyrics, raping about how it’s “a hard task chewing grass down through Lewis Pass/I saw 10 dags dangling off a dead nag’s arse.” You definitely wouldn’t find that in the Hip-Hop Rulebook.

Their mates Rubicon come to the farm to join them, playing on the back of a ute and in a woolshed (where else?). Jody DJ with a potato sitting near his turntables, and we also see a baby sitting in a vegetable garden because that’s what happens on farms.

“You Beauty” is a fun, lively video that shows Dark Tower doing what they did best – throwing the hip hop rulebook out the window and rapping about what they know.

Best bit: Paul from Rubicon’s trademark joy-mouth drumming.

Director: Marc Swadel

Next… I’ve seen the future.

D-Super “We Ride Tonight”

I don’t think this video actually had NZ On Air funding, but it was on the list at one stage. There are no NZOA logos on the video and it looks cheap as, so I’d guess the funding didn’t end up happening. But I’m going to include it because it’s a good example of life outside the world of funded videos.

So yeah, it looks cheap, probably shot on a home video camera. The video opens with one of two impressive shots in the video. It’s a panorama of gloriously bland suburban Wellington, but things get wobbly after that. The camera zooms in on a new house (probably of the leaky-home vintage), and we cut to the interior of what is obviously a much older house.

In this old villa, we see the band getting out of bed, getting ready for the day. Or the night, given the song title. Outside the lawn is tidied up, with a nice daisy decapitated with some weed eater action.

All the shots have weird cropping, with missing heads and unusual close-ups. But I’m willing to consider that this might have been something that happened while getting the video online. On the other hand, it does fit the general aesthetic of the video.

We also see the band performing inside the nice living room of the house. And they’re smoking indoors, which is just gross. The thing is, it’s a really good song, a sneery rock number. It should have had a much better video.

The video ends with the second good shot – a bicycle-riding band member stands in front of the Greek Orthodox Church on Hania Street and stares at it as ominous black clouds roll behind it. Let’s pretend it’s all highly symbolic.

Best bit: the two dudes on the deck, chuckling at the senseless daisy slaughter.

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Next… rattle ya dags.

Augustino “The Silent Film”

Last seen in 1994 with his Smokefreerockquest-conquering high school band Halucian, Sean Clarke emerged as the frontman of Augustino. “The Silent Film” was their first single, with the video co-directed by drummer Wade Shotter, who is now a professional director of ads, videos and other delights.

As the video begins, we find the band playing outside at the Wintergardens at Auckland Domain. The video is shot in high-contrast black and white, with digital scratches added for that authentic faux old look.

But wait. Something is a bit unusual. Rotating above the lilypond is the giant A of the Augustino logo. It’s a little bit corporate, a little bit sci-fi and every so slightly unnerving.

But the video doesn’t dwell on that, letting the focus stay mainly on the band. But just when things are at risk of getting a little boring, something unusual happens, thanks to the wonderful world of CGI. Bursting out of the film comes a flying cube, looking like an extra from a Doctor Who episode.

The cube flits about, observes the band (who are oblivious to all the strange goings-on), is grabbed at by a giant claw and then multiplies and attacks the giant A. The cubes retreat into a wormhole type thing where, Voltron style, they form a giant cube. Such is the power of the mega cube that the film melts, leaving only the Augustino logo which proceeds to fall apart. Mega cube 1, Augustino logo 0.

All this CGI mayhem impressed the right people – “The Silent Film” was nominated for Best Video in the 2001 New Zealand Music Awards, losing out to the Stereo Bus’ “Touchdown” vid.

Best bit: the subtle sound effects when the cubes attack the logo.

Director: Wade Shotter and Jamie Dower
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Next… the rockness of a weed eater.

Stayfree Carefree “A Weaker Way”

According to the director’s comment on Vimeo, this video was shot on 8mm film and edited in camera. That means it was all shot in the exact sequence as it was intended to be seen. A complicated directorial choice or a low-budget necessity?

It’s a fun video. The director is Julian Reid, who also happens to be the frontman of the band. The action starts with the camera leaving an inner-suburban Auckland garage and venturing out into the garden. “LEMON” shakily flashes across the screen, setting up some spooky citrus action.

The song kicks off (pleasant grunge-era guitar pop) and we meet a glamorous young woman relaxing in the backyard with a cat. Her drink needs lemon (LEMON), which she picks from a nearby tree and violently chops up with a carving knife. Cheers.

By this stage it’s clear that the in-camera editing has been made possible by the video being shot all in one afternoon in someone’s garden. Yep, it’s a cheapie.

A guitarist emerges from around the side of the house. He picks up the lemon (No, dude! It’s evil and sour!) and suddenly there’s a blob of red on his face and, uh, he turns into a bogan lobster.

Angry at his predicament, bogan lobster man grabs the knife and runs after the young woman. After a Benny Hill-style sped-up chase, she lures him to his death, where upon she enjoys a picnic of fresh lobster. Just watch out for the goatee hairs.

Update: It turns out this video wasn’t funded by NZ On Air – it was a $20 DIY production. The group later received funding from NZ On Air and went on to shoot a bigger-budget video for the song.

Best bit: the cat, chilling on the concrete, stealing the show.

Director: Julian Reid

Next… no use crying over missing videos.

Pluto “Hey Little”

Pluto are an unusual band. They always seemed to be stuck between singles-driven pop and album-driven rock. “Hey Little” was their first single, a sweet acoustic ode of the joys of early childhood. But just in case you thought they were soft, the video begins with a close-up, slow-mo shot of lead singer (and former child actor) Milan Borich chugging back a glass of whisky.

The video starts with a drive along Mount Eden Road. We get a sped-up dashboard view from the Normanby Road intersection, towards Mount Eden village before – spookily enough – it stops in traffic right outside the flat where I ended up living two years later. Whoa.

The car ends up at the house of a little kid (who would now be a young teenager). I think he might be the offspring of one band. There’s a backyard party with Pluto and pals, shot in comfortingly grainy back and white. It feels like that moment when friends start having kids and social gatherings start becoming more daytime affairs with sensible bedtimes.

We get glimpses of Pluto rehearsing, as well as a low-key gig at the King’s Arms. But mostly when we see the band, it’s just the individual dudes hanging out. It feels like an effort to introduce the band as people, rather than as a rock unit – and certainly not as a live band.

Best bit: the kid’s headbutt of the camera.

Director: Milan Borich

Next… value for money.

Goodshirt “Green”

So here’s a curious thing. There were two videos made for Goodshirt’s song “Green” and they both appear to have had NZ On Air funding — though only one entry is listed in the database.

The first video was funded in 2000 and released in the same year. The video was directed by Florian Habicht and has the sort of quirky, arty style the director would become known for in the coming years.

The video is set at a West Coast beach, where Goodshirt can be found, buried up to their shoulders in sand. While they’re stuck with nothing to do but play their instruments, there are others at the beach who have more freedom.

Goodshirt are joined by a number of schoolgirls (including a pre-Shortland Street, pre-Power Rangers Li Ming Hu), wearing a boys’ school uniform. (This feels pretty submissive, considering how strong the “sexy schoolgirl” trope is.) The girls have hula hoops and happily hoop away while the band give an energetic performance.

Then about three years later, a second video appeared. This time it was directed by Supergroove bass player (and legendary music video director) Joe Lonie. He became especially known for the videos he made with Goodshirt — four quirky, low-budget one-take music videos that have mostly become classics.

Like a lot of Joe Lonie videos, there’s a gimmick to it – the video is shot upside down with the band dangling into an upside down bathroom.

Each of the band members take turns at the sink, each introduced by a caption with their name. As they’re all danging upside down, their faces puffy with gravity and blood, perhaps the captions are necessary to identify the members.

It’s a fun video, and we lol at Gareth trying to apply Old Spice while it dribbles up to the ceiling. But I don’t think that tone works with the song. The song has a really cool and sexy attitude. The crazy antics of the video neuter that attitude, turning it from “Hey girl” to “Yo dudez!” And really – no one wants to see someone spitting toothpaste up their nose.

Director: Florian Habicht (first video)
Director: Joe Lonie (second video)
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Next… I believe the children are our future.

Dimmer “Drop You Off”

I felt compelled to look at the YouTube comments for this video. “fuck you guys who come online to hate”, says jero6919, despite there being no negative comments. And SuperStarrChild reminisces about “2003 at the Grey Lynn bowling club. I’ll never forget that gig.” But it’s Bekiblue who comments about the video itself, saying “i’m feeling ‘barton fink’ with this one…” And yeah, it does have the feel of the gloomy Hotel Earle.

“Drop You Off” is a moody song with a trip-hop flavour to it. The video gives us shadowy glimpses of a hotel room where something bad has happened. A red robe spills across the floor (like blood, you know), where an ashtray is also found. And you know ashtrays don’t normally belong on the floor. A light flickers and someone has scrawled “ready” on the wall. The song is pleasingly bass-heavy and the beater of a kick drum flicks toward the camera, like a sinister marshmallow on a stick. And in the midst of all this drama, there stands Shayne Carter. With those cheekbones and that pout, he seems born to inhabit this noirish world of intrigue.

It’s all about atmosphere. With much of the video shot as darkness and shadows, it lets the song stand out. Shayne Carter doesn’t need to take a starring role. The mystery and gloom lets the song stand out.

It’s like the video is offering clues to a crime that may or may not have happened. It’s ambiguous as to what has actually taken place. But there’ll be no neat gotcha. The video ends with a nighttime journey along a native bush flanked road. The camera is looking up, as if it were lying down in the car. Like a dead body being dropped off.

Best bit: the brocade bedspread, which may or may not cover a body.

Next… a total mess.

Chris Knox “My Only Friend”

This is a love song. Chris Knox might be best known for his iconic love song “Not Given Lightly”, but “My Only Friend” takes things to a whole nother level, with his heartfelt declaration of love for his then partner Barbara Ward.

The video has the usual DIY feeling of Chris’ previous solo and Tall Dwarfs video, but there’s a real sense of vulnerability here in both the song and the visuals.

The video consists of film projected onto different parts of Barbara’s body. It starts with a simple animation of two hands passing a love heart, projected on Barbara’s belly. In another animation, a hand caresses her skin. It’s pretty cute.

But things get more personal. Chris’ face is projected on the side of Barbara’s head. As the song progresses, we also see Chris’ face projected onto Barbara’s face, with almost perfect alignment, making two become one. The song is about having an all-consuming love for another person and the video depicts this with raw honestly. It works in both general terms and also as a very personal, very specific statement.

It’s sad to watch this now and to know that Barbara and Chris are no longer a couple, but I look to the title of the song – “my only friend”. I get the feeling that while they may no longer be sweet lovers in the night, that friendship remains.

Best bit: the animated hand stroking the real belly button.

Director: Chris Knox
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Next… drop me out!