April 2006: 4 Corners, Bleeders, Chong Nee, Connan and the Mockasins, Donald Reid,

A mob hit gone wrong, the lord of the forest goes to the seaside, artful projections, serious soul and more sensual writhing.

4 Corners featuring Ladi6 “Now I Know”

“Now I Know” is a sombre but ultimately hopeful look at growing up in a poor household, existing on benefits. The video is dark, but full of art, stencils, photos and graffiti displayed through projection mapping, with Ladi6’s sung chorus done in an animated stencil style.

Director: Otis Frizzell
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Bleeders “Silhouettes”

This looks like another video inspired by Sin City – shot in black and white with red accents and occasional animated parts. It involves a gangster plot with a man being hurled off a wharf in a badly executed sleeps-with-the-fishes attempt. The victim crawls out of the ocean, intent on revenge, but not before acquiring a vintage machine gun and getting plastic surgery on his face. So much drama.

Directors: Marcus Ringrose, Stephen Tolfrey

Chong Nee “You Got My Heart”

After all the strip-club cliches of his last video, “Black Widow”, Chong Nee goes in a totally different direction with his heartfelt soul ballad. The video keeps it basic. It’s shot in sepiatone, with Chong Nee and his band performing in front of a brick wall.

Director: Martha Jeffries
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Connan and the Mockasins “There Goes Tane”

“There Goes Tane” is a novelty swing song and the video features a man dressed as a log (Tane Mahuta, don’t ya know), while Connan enjoys a Brighton amusement park.

Over on Vimeo, Edward De Vere explains the video shoot: “We went to London with just an old Super 8mm film camera (I had brought from a flea market in New Zealand) & some film cartridges. Didn’t really know if it even worked. Made our way down from London to the Brighton Pier where Connan was infatuated with the Ghost Train.”

Director: Sammie Handley
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Donald Reid “You & Me, My Friend”

This is the laziest song ever. It’s based on Pachelbel’s Canon (as are loads of songs) with some really uninspired lyrics thrown over the top (“It’s you and me, my friends/Friends until the end”). The video puts Donald Reid in a (highly symbolic) gloomy empty house. This is cut with footage of a woman wearing only underpants, sensually writhing aka rolling around on old mattress. BFF 4 eva.

Director: Peter Bannan
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

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