Following several previous collaborations, most recently on the UKMVA and Cameraimage winner Undertow, Alex Cook has reunited with post rock outfit Son Lux to create a major artwork - an immersive installation that is currently on a museum tour in the USA. The video for Out Into Us is a five minute cutdown version of the full 17 minute original - where Son Lux stretches the song into an expressionistic landscape. And it's something of an artwork in itself.It opens on the image of a house on an open plain about to be enveloped in a huge cloud, and follows with a series of equally striking images. Within the house, a family are preparing for an approaching storm - and then feel its full force.There's something both quite classic or timeless about its creation of the scenario - it could be Dustbowl America in the 1930s - while also tapping into very modern anxieties.And Cook delivers what some may consider a contentious twist to the traumatic weather event the family are experiencing. The external threat of the storm is gradually revealed as something constructed. By stepping into the storm rather than retreating, the illusion collapses. As with Alex Cook's previous work with Son Lux, the cinematography is sublime - including the use of high-speed cameras. Their earlier collaborations have been recognised at the UKMVAs for the quality of the image-making and it would be surprising if it did not happen again. The full installation - which grew from guitarist Rafiq Bhatia's reworking of the song, taking it apart at the level of tempo itself and using playback as an instrument - is currently on view at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts. The project deliberately pushes against how music is increasingly experienced in the era of social media, where songs are often reduced to bite-sized fragments embedded without context in an endless scroll. "Out Into Us (Slow Down)" — Upcoming Installation Dates:12 September – 21 October — North Adams, MA — MASS MoCA9–11 October — Philadelphia, PA — ICA Philadelphia4–7 November — Indianapolis, IN — Herron Galleries, Indiana University Indianapolis, in partnership with COMPANION16–20 December — Brooklyn, NY — Pioneer Works

U2 are back. And with their new album Carnaval de Luz coming soon, they have been recapturing the flavour and energy of some the classic U2 videos, with directing duo Cliqua.Firstly, there was Street Of Dreams, released in July, and now the video for Silencio. It was filmed in Mexico City earlier this year, and set in a lounge-like music venue with a decor that wouldn't look out of place in a classic David Lynch movie (or TV show).The video by the Mexican-American duo is populated by a variety of outcast characters - including the devil - within the setting decked in deep red curtains and blue lights, the cinematic visuals punctuated by very cool handmade titles, as if formed from liquid.But of course this is mainly about Bono and the boys. They are centre stage, with a straight ahead performance that plays to their strengths. Silencio sounds good too, with unexpected punk-like energy, highlighted in the increasingly kinetic edit. Could this be the start of a proper return to form by U2?

Christian Padron directs the first music video for Luther Vandross’s A House Is Not a Home, in collaboration with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.Ahead of Vandross’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November, the Luther Vandross Estate and Primary Wave Music celebrate the artist with the premiere of the song’s first music video, directed by Christian Padron.Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, A House Is Not a Home became one of Vandross’s signature songs and is regarded as one of R&B’s great vocal performances. The track was originally seven minutes long and went without a radio edit or video ever being done, until now.Padron brought the new four minute version to life in collaboration with Alvin Ailey choreographer Jeroboam Bozeman and dancers Caroline T. Dartey and Solomon Dumas.“With this iconic track, I thought about restraint: how much could I take away and still leave its beauty and fullness standing? Shooting in black and white in a minimalistic space was part of distilling it. ‘A house is not a home’ isn’t just a sad line; it’s precise. A room can hold every object of a life and still not be a home without the person who made it one,” says Padron.The video also previews Power of Love, an Ailey tribute to Vandross choreographed by Jamar Roberts. Set to Vandross’s music, the ballet premieres December 2 as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater opens its New York City Center season.

Indian singer-songwriter and composer, and author Zenareeta self-directs an autobiographical promo for Sumuhood, dedicated to the artist's mother. Taking on direction, performance and writing, boasts calm, soft-focus vignettes of Zenareeta, aka Sneha Chatterjee, in a reflective mood. Zenareets says: "[the track] is a song born out of meditation, written composed and sung by me, reflecting on the spiritual legacy passed down from her and the sacrifices she made in leaving her Radio and TV music career just to raise me."

A new brand identity has been announced following the recent merger of international talent agencies Worldwide Production Agency (WPA) and DDA Talent - which London head Barnaby Laws says 'gives a name' to their existing philosophy.It is now Ascent Creatives International (or Ascent), a global talent agency representing some of the entertainment industry’s most accomplished creative artists across film, television, streaming and commercials. Ascent represents award-winning cinematographers, production and costume designers, editors and producers working at the highest levels of the industry.The Ascent Creatives International leadership team spans the UK and US, with Barnaby Laws, Estere Sulca and Amber Thompson in the UK. With its offices in London, Los Angeles, and the US East Coast, plus an international network of strategic partners across Europe and the Americas, Ascent is dedicated to advancing creative careers through ambitious opportunities, long-term strategy and truly global representation."Ascent Creatives International reflects how we have always approached our clients’ careers: there is no single destination or defining moment, but a constant progression of ideas, opportunities and creative work," says Laws, who leads the London office.“The new identity gives that philosophy a name, while reflecting the international nature of the industry our clients work within and the breadth of talent and opportunity across the UK and beyond. We have always looked to support the most creative parts of the industry and Music Video is still an integral part of that.”Estere Sulca explains that Ascent's London office is effectively unchanged from when they were WPA. “We will still have the same team in the UK, based in our office in Soho, who are production-focused and pride themselves on being flexible and responsive," she says, adding that they are also still keen to work in the sphere of music video production due to its creativity. "We will always encourage our talent to work on promos and music content – It's some of the most rewarding projects we deal with,” she says.DDA Talent and WPA, two leaders in talent representation, confirmed plans to merge earlier this year. Their combined roster now includes names like Oscar-winning cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt, ASC (Mank); two-time Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth, ASC (The Social Network); Malik Sayeed (Clockers, Belly, After the Hunt); producer Ralph Winter (X-Men franchise); editor Ian S. Tan, ACE (Avatar: The Last Airbender); production designer Danny Vermette, ADG (Backrooms); John Mathieson, BSC (Gladiator); cinematographer Larry Fong, ASC (Watchmen); cinematographer Mihai Mălaimare Jr. (The Master, Jojo Rabbit); and cinematographer Maryse Alberti (Creed).• More on Ascent Creatives International

Tommy Davis directs a striking promo for London alt-rock outfit Keo, where watching the band perform in a sunflower-filled garden has a remarkable effect upon a seriously jaded cinema audience. The video for Be Happy stretches across these two worlds - the technicolour dreamspace of the band and the gloomy cinema. And it builds to a cathartic release in both environments, as the well-cast spectators spring to life, almost as if someone dropped something psychedelic in their popcorn. It's delivered with the strong visual sense and manic energy characteristic of all Tommy Davis's videos - well worth a watch.