Tropics 'Rapture' by Chris Toumazou

The problems of empty-nest middle-aged couples is an unusual subject for a music video, but with this one for Tropics' Rapture, Chris Toumazou takes it on, and does a very impressive job.

It's the portrayal of an ordinary, council flat-dwelling couple left in an emotional void when their only son leaves home. The gritty realism of the situation is emphasised by the cinematic look - it's shot on 35mm. But in keeping with Tropics' soulful ballad, it's ultimately a lot more sweet than downbeat, as the midlifers make tentative steps at rebooting their relationship. 

Chris and Tropics (aka Chris Ward) and good friends, and their previous video together, for Home & Consonance, was nominated for an MVA. There's a good interview with Tropics about the video – and his new musical direction – on Noisey, although the interviewer is a bit obsessed with 'fruit porn' - see picture above.

CHRIS TOUMAZOU:

"Chris Ward aka Tropics and I have been good friends since making his previous video for 'Home & Consonance'. We started working on ideas and after the success of our previous collaboration, it made sense we go for it again, and challenge the video format further with pace and narrative. 

"I've been developing my style for a while as a director and the great thing about working with Tropics was his allowance to let me do so and create something more akin to a short film if anything. When people see this and my other music videos they can see a pattern forming and emerging. With 'Rapture' I wanted to tell a very honest story that was human and relatable, playing with emotions has always been an interest of mine.

"Tropics and I are both very much into the same types of cinematic influences which helped form a strong grounding for the piece. I've shot a lot of my work on film and with 'Rapture' this was not going to be an exception. Working on 35mm again, I wanted to evoke a palette that heightened the mundane lifestyles of the characters as well as the look and the world in which their from."