Alt-J 'Pusher' by Thomas Rhazi

Thomas Rhazi's video for Alt-J's Pusher takes its inspiration from a great British democratic tradition of soapbox politics, and sends it into a dark, bleak place.

As the camera circles an expanse of open ground a man climbs onto a box to begin to speak to the assembled smattering of homogeneous raincoat-wearing men. And as the circle tightens, the man becomes more passionate, and then desperate...

As with previous videos from Alt-J's second album This Is All Yours, band frontman Joe Newman was involved at the conceptual stage of the Pusher video. And his involvement which has allowed Thomas Rhazi to reach for his powerful, thought-provoking, unquestionably bleak climax.

“The original idea was Joe's one," says Thomas. "It was about a guy breaking his neck in a very poetic way. We spoke about the British Speaker’s Corners – all those men and women in the late 70’s preaching for their own reasons and beliefs.

"I wanted this film to be very humanist and as deep and simple as it could be. The hero does the most excessive act because he can’t do anything else – shaking up people’s minds in those dark and sad times”, says Thomas.