Enter Shikari frontman Rou Reynolds makes his video directing debut with this powerful one-take promo for the band's new single, (pls) set me on fire. The video sees the band perform in an effervescent setup towards the back of an industrial location, whilst a vintage TV displays retro graphics and animated lyrics from the track on screen in the foreground. It's a simple yet strikingly effective idea, that showcases the band at their best, and uses clever composition and lighting to keep eyes darting between the two positions on-screen, in a captivating ping-pong match for viewers' attention.So a lyric video for the track may not be required. But with Reynolds breaking out of the performance near the end, to write in a notebook and then wander distractedly off-screen, suggests there is still more to come. Indeed, that is confirmed by Reynolds himself."I wanted this video - my first foray into directing! - to feel minimal and uncomplicated, but at the same time full of dynamism, and therefore the polar opposite of the next video, which is a bewildering romp through surrealism," he says."So there’s a simplicity here, a willingness to let the raw energy of the performance be the focus, untainted by effects or complex editing. But it should also be mentioned that the main function of this video is really just to set up the next one…"
Rob Ulitski - 8 months ago