Nicholas Lam returns to music videos with an R-rated cyberpunk anime western, where Samurai meets Cowboy, for J Hus featuring CB - and it's a stunning feat.The video for Cream stars the two rappers as anime swordsmen, fighting their way through a dystopian future full of shadowy organisations and super-villains. Lam worked with two talented animation teams - Tier S in Serbia and Point Five Creations in Taiwan - and the result is a riotous, ultraviolent actioner, with an impressive dramatic build and superb animation work. From dynamic fight scenes through to imaginative world-building, the video is an early highlight of the year.Perhaps one of the most ambitious music videos of recent times, in fact. A must-watch, which leaves a lasting impression.

Sam Taylor reunites with Fontaines DC frontman Grian Chatten, for this moving promo for All Of The People. Taken from Chatten's debut solo album, the video examines what it means to be human, and how we break out of the cycle of unconscious routine to find freedom. “Taking inspiration from Lars Von Trier, George Orwell, Billy Wilder, our film analyses loneliness, self doubt then acceptance, appreciation and human connection," Taylor mentions. With a grungy dystopian aesthetic, the video emphasises the often restrained nature of the human experience. However, the use of light pastel colours and the romantic textures of shooting on film give the film a hopeful streak, which is embodied by the characters as the video progresses. This is the third collaboration between Taylor and Chatten, with the previous two videos being for Fontaines D.C. - Roman Holiday and I Love You.

Troy Roscoe directs a stripped-back yet hugely captivating promo for Potter Payper. Shot at night with a backdrop of neon shopfronts, the video features a tireless performance from Payper, whilst different characters play out their day-to-day routines. The approach works like a charm on this project, with the three minute runtime passing by like a bright spark, never feeling stale or tired."Simplicity is key in this one," Rocoe explains. "I think sometimes as creatives we overthink our ideas, trying to constantly improve on what’s already out there or to come up with something that’s not been done. But sometimes you have to reign it in and realise less is more."Shot in what was actually three takes, this one-take form visual sees Potter Payper in a dystopian-lit corner shop location, as the world around him evolves, whilst he performs in a nonchalant manner undisturbed by anything around him. Potter smashed this and took direction super well, which enabled us to shoot all of this within two hours!"I'm definitely going to get into more one-take content - or even just more tripod shots as not everything has to have crazy movement."

Max McLachlan helps introduce the world to the new Birdy, in this captivating promo for Raincatchers. The video depicts Birdy as a giant, helping her younger self (played by Eleanor Hockley) navigate a world of corporate monotony and oppressive rules, blending semi-autobiographic lyrics with dark fantasy aesthetics. "Birdy is not a kid anymore," says McLachlan. "The world has known her since she was barely a teenager. She wanted a music video that would shed the dainty image of her as a naive child, but address the years of youth lost having to play grown-up in the industry."What better way to show how much she’s grown than to make her a giant?"Birdy drops down a miniature scale model of the office environment to the young girl, empowering her to see herself from a new vantage point, and gather the courage to break free and blaze her own path - whilst seeing life in a more playful way, as the child she is. The desaturated, near-dystopian aesthetic perfectly suits the narrative concept, and it's packed full of absorbing, emotional iconography.