Sophie Barrott's video for Maybe unfolds through textural, analogue-style vignettes, focused on an isolated character played by Cal McVann, expertly edited to highlight the experimental nature of the track. Introspective and haunting, shot on a variety of formats including lo-fi video and 16mm film. it's notable work for the Manchester producer duo Hyperdawn. "At the video's core lies a lone figure ensnared within the clutches of his own psyche, a prisoner of his thoughts, incapable of forging ahead or fleeing the confines of his state of mind," explains Sophie Barrott, who says the track stood out on the first listen. "The video orchestrates a delicate dance between understated performances and surreal snapshots. The band appear in isolated ellipses, gradually unveiling themselves, and attempts to contact our character in the space as the song progresses."Captured using a mixture of Red Komodo, Mini DV & 16mm, the world was meticulously crafted with DOP, friend and collaborator Sean Cheung. The mixture of techniques mirroring Hyperdawn’s combination of digital and analogue technology."Through the video we aimed to spotlight a discourse surrounding men's mental health, a subject recently spotlighted yet persistently overlooked. The fourth wall shatters in the video's final moments, a fractured reality as the set is struck around him. He stands and lights a cigarette, walks off set and away from a character he's done portraying, a role he'll no longer play."

Luc Rëso Janin returns to music videos to direct a trippy, AI-fired promo for London-based music collective The Lemon Cult, featuring Alain Brémond.The video opens with artist Brémond explaining the concept for a video he hopes to make, before things start glitching into a hallucinatory AI dreamscape.The selfie performance soon erupts into a mish-mash of textures, colours and art styles, whilst Brémond keeps singing, completely obvlivious.It's a fun application of AI technology used in a refreshing and fun way, which builds upon the human element of the visual concept.

David Gourlay directs an introspective promo for Holy Fool, exploring themes of rebirth and evolution.The video sees a man wandering through vast landscapes in search of meaning and identity, caught between time in both a physical and mental sense. Interwoven with analogue visualisations of memories, the video leans into an abstract style with a beautiful monochromatic aesthetic - and some really breathtaking locations.

Mihai Feflea directs a high-spirited promo for Penguin Cafe. In 1972, the founder of Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Simon Jeffes (father of Arthur Jeffes, who founded Penguin Cafe) was hallucinating from fish poisoning, and imagined the Penguin Cafe as "a magical haven within the concrete jungle." This video aims to bring all these facets to life.The juxtaposition of warm, playful character work and grey city landscapes is immediately captivating, with some of London's best-known brutalist structures appearing in the backdrop of the visual. Josie Cronk's cinematography emphasises the distinct worlds represented in the video: the neon world at night, the natural light of day and the warm tungsten lights in the café. These worlds are a unique yet familiar part of everyday life, and feel immediately comforting yet complex, much like the soundscapes in the track and musical genre.

Director duo Simon Davis and Jason Sondock - aka rubberband. - craft a bold and daring video for Bakar where the British alt-soul artist literally stops the traffic in the middle of Piccadilly Circus.The video for Alive! begins at this iconic British location, where curious onlookers are transfixed by the car that has stopped, holding up all the traffic behind on a rain-sodden day in central London. And then Bakar emerges, abandoning the vehicle, astonishingly, to begin an expressive performance of the song - choreographed by C Prinz - and escaping into the street. It's an ambitious concept, to say the least, and represents the themes of breaking free and challenging boundaries, whilst encouraging viewers to embrace their true selves and celebrate the joy that comes from taking risks and expressing one's individuality.The candid camerawork adds a DIY sensibility to the promo, echoing the online aesthetic of YouTube prank videos, whilst a focus on reactions - most of which are less than enthusiastic - helps solidify the message of the concept. Alive! is about the freedom and self expression, and what that means in the context of a greater whole.“Alive! was an extraordinary experience in every way," declare rubberband. "Working with an artist as brave and creative Bakar is the sort of collaboration you dream of but rarely find."The idea for the video was simple, abandon a car in the middle of Piccadilly Circus during rush hour andperform the song. This was done for real. Alive! is about the freedom and self expression, and what thatmeans in the context of a greater whole. To stand in front of a sea of faces and attempt to feel Alive.”Brilliant work and a very memorable promo indeed.

Reading has never been quite as sexy as it is in Emily Friedman and Tori V. Bennett's promo for Nathanology. Celebrating both literacy and queerness, the video for Well Read playfully explores the notion of sapiosexuality - the attraction to someone based on intellect rather than gender expression.With saturated colour palettes and a tongue-in-cheek vibe, the video - conceived by Friedman and Bennett with Nathan Dufour, aka Nathanology - features a diverse cast of characters and plenty of standout styling and makeup on display. This is funny, sexy and camp in equal measure, as well as being a fine showcase for Dufour's clever lyrical wordplay.So after you have read this, enjoy...