Ah the sea, such a beautiful yet cruel mistress. For all the lands that mankind can conquer it is a realm where we are usually not welcome and when push comes to shove, would most likely not survive in. So at first glance setting the music video for Lord Echo‘s Molten Lava in the ocean may seem a little odd, but what transpires is nothing short of amazing, the directing duo of THUNDERLIPS once again proving why they’re one of the best in the business.
Disco, the ocean and a pot plant. THUNDERLIPS give us an unorthodox yet ambitiously powerful film for Lord Echo’s groovy disco number Molten Lava.
Chances are you’ve seen some of THUNDERLIPS’ work before, the pair having recently directed Breathe for Sheep, Dog & Wolf and I Can’t Cope for The Leers. Their work is always fresh and exciting, serving the song to give it a vibrant life whilst creating something new altogether. Molten Lava is a fun, disco inspired track from the Wellington based musician. It’s a track that puts his knack for blending 60s production techniques and modern dance vibes together on full display. If you’re looking for a track to fill the D-floor at your house party that doesn’t refer to “Owning the night” or any likewise trite garbage, than this is the song you need.
The video is an entirely different beast altogether. We fade in to a girl sitting on her small yacht out on the open ocean. The track begins and she starts dancing, until her hand tape player stops working, and we are then treated to six minutes of music-less maritime shenanigans. It’s a little shocking at first, after all what kind of music video only features a minute of the actual music? Yet it works. The feeling of isolation and boredom our protagonist displays propels the need to see her dance again.
The THUNDERLIPS crew believe that a music video should stand shoulder to shoulder with the song in terms of creative ambition, and man they certainly have their sights set high. Speaking of the video the guys said “This music video stretches the definition of it’s genre by aspiring to narrative cinema – unencumbered by a full-time, full-volume soundtrack. The images go off on their own tangent, painting an indulgent backdrop for the song – like a movie that just becomes about the landscapes and forgets the characters – this video seems to forget the song and riff on the girl-on-a-boat premise harder than any riff has ever riffed“.
It may feel like an unconventional music video, but the truth is the unorthodox approach to Molten Lava has left us with a memorable film. Shot with natural light and featuring an honest and mostly silent performance from our young protagonist, it’s a video that reminds us that music is something we desperately need to fill the voids of silence that punctuate our lives.
