A lot of great music videos that seem to exist in the ether of the internet feature the artists themselves at some point in the clip – take for example Courtney Barnett’s latest clip for Pedestrian At Best (warning: do not watch if you are afraid of clowns), Client Liason’s ridiculously high-def scenic (and seemingly high budget) video for Feed The Rhythm or Alyx Dennison’s intensely mesmerizing, silly and simple music video for I Don’t Love You Anymore. Sometimes, it seems that videos which do not feature the artist are cast to the side a little, simply because they aren’t that common, and they’re tricky to pull off. Here are 7 totally amazing video clips, which render the artist invisible.
What happens when the band isn’t in front of the camera for their video? Sometimes it’s pure magic. Here’s 7 artists who don’t star in their killer clips.
Cassius Select – He Aint Worth
The Sydney producer (Lavurn Lee) enlisted the likes of Mattematrix and Dennis Vera to spawn something unsettling, obscure and highly mesmerizing. It’s simply an über trendy looking girl dancing backwards.
Jack Ladder and the Dreamlanders – Reputation Amputation
Jack Ladder certainly has an air of mystery and absurdity surrounding him – especially when he gives Kirin J Callinan the joystick and lets him direct, edit and produce his music video. It’s like a nightmare featuring your favourite characters from Playschool.
Young Fathers – Shame
Scottish Young Fathers channel something beautifully sparse in their video for Shame. A boy walking, running, bleeding and dancing. There are also subtitles making it easy for a sing-along to this super catchy tune.
Hermitude featuring Young Tapz – Through The Roof
Burnouts, bangers and babes. That’s all you need for a kick-ass music video right? According to Hermitude, that’s exactly what you need. Watch this video and try not to get tire-smoke in your eyes.
Gang Of Youths – Riverlands
Gang of Youths are known for their honesty of the content in the songs they produce. This video clip is no different, two underdressed humans in soft lighting bear the pain that the lyrics hold.
Ariel Pink – Dayzed Inn Daydreams
Working with director Grant Singer, Ariel Pink created one of the most moving music videos – scratch that – short film of all time. It focuses on Rick Wilder of cult Hollywood band The Mau Maus as an old man and follows him around for a day. Not to give too much away, it’s insanely poignant and beautifully shot.
Calexico – Falling From The Sky
Have you ever had the thought: “Hey, this worm lives a pretty sophisticated lifestyle?” No? Well watch Calexico’s unnerving video for Falling From The Sky and answer the question again.
