Crooning from Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland), indie-pop group Dirty Pixels have released a visual reimagining for their buoyant tune Julipa. Banding together the best of a Charlie Chaplin-esque noir film, 90’s rom com’s and the Walking Dead, they’ve managed to take out all the cringe and leave all the frivolous charm.
Dirty Pixels have strummed, wooed and swam their way through their video for ‘Julipa’: a romantic clip with a bite.
Julipa is one of those almost perfect tracks. Twangy guitars give way to zestful beats. Julipa ephemerally picks up and puts down the hollow sounds of the cow-bell, a cheeky and gamesome addition that’s drives a constant toe tap. A 60’s tinge is felt through out by means of lead singer Ethan Moore unassuming vocals, which are melodic but long holding. Self described as “bedroom stadium pop”, Dirty Pixels know how to write an arresting and infectious track.
“I thought ‘bedroom stadium pop’ was a funny phrase because it’s made in the same way as most lo-fi and bedroom music is, but I was striving for a bigger grand sound.”
It’s Dirty Pixels’ visual response to their song craft that set them above the rest. Julipa on screen is a narrative duality: of love and betrayal, champagne on the beach vs. high tides chasing you home. The spliced story line feature both performance art and zombies. It’s Creature From the Black Lagoon meets 2020 Youtube chic. Dive in below:
Dirty Pixels have managed to navigate between the art forms and create a video worth watching till the end in a time of five second attention spans. This video draws you in with humour and has you staying around for the tunes, the narrative and ultimately their genuine likability.
The clip features a glorious performance by actress Alice May Connolly as zombie-seductress. Directed by Callum Delvin, who’s worked on videos for Hans Pucket and The Beths, there’s a clear professionalism behind the DIY “sheen”.
Teasing the release of Dirty Pixels Lovechild, their new EP due out in May. If Julipa’s endearing qualities and childish innocence has anything to do with it, this one will be worth waiting for. In the meantime, dive into their small but worthy anthology here.
