Australia’s Extra Time recently released their second album Songs With Long Titles, skillfully blending jazz, R&B, soul and pop for a sound that is as much a throwback as the way they recorded it (fully live by musicians; no autotune or click tracks). This organic approach comes through in the lush yet raw sound of tracks like “Where is the Light”, which bursts through with stunning drums, bright horns and alluring vocals. Accompanying the song is a beautifully animated video, done by artist Gabriel Gareso.
What’s wonderful about the video is how well the animation pairs with the lyrics without interpreting them literally. As the singer asks “How do I escape the prison I create?” we see the video’s protagonist float away from his computer, seemingly attempting to break-free from the hold the online world holds on him, only to be dragged back down to earth. As she continues “How do I break free from the life I abhor”, the man loses more of himself, and we find him curling in on himself, clearly alone and struggling with the world.
The video’s color palette relies mostly on black and grey, using red sparingly for real emphasis and texture, as well as bursts of white to represent the light the character is searching for. The piece is certainly artistic, and was officially accepted into the Berlin Lift Off Film Festival, who clearly also saw the cinematic quality it held.
Watch the video above, and stream the track here.
