Turning to the medium of animation for their latest music video, psychedelic-rock band Unknown Mortal Orchestra have shared an animated cartoon for Necessary Evil off latest album Multi-Love.
The video depicts a boy and a girl in a colourful kaleidoscopic montage, not too faintly reminiscent of something akin to an acid trip. Trippy is the one word that could be used to sum it up. Perhaps, even tad disturbing.
Directed by Sean Soloman the video is an illustrated representation of the fractured relationship of two people. Or as Soloman said, “an abstract love story about two characters whose insecurities and paranoia eventually drive them apart.”
The paranoia aspect is definitely omnipresent throughout the clip, with the psychedelic colour scheme and expansive landscape. The characters at first appear to be floating in a pinkish-blue sky (perhaps a reference to Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds?). The girl then throws something resembling a miniature bomb into the boy’s mouth. Then it’s as if the boy himself undergoes an explosion, his head morphing rapidly like a nervous tick into a variety of weird shapes.
The colours wash over, growing trippier as the characters mash and morph together in a beautiful illustration of paranoia and confusion. The two begin making out, blending into one another until one can’t be distinguished from another. Then they begin hitting each other until they both turn into unrecognisable coloured blobs that consume each other. It’s a beautiful metaphor for the way they are driven apart, yet end up inseparable, having blended into a messy blur.
The style of the video is simple yet effective, perfectly mirroring the Unknown Mortal Orchestra sound. I can’t help but be reminded of famed cartoon Adventure Time, the cult-phenomenon favourite of children and stoners everywhere. Both have that slightly off-kilter and beguiling narrative structure about them, as well as being stylistically similar.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra has a penchant for making visually sensational videos, as evidenced by their clip for Ur Life One Night. They’re heading down under for their performance at Meredith Music Festival and Fairground Festival, so snap up tickets to their sideshows while they’re still around. Many of the shows have already sold out.
Tour Dates
Thursday 3 December – Astor Theatre, Mt Lawley WA – Tickets
Friday 4 December – Metro Theatre, Sydney NSW – SOLD OUT
Saturday 5 December – Fairgrounds Festival, Berry NSW – Tickets
Sunday 6 December – The Triffid, Brisbane QLD – Tickets
Tuesday 8 December – Corner Hotel, Melbourne VIC – SOLD OUT
December 11 – 13 – Meredith Music Festival, Meredith VIC – SOLD OUT