It’s video roundup time! Once again, Howl And Echoes are coming in hot with the freshest, most eyeball stimulating music videos to be dropped by the artists you love and some of the artists you don’t know you love yet, of this week. We do all the dirty work and herd them all into one convenient web-based location for you to enjoy every Friday so that you don’t have to. Have yourself a good old gander at the latest offerings from:
Lostkeyz – It’s Funny
We first caught wind of Sydney rapper Lostkeyz last year with the release of his debut mixtape Organic Narratives, a record full of stellar production, clever rhymes over the top of smooth and jazzy backbeats. It’s Funny was one of the standout tracks from that mixtape, Lostkeyz’ uniquely deadpan delivery masking a rather upbeat song exploring the fluid dynamics of relationships.
The video depicts Lostkeyz taking what looks like a thoughtful stroll around what might be his native Bondi at dusk, a fitting visual effect for such a cool and breezy track. He’s a name to look out for in the future, and you can stream It’s Funny and the rest of Organic Narratives on his Bandcamp.
Beaty Heart – Flora
Travelling from Bondi to South London next, with trio Beaty Heart and their latest single Flora. Coming in the lead up to their second record, which is as yet untitled, Beaty Heart have crafted a deliciously dark electro pop song here, punchy beats and click percussion tangoing with staccato synths and muffled vocals, it’s an all-nighter that would work a treat with the lights down low.
The accompanying video is a mesmerising snapshot of after-dark London, dancing on urban rooftops and deserted basketball courts, the songs titular subject alluring the viewer and the band to what looks like their end, writhing along to the fantastic electronic soundscape. Also, look at that dog!
Mallrat – Sunglasses
Keeping with the after dark vibes, albeit a lot more locally is Brisbane MC Mallrat. Sunglasses is the name of her latest single, held down by off-kilter trap beats and some jarring but cool production from frequent collaborator Tigerilla.
The video is about as lo-fi as it can possibly get, shot on an old VHS camcorder (Jesus, they’re still around) in a dimly lit backyard. Mallrat and co. look like they’re having a whale of a time, donning sunglasses and face masks and dancing up a storm. They’re doing more for Ribena than the last decade of its own advertising has too, drinking what looks like enough to fill a swimming pool and looking cool af doing it.
Another exciting young Australian artist to expect big things from in 2016, keep them coming Mallrat.
Peaches – Free Drink Ticket
Perhaps someone the aforementioned Mallrat may take some inspiration from is legendary electro-queen Peaches and her latest incredibly Peaches video. It’s for the newest single from her 2015 LP Rub. I shouldn’t even have to mention how NSFW the video for Free Drink Ticket is, but I will just in case.
There’s so much simmering anger below the surface of this almost darkwave-style song, which centres around a less than amicable break-up. Peaches described it thus
“…It was important to demonstrate that if you hold onto the bitterness you that you feel from a monster who has hurt you, then you will become the monster that you are trying to shed”
The video definitely gets that point across in as provocative a fashion as it gets, a naked Peaches going back and forth with some kind of monstrous pig snake uh… thing? It’s overtly sexual and confronting, which seems like exactly her intention. Totally badass.
Kevin Gates – Pride
Coming out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana is the latest single from Kevin Gates. Taken from his debut album Islah, a record that ended up above Adele and just behind Rihanna and ANTI when it dropped last week, Pride takes a pretty harrowing look at life behind bars.
Starting off with Gates being arrested and dragged from a palatial mansion and his wife and daughter, winding up in a jail cell in an orange jumpsuit. It’s one of the more emotional tracks on the album, exploring themes of drug abuse, depression and anxiety, Gates weaves a tale of sorrow at having left his family to fend for themselves on the outside.
Islah is out now via Bread Winners Association/Atlantic Records.
Kool A.D. – Santeria
From the bayou to Mexico we go next with Bay Area rapper Kool A.D.,who you may also recognise as a member of rap crew Das Racist. Featuring production from Toro Y Moi, Santeria is the latest single from Kool from his 2015 mixtape O.K.
That Toro Y Moi production, coupled with Kool’s snarky and snappy flow make for a fantastic partnership, but the real treat here is the utterly fun video. Before the first bar even begins you’ll be hooked, simply because there’s a dog riding a donkey that’s painted to be a zebra (I seriously thought this was just an Eastbound And Down joke but apparently it’s a real thing) and it’s awesome.
The rest of the video is a lo-fi and motion sickness inducing look at Kool’s new life in Mexico, where he is a new resident. The psychedelic lens through which simple things like walking the dogs or the arcade lights of the carnival are viewed is about 500% of your recommended daily eyeball stimulation in just under six minutes, but it’s all part of the charm.
Timbaland – Servin (ft. Blaze Servin and Tweezie)
Coming off his Christmas Day mixtape King Stays King and in the lead up to his next album Opera Noir, producer king Timbaland has dropped a video for one of its tracks this week in Servin. Featuring a pair of up and comers in Blaze Servin and Tweezie, the track features beats of the thickest variety and looks like a return to form for Timbaland, who seems to be jumping all over the trap train that hit full steam in 2015.
The video is your standard hip-hop fare, alternating shots of different combinations of the trio dancing for the camera spliced in with shots at a club that unquestionably has bottle service. There’s plenty of fire as you can probably guess too.
Tyler, The Creator – PERFECT (ft. Kali Uchis and Austin Feinstein)
Following a tumultuous year seeing the release of his long-awaited third studio album Cherry Bomb and his simultaneous banning from Australia, Tyler, The Creator is back with a brand new video landing this week for Cherry Bomb standout PERFECT.
It’s a split-screen duet between Tyler and featured artist Kali Uchis, Uchis surrounded by sunflowers, Tyler covered in Monarch butterflies. Los Angeles indie rocker Austin Feinstein eventually joins Tyler on the right to inject some laidback surfy guitars into what was already an eclectic mix of jazz and hip hop. It’s a simple concept but an effective way of visualising the very huge stylistic contrast between the artists.
See you next week!