It is at the intersection of emotional lines and the literal geometry of physical architecture that 'Refracted' is born. Gordi (Sophie Payten)'s haunting vocals are coupled with symmetrical structures that allow their intimacy, marked by a disconcerting beauty, to find visual representation. Lights and shadows are employed to suggest different levels of intensity, along with a whole spectrum of emotions getting echoed in the lyrics. 

 The music is equipped with an elemental incandescence that ensures that the final product works on multiple levels. Combining two of Gordi's creations - Extraordinary Life and Volcanic, as they are performed within the walls of the Phoenix Central Park in Sydney, Australia, the music video acquires a separate existence of its own. Its seamless, sophisticated visuals become the protagonist in themselves, alongside Gordi's spectral presence on screen. 

Additionally, both the performer and the performance, only serve to complement and enhance one another. On the whole, the final result comes to be marked by a powerful otherworldly quality that further ties together the various elements in an elegant, notable and skilled manner.

Refracted | Short Film of the Month

Eschewing hackneyed visuals that might often accompany noise-rock, ‘Macca the Mutt’ presents to you a world of its own. Complete with a characteristic grittiness and unmissable texture, the music video stands firmly on its two feet. The uniqueness of tonality and approach are the main factors allowing the visuals to succeed in this manner. 

With Party Dozen's Kirsty Tickle on the saxophone and Jonathan Boulet on percussion, the video conjures distortions and vocal modifications to present its reality to you. While at first glance one might expect a steam-punk aesthetic, the expectation is soon foiled as the video progresses. This is further coupled with musician and singer Nick Cave’s repeated refrain at the end, also marking an exception to the famously reclusive pattern of the artist when it comes to collaboration with other artists and musicians. 

In a song that is devoid of all lyrics, save for the refrain, the thematic motivations and their interpretations are the responsibility more of the audience than the creators themselves. However, the video still presents a sense of mundane, futile cyclicality of life, an allusion to a working-class existence and that of manual labor, which is immediately tied with the disruptive sense of discomfort that the song weaves in. 

Since the video is very genre-specific, it is not for everyone. And yet, what you make of it is your prerogative entirely, as the vocals and the emotions behind them get reflected in the visual narrative before you.

Most Viewed

Genres

Awards

Follow Us

Quick Links