Sienna Bentley and Ray Leach
Nobody knows how to multitask quite like small or up-and-coming artists. With the music video arguably becoming a dying art form, and with small artists being pushed into a corner of having to do everything themselves and be their own team, music videos are a rare gem in this day and age. That’s why we absolutely love to see them.
Music videos allow you to catch a glimpse into the psyche of the artist and their creative inclinations in a way that you can’t just by reading the lyrics. You are able to see the vision – the energy and vibe – behind the song and they act as the perfect accompaniment to the track.
On our release radar right now is NOCT, with the recently released single ‘Everything is Ripe’ and the accompanying music video. NOCT is a perfect example of a creative multitasker, unbound by the apparent limitations of being an artist on the rise.
Watch the music video for ‘Everything is Ripe’ here.
“Lyrical descriptions of banality and blandness of daily routines in ‘Everything is Ripe’ were my core area of interest. The approach was to marry the lyrics with a series of fleeting vignettes across ordinary spaces, such as a lonesome park or a tedious bike ride.”
‘Everything is Ripe’ transports us to a grungy 90s backyard where teenagers are kicking rocks and riding bikes. The nostalgia of the video is embedded and yet not obvious. Director Ritvik Tyagi did a fantastic job of using static shots as well as slow dolly zoom-ins, which match the tone and mood of the music. A personal favourite camera angle of mine was where they utilised the bike’s front basket; it feels personal and breaks the tempo of the film.
NOCT adds an elegance to the environment throughout the film. Their hair and eyes are almost Renaissance-esque, which beautifully contradicts the mundane concrete jungle surrounding them. There is a sense of boredom in their eyes and yet, as a viewer, you want to keep watching and singing along. The choice to have NOCT singing throughout the video, and then occasionally having shots of them staring down the camera is also incredibly effective. It draws the audience into the world further.
“I wanted to make something seemingly achievable with only one presence, the artist herself, mostly being deadpan alongside her beloved ripening or decaying fruit in a cold, depleted and unsmiling atmosphere.”
Overall, the video successfully invites the viewer into a world that feels familiar to us all. Dark streets, the same roads, bland concrete walls and so on. But it’s not all gloom. The song has a cool, punchy, rocky vibe. The song is a banger and the team did a great job with this video. A simple approach with a very striking result.
