Hey there people. This is the long-anticipated video for LA-via-the-Philippines producer Spazzkid. Real name Mark Redito, he released his very beautiful album Desire 願う in April of this year, which is a perfect showcase of his sound: juke-flavoured beats that underpin an assortment of very pretty sounds, from modulating synths to tuned percussion like xylophones. It's the perfect mix of electronic and organic. This particular song, '40 Winks', is taken from that very album and - as I said - I've been itching to see the video for it ever since Mr Spazzkid himself dropped tidbits of information: namely that it was being shot in Tokyo.
And that's exactly where it has been shot. A self-confessed lover of Japanese culture, it's only natural that the music Spazzkid makes so lovingly should be the soundtrack to the capital city of the country of which he's so fond. Boy does it work! It opens with a mysterious woman answering a public phone, an anonymous voice explaining: "I'm sorry, I didn't say goodbye. Wait for me. Don't open the suitcase I left behind. See You Soon." The hyper-reverbed, ancient-sounding honky-tonk-type piano chords of the song echo a sad warmth across the collection of shots of Tokyo, the long tops of hard-edged skyscrapers jutting into the sky, as well as the indomitable crowds of the city.
The lyrics of the song - half-melancholy and love-themed, like "I've been so many places, I've seen so many places, but not like yours" - match up with slo-mo shots of the woman's face, downcast, wracked with loneliness in such a bustling place. Spazzkid's delicious post-dubstep beats and delicate bell sounds illustrate her inexplicable journey across Tokyo, leading to the bridge of the song where all things turn grey, introduced by handfuls of rolling snare, where the luscious beats find room to breathe with no augmentation. The lady opens the briefcase and the music floods back in, synth bleeps adding to the now very head-bopping shuffle of the song - its busiest section - and our protagonist makes a hectic run towards the top of a building where she watches the sunset. It's a perfect soundtrack to such a video, containing within it a kind of cold euphoria, a lonely happiness, two contrasting feelings that intertwine like two embracing lovers.
Nice isn't it? Directed by Czar Campos, it stars Rika Hirota, a trackmaker and DJ in her own right under the alias Licaxxx.
If you liked this, and you haven't heard the album, you should DEFINITELY check it out. And if you want to have a try at remixing it, please feel free! The remix stems are here: spazzkid.com/desireremix.
Listen to Spazzkid on Soundcloud
Hear more Spazzkid on bandcamp
Visit Spazzkid's official site
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Watch Spazzkid on YouTube
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