Heard you missed us. We're back and we come bearing the latest looks in domestic and imported Unofficial Music Videos.
Once again, our tumultuous state of affairs has prevented us from posting and critiquing your lovely fan-made videos as often as we'd like.
You know the drill: Honey! Have you seen my masks? Gotta get back to work.
As you may recall, we, the cultured cats of TikiKiti, have been curating and collecting brilliant examples of rock video artistry from all points on the Atlas for more than five years. And it bears repeating: The quality and depth of your work is killing us in the best way possible.
Affordable technology certainly helps us in our "vision questing" but there is no mistaking the eye of an artist.
Speaking of which, our current Top Five features a bonus clip from Parisian filmmaker Kevin Bodin, who continues to stoke an already blazing talent. Bodin has won the Barclay trophy on multiple occasions, so we thought it best to display his work outside the competitive milieu.
Producer: Kevin Bodin Films
Artist: Ambre Dore
Song: "400 Coups"
Category: Narrative
Our man in Paris specializes in the sound and fury of relationships in peril. Bodin makes exceptional use of space to create distance and tension. He also understands pacing; his stream of consciousness never cease its flow.
1. Producer: Anish Naren
Artist: The Weeknd
Song: "Heartless"
Category: Narrative
This could be the origin story of a superhero, but it's more likely the musings of a young man on the brink of discovering something larger than himself, namely, self-awareness. Remember, our insignificance, in a cosmic sense, can set us free. Filmmaker Anish Naren makes excellent optic decisions.
2. Producer: Sarah Maggiacomo
Artist: Vanic & Bryce Fox
Song: "Sick Of It"
Category: Abstract
How was 2020 for you? Sarah Maggiacomo exorcises some clinging demons from her psyche with stylish vivacity in search of catharsis. We're going to be processing this pandemic for years to come, aren't we? Maggiacomo drops a wondrous bomb of nightmares driven by apocalyptic anxiety.
3. Producer: 不二青
Artist: Aespa
Song: "Black Mamba"
Category: Narrative
Looks like the view from the gamers couch is one of reinvention and maximizing potential. A vibrant and varied palette of secret agent adventure and subterfuge. But is this thriller from Taiwan merely escapism, or are they turning the tables on our tormentors?
4. Producer: Quincy Davis
Artist: Quincy Davis
Song: "Who Am I?"
Category: Narrative
I recognize Portland in some of these shots, and it's reassuring to know that despite a reputation for turmoil, we are home to artists like Quincy Davis, who has a highly developed filmmaking aesthetic and a gift for composition. To be or not to be. That is the question. But it's not the only question.
5. Producer: Ajam Guild Z
Artist: Xamd
Song: Galloping (as translated)
Category: Narrative
More scenes from inside the machine, this time from Japan. There is no humanity here, no culture, just avatars and automatons dancing to misfiring synapses. At the same time, we have one eye looking for a way out.
Everywhere you turn these days, someone is mining your data. What was your first concert? What food reminds you of Grandpa? Would you rather be rich or free?
Your videos are travelogues with interior dialogues. If they want to know what's on your mind, take a look inside.
