Video Vacuum - The Knife, Ancient River, Our Mountain, Spectral Park, K-X-P

The past few days have lain dormant on Planet Masala. Unfortunately real life has gotten in the way, once again (and Sunday was held over in a hungover fugue state). So let's finish off Monday with a series of cool videos.

We're gonna start off with Sweden's perennial ice demons The Knife, whose new album Shaking The Habitual is only a few weeks away. Hotly anticipated, and rightly so, as it's been seven years since their last album proper (they have had opera soundtracks and collaborations in the meantime). This is the video for second single 'A Tooth For An Eye', a song supposedly deconstructing maleness and leaders by offering up a cross-section of guys (all without much finesse, but with passion and verve) dancing to the beat of a young girl's drum/sparkler. It also continues 'Full Of Fire's promise of percussive undercurrents, proving that this album could be just as innovative and challenging as anything they have previously committed to. Very excited about this one.

I have spoken about Florida's Ancient River in the past (see here and here), and they are just releasing 'I'm Waiting For The Light'. This track plays like an amalgam of Black Angels (circa Passover)and Black Mountain (self-titled era) - two of my favourite bands, as you might well know - and the song is quite possibly the best thing I have heard them commit to tape yet. The video by White Vintage Vinyl is typically swirly and slightly spun-out, but it's the song itself that's the selling point. Get into the grind.

Now for the obligatory NSFW warning. VERY NSFW (unless you work in a gynaecologist's office or a sex shop). New York band Our Mountain have offered up this stark and very confronting video for their quite good 'IV Horses', which depicts still long-shots of the band members in full frontal nudity. Three penises and a vagina, long shots, this early in the day? The band stresses the video is an attempt to commentate on the T the subject of human anatomy, four humans, bare, still and focused; to simplify and condense, strip back to a one dimensional treatment, minimalism, all that kinda thang. I agree of course, there is nothing titillating about this work at all, but it's still a shock to the system nonetheless - which I guess is most of the point. You might recognise the girl as Abby Lee Krenshaw - apparently she's an Aussie fashion model, but I had to get someone to explain that to me. Either way, the song is garish and dark in a Snowman kinda way (lotsa tortured, anguished howls), which is a winner for me. Plus it was banned from Facebook and Youtube...so you have been warned (it's just boobs and junk!)



I haven't heard much from Spectral Park in a while, so was glad to find the video for 'Shells' tucked snugly in my inbox last week. Its washed out yet sunswept fare accompanied by a blurry VHS vid that marries up all the good points of Luke Donovan's songwriting, and I'm glad to have him back. The self-titled record is out now through Mexican Summer - haven't had a chance to hear it yet, but seeing as we are getting some last vestiges of summer here, it might be a worthwhile purchase - grab here.

K-X-P : Circles of Time(Live) from K-X-P on Vimeo.

Finally we have this live video clip of 'Circles of Time' from Finnish band K-X-P. Filmed at London's Corsica Studios late last year, the seven minute track is a kosmiche wonderland drenched in monochrome. I don't much else about them, but this performance is enough to get me started. They have just done a stint at SXSW and are floating around the US at the moment so keep an eye out.

NOW GET BACK TO WORK/BED (WHATEVER)!