#75: "a precarious and dreamlike position"
Welcome to issue #75 of THIS NEWSLETTER CANNOT SAVE YOU, coming to you straight from New York City — aka the Big Apple, the City That Never Sleeps, the Empire City, the City So Nice They Named It Twice, the Home of the Sleazy Cheese Bucket, the Basement Apartment of the East Coast, the Concrete Zone of Ontological Uncertainty, the Place Where Things Happen and People Live. I like it here. As evidence, here is a picture of some chocolates I bought recently from a place in the hood:
OK, let’s newsletter!
UKMVAvision
The UK Music Video Awards announced its annual nominees recently. UKMVA is one of the two serious music video events that I pay attention to (the other is the Berlin Music Video Awards), and it’s always a treat to scour the nominees sifting for treasure. The awards are international in scope, with categories for UK artists and categories for global artists. Presented below are ten of my finds from that collection. I excluded anything I’ve already written about in the newsletter, and generally avoided the splashy high-budget videos from mainstream stars in favor of indie and alternative productions. I hope you find something that suits your fancy!
“Lonyo!” (2025) - A schoolboy manages to acquire an unreleased track from his big brother (played by the track’s artist, Bakar), resulting in a giant choreographed playground celebration. A surprising number of commenters mentioned this video made them cry, but it’s not a sad video at all; it’s a joyful expression of youthful exuberance. Directed by Tom Emmerson.
“Driving Round Looking For Unknown” (2025) - Singer/rapper Cero Ismael is a forlorn prisoner in a weird Napoleanic science fiction setting in this video by directors Folkert Verdoorn & Simon Becks. Perhaps he’s more of a discarded plaything than a prisoner; nevertheless the surreal behavior of the guards and nobles around him place him in a precarious and dreamlike position.
“Youth” (2025) - A wandering hitchhiker falls in with a group of four young women on a cross-country road trip to seemingly nowhere, and amidst acts of rowdy vandalism and moments of quiet reflection, he manages to find a bit of joy. The video culminates in a stop at a rave DJ’d by electronic musician Didi Han, whose track underscores this melancholy adventure of a video.
“Last Exit On Bethnal” (2025) - A lesbian motorcycle gang invades an upscale lesbian bar, resulting in a brawl that evolves into the early stages of an orgy — and that’s merely the opening sequence in this video directed by Lydia Garnett & Hannah Holland (it’s Holland’s pulsing track that scores the vid). It’s stylized urban glamour with an unpredictable touch.
“Cruel Love” (2025) - This video depicts a scenario in which a man seemingly deploys a form of blotter acid directly onto his eyeball, then allows a robotic VR interface to catapult him into a uniquely personal multiversal voyage. Hijinks ensue! Music by Leon Vynehall, directed by Alex Takács.
“Downpour” (2025) - In the midst of a bland rural hellscape, young adults fall in love, fight hard, break up badly, perform as mimes, and survive faulty parachute landings. They also make extremely good music, as this track by LILCHICK, a 20-year-old composer, demonstrates. Directed by Alex Acy & Rémi Belleville.
“All I Need” (2025) - On a late night bus ride, a man dreams an entire relationship with the woman sitting across from the aisle from him in this wistful video by Maribou State. The dream is artfully depicted in part as a zoetrope that repeatedly takes focus, breaking the experience down for examination; other times the film is saturated and distressed, as the dream unfolds into melancholy territory. Directed by Giordano Maestrelli.
“Electronic Talk” (2025) - Electronic musician Prince 85, whose true identity is the subject of much conspiratorial debate, delivers a banger of a track and a proper accompanying video here. It’s a psychedelic cyberpunk ritual, cycling through the stages of life, notably including raving your ass off and transforming into a towering multi-organism tornado. Directed by Holy Magury.
“Body On Me” (2024) - Rapper/singer SAINT jHN offers a necessarily dystopian look at our future lives with subjugated androids in this video that feels like a four-minute Black Mirror episode. I haven’t yet seen an android in a good music video that wasn’t ultimately tormented in some way, despite the allure of their designs. Directed by Alex Gargot.
“ÉBĒM” (2025) - I can’t explain this epic vision quest of a short film masquerading as a music video; interpretations are many and there’s no official description. Sit back and enjoy the motorcycle ride as artist Yamê is chased through hell and explores the divine. Directed by Thomas Bertrand.
Exit Music
Sending you out this issue with the recently launched Ninja Chill internet radio station on YouTube, featuring a 24/7 stream of tracks from the extensive Ninja Tune catalog. The record label has been around for thirty-five years now, putting out some legendary releases from acclaimed downtempo, trip-hop, and electronic artists such as Coldcut, Bonobo, The Cinematic Orchestra, and others. The vibe of the station is, as advertised, pleasantly chill.
Here's the YouTube playlist with (most of) this issue's recos. Please enjoy responsibly.
Until next time, I remain your friendly correspondent, thinking of you,
Scotto
Scotto Moore is the author of WILD MASSIVE, BATTLE OF THE LINGUIST MAGES, and YOUR FAVORITE BAND CANNOT SAVE YOU.
See also: