#81: "slightly cosmic"
Welcome to issue #81 of THIS NEWSLETTER CANNOT SAVE YOU. You know, friends, I’ve been obsessed with music videos since I was but a young lad toiling away in the mines for my Great-Uncle Angus, searching for an elusive effluvium said to bring eternal life, BUT THAT’S A DIFFERENT STORY.
Now we’ve put my music video obsession to use in the creation of a “pirate video station,” if you will, called VIDS: Adventures in Music Video.
It’s a tightly curated, 24/7 stream of music videos, the likes of which you may have seen on occasion in this very newsletter. The playlist contains over 2200 music videos that I’ve hoarded over the years and singled out for your enjoyment.
We’ve got a heavy focus on recent vids, but gems go back all the way to the late 1990s. Please, won’t you, consider making VIDS: Adventures in Music Video a part of your media diet. And tell your friends, unless your friends are likely to issue a DMCA takedown request!
Onward…
BMVAvision
Speaking of music videos, the Berlin Music Video Awards recently announced nominees for its annual event. It’s one of two such ceremonies that I pay close attention to (the other being the UKMVA, discussed in issue #75), and I thought I’d share with you some of the gems I’ve discovered while digging into the various categories. Although the nominees include popular mainstream artists, I’ve focused here on the lesser known acts that you might not have heard of to give them a little airtime. Please to enjoy!
“Kyiv” (2026) - The video for this track by Apashe and Alina Pash was filmed in Ukraine during the fourth year of the Russian invasion. It’s an aesthetically stunning and emotionally stark abstract depiction of the conflict, pitched against the decadence of the West. I’ve watched this one several times and each time the conclusion comes as a sad surprise. (Nomination: Best Concept)
“Other I” (2025) - In which the perils of worshipping a Biblically-accurate angel are made abundantly clear. The band, Kriill, indicates the video is actually about “what we consume without always considering the cost, about Big Brother, mass surveillance, AI and social media.” But I’m not wrong about the Biblically-accurate angel! (Nomation: Best Animation)
“Acid Niger” (2025) - While I can’t say for certain that the “acid” in the track title is a psychedelic reference (the lyrics by Léonie Pernet tell of a world without guns, dreamt by madmen, but certainly don’t mention dropping LSD), the visuals are pleasingly complex and psychedelic all the same. Envisioning a beautiful fusion of historic Africa with high technology (almost magical in nature), the vid is a steadily unfolding wonder. (Nomination: Best AI Video)
“Christina” (2025) - In this video for a track by Lilly Wood & The Prick, you will witness the track-suited couple surrounded by their retinue of heavily-muscled cabana men, living the life with stoic aplomb, the life to which we all might aspire. (Nomination: Best Concept)
“Que ce soit clair” (2025) - A follow-up of sorts to Paul Kalkbrenner’s “Schwer” video, this slick clip walks us through a weirdly textured night out at the club, seen through the lens of overly smooth club kids on the prowl. The animation is trippy and slightly cosmic, and Kalkbrenner himself hovers over the proceedings with a floating menace. (Nomination: Best Experimental)
“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. (Nomination: Best Visual Effects)
“Consider Me Venus” (2025) - A strange modern mystery cult engineers an all-too-close encounter with a dangerous spirit in this moody black and white clip for a track by Sei Selina. (Nomination: Best Cinematography)
“Billie Holiday” (2025) - Rapper AntsLive delivers a charming video in which a young fan sends him a video of a custom choreographed dance. He proceeds to steal the dance, capitalizing heavily on the moves and ignoring the despondent boy. It’s a tale reminiscent of the classic MGMT video “Me and Michael,” if less surreal and more accessible, and AntsLive is always a winning presence on screen. (Nomination: Best Narrative)
“Obsession” (2025) - You know, sometimes watching bodies tumble through open air is its own reward. Electronic artist Superpoze delivers this simple and luminously envisioned slice of conceptual anti-gravity. (Nomination: Best Experimental)
“Stupid Life” (2025) - Zany nihilistic lyrics aside, I think I’m drawn to this video by The Tiger Lillies because I performed the exact same “wacky surgery” routine once at a Halloween event, except I was in costume as an evil clown. (Photographic evidence!) (Nomination: Best Low Budget)
Exit Music
Sending you out this issue with my latest open format mix, I’ll Be Your Satellite Mix 2026, co-curated with Miss Susie, a blend of indie pop and electronic music featuring the likes of Magdalena Bay, FKA twigs, Four Tet, Jon Hopkins, Purity Ring, Oklou, Maribou State, Avalon Emerson, A. G. Cook, “and more!” Good for bopping around the house, blasting in the car, and/or watching the complete and total collapse of civilization from the roof of your house while drinking moonshine.
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:
I'd Like to Talk to the Person That You Were a Week Ago
Legos 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
Add a comment: