The music video for Squid’s most recent single, Broadcaster, sees them working with visual artist Wieslawa Ruta. The video combines Squid‘s ever-evolving musical kaleidoscopes with an equally bedazzling array of lights, which morph and distort with kinetic emotion throughout. Despite being relatively subtle compared to the marvelously convoluted music of Squid, the seamlessly-adapting visual spectacle perfectly complements the audio, as Squid themselves move from one stirring segment to another. Keyboardist Arthur Leadbetter’s arpeggiated synth sequences align particularly well with the twitching, flickering, technicolour light patterns.
The band were inspired to work with the artist after discovering Ruta’s work with Dynasonic and Instant Classic. They felt “the beautiful analogue darkness in her work would be a perfect companion to Broadcaster. Wiesława’s attention to colour, light and shape has created visuals even more mesmerising than we imagined“.
Ruta herself, on the animation process, says: “I knew that I would act with a light, that it would be a dark picture lightened by a light, but I did not know that I would end up working at night taking pictures with the camera of increasingly strange flashes and reflections on various surfaces. She also explains how Squid‘s support was so vital. “I am very grateful to the guys from the band for trust and huge support during work. They were so supportive throughout the entire film making process. Animation is a job for loners. However, I am lucky. I am never alone at work. I am always accompanied by music, from which I draw inspiration for the picture. Music determines everything that appears on the screen.
With their debut album on the horizon, Squid also recently released a 10″ vinyl, which features an extended version of ‘Broadcaster’ accompanied by previous single Sludge. Purchase here. Watch the Broadcaster video below.
