‘Mannequin’ in the museum
Instant Crush by Daft Punk feat. Julian Casablancas video appreciation
I remembered when Random Access Memories was out. I believe it was a controversial record because everybody expected other thing, other mood. I always wondered why people didn’t see with Get Lucky how would be the record. So, some Daft Punk fans were with heart broken, but me… I was so happy, I embraced RAM like a good remembrance to disco music.
Then, is my favorite song: Instant Crush. I like to listen Julian Casablancas in this song, almost like he didn’t sound like him. Then, in the moment when I knew the song has a video, I feel ecstatic: that had to be a good one. Leaving behind the big crush what hispter fandom has for Julian Casablancas: yes, yes, yes, I love him too but I really want to talk about the video.
This is Instant Crush by Daft Punk feat. Julian Casablancas
If you know me, you know I love videoclips because they are a great opportunity to tell a story. When Daft Punk decides to do it, the result is always excellent. That happened with Interstellar 5555. But they sometimes did things like Lose Yourself to Dance what the only merit what have is be a decent copy to Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz and nothing more. (Is like everybody wasn’t incapable to do something outside Mark Romanek’s mind!)
Instant Crush is amazing because the video is telling a story and that was made with two things: good shots and light. The best in the love story is watch how you understand everything but the dolls don’t move, it’s the camera. With some zooms, very good worked, and the lights in the right places, you can understand what is happening between them, the feelings, and that is fantastic. Are only two shots when we see movement: when the soldier doll arrives and when he takes her hand in the end. That shots are absolutely justified in the story.
The other amazing thing is Julian Casablancas’ performance. Sorry, but I believe we needed a rest from the robots and is good to see a human in the stage. Not only his performance is impecable, is, again, the good cinematography between the takes and the light. The shoots show his face in the right moments of the lyrics and… the invisible piano is a good touch.
But what I believe is really important is the name behind the video: Warren Fu. Yes, he did that copy what talked about in Lose Yourself The Dance, but also he did wonderful things like Derezzed from the same robots, or (OMG!) Soothe My Soul by Depeche Mode.
I can’t identify in this moment what is really Fu style, the only what I have in mind is how he likes square format, close to 4:6, something very weird in a moment when everybody is thinking in 16:3, like movies. Maybe he was thinking how we think now, in a vertical format (thanks Instagram).
But what admire most of Warren Fu is how is beginning to create a relationship with artist. That is so important, is what made to 90’s the golden age to the videoclips. I believe Daft Punk and Julian Casablancas gave him the opportunity to find his voice, because you watch what he did next and is the same style, specially what he did with The Voidz.
At least, and not least, when I saw for first time Instant Crush, I remembered Mannequin, movie from the 80’s with Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall. I was expecting the moment when the dolls come to life! Aww… But what I want to say is, that plus Casablanca’s outfit shows 80’s is more alive than ever.
