by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Last summer we had the pleasure of premiering Grape Room's "Instant Flame" video, a clip we endearingly referred to as a "trashy pop gem of a video". There were walls draped in red linen, captivating hand motions, and more than a few flips of Grape Room aka Peter Nichols' hair. For anyone waiting on the sequel, you're in luck as Grape Room have returned with "Lesser Broom," another exceptional music video. Built around a medieval theme and a hook that is literally about choosing the shittier of two brooms ("the handle gave me some kind of rash"), the video is overflowing with bizarre joy and all the incredible cuts you could ever hope for. Directed by Toulouse Control, he explains:
"As the fable unfolds, royal subject Grape Room falls victim to a curse perpetrated by his loathsome, hunchbacked servant. Will the hands of fate allow Grape Room a reunion with his lost love? Well, life’s no fairy tale. Luke Csehak (The Lentils) and Louise Chicoine (Banny Grove) co-star."
There's much to love about "Lesser Broom" from the creepy gloved hands beckoning from behind the curtain to the set design and Grape Room's commitment to it all. I'd be remiss if I didn't give Toulouse Control credit for those aforementioned cuts... and oh boy, there's a lot of them. From the more standard "circle out" and the hard "pull down" to diving through the tea cup and the saxophone's opening, it's an onslaught of hilarious edits that really capture a lot of the magic. As Nichols' sings "I felt this feeling sometime before, hypnotized like a Disney kid sitting on the floor" you can't help but crack a smile. It's a strange world that Grape Room create, but it's brilliant in its MIDI processed vision. Guitars are synthesized to sound like twinkling keyboards and saxophones, nothing is quite as it seems. This is warped and manipulated experimental pop, the kind that just might have made The Purple One himself proud to see his influence taking such unique shape.
"Yogurt on the floor"... Grape Room have really outdone themselves with this one.
Grape Room's Heart of Gum is out now on Nicey Music.