More often than not, a music video is just a promotional tool that is added to the song to help it reach a wider audience. What seems different about For Us By Us, the latest release from Dezvelkito, is that both the music and visuals seem equally important, both as a vital half of the complete whole. But then Dezvelkito is as much a filmmaker as a music creator, so he understands both mediums’ importance.
You could start with either the music or the film and work your way towards the other. I will start with the former. Soulful and groovesome to the point of wandering into the realms of funk, smooth and captivating, gently drawing the listener in, urging them to dance or singalong to the tune, and effortlessly likeable, the song is an easy sell, even before you have explored the visual component.
And, as I hinted at, this is more than just a music video; it is a piece of film in its own right, telling its own story, an exploration of love and longing, relationships and romance, and even reminding us of the connectivity of the world, not only with each other as people, but with the planet as our home. Powerful stuff.
If the two components are powerful and poignant, compelling and extraordinary as separate entities, put them together, and you have something truly breathtaking. A riot of colour and grooves, engaging music and beguiling visuals, and the great thing is just how familiar it is. The story is timeless; the music leans into early soul heydays and dance music’s golden age. But that familiarity is tempered by a freshness of approach. The story might be familiar, and the music may fall into our comfort zones with ease, but taken as a whole, this is nothing if not of the now, timeless tales, soundtracked and reimagined for a new and future age.
And that happens when a filmmaker turns their hand to music, or a musician to sculpture, a sculptor to dance, a dancer to painting, and so on. They bring much more to the project than someone set in their ways, a multi-discipline attitude which makes everything more than the sum of its parts. Much more.
That is what is happening here. This is the sound and vision of a storyteller not restricted to one medium or method. The result is something graceful and groovesome, visually stunning and sonically addictive. How cool is that?
