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Following the kerbside head-banging of ‘Hollow Bodies’ by Magical Mistakes, here’s another visceral video from Canada’s King Deluxe records; and again, it’s as mysterious as it is unnerving. It comes from Ink Midget, a Slovakian producer whose Blackouts EP came out on the label last month, and is beautifully directed by his compatriot Andrej Kolencik, even if the content is anything but pretty…

We’re initially introduced to an absolute brick shithouse of a man in boxing gear who, fittingly, appears to be practising his jabs in an actual brick shithouse. Meanwhile an old woman sits in an adjoining flat watching a television that appears to be broadcasting directly through a seventies kaleidoscope. The relationship between the pair is not clear, and the presence of a brooding, iris-less Ink Midget also goes unexplained, but it’s fair to say this doesn’t seem to be a jolly scene (the pitch-black buzz of Ink’s synths also lend weight to this perception).

Anyway, Mr. Shithouse then decides to retire to the patch of concrete and weeds that is the garden, and decides to chow down on some lunch – a gigantic hunk of rapidly-blackening meat which he proceeds to tear apart like an animal. And then… things get weird. You’re going to have to watch it yourself to find out exactly what happens, but suffice to say it’s not a happy ending. Also, if you can work out precisely what it all means, please let me know – as a vegetarian, I’m taking it as another solid argument against the pleasures of (eating) flesh…

As visually arresting as the video is, however, it’s the track that is the real star here. Full of dramatic tension and squalling discord, it’s undoubtedly the darkest thing King Deluxe have released to date. The descending arpeggios seem like they’re counting down to some sort of terrible event (a feeling which is brought to life in the video), while the nasty bass drones seem like the rumbling of an approaching apocalypse. Ink might be a Midget, but this tune is huge. You can pick up a copy of Blackouts here, and sample a slightly less grim slice of it (featuring Segilola) below…

Kier Wiater Carnihan