I've talked quite a bit about the music behind Vapour Trail, but there's another part of the release that deserves some attention.
The video.
It was filmed and edited by Jules Stockwell, who's responsible for much of the visual side of The Kubrick Stare.
I've always had a fairly clear idea of how I want this project to look. Translating those ideas into something that actually works on screen, however, is another matter entirely.
Fortunately, Jules is very good at it.
An Old Railway and Some Woodland
We filmed the video around the Roe Green Loopline, beginning at the remains of an old railway platform near Monton.
The tracks have been gone for decades, but the platform is still there. It's a strange little reminder of what the area used to be, sitting in the middle of what is now a popular walking route.
There's something I really like about places like that.
They're familiar, ordinary surroundings, but there are little traces of history everywhere if you know where to look.
We followed the old railway through the tunnels before eventually making our way into Worsley Woods.
It's a beautiful area, and I think that comes across in the footage. Most of the video is set amongst trees, woodland paths and open spaces, with the occasional reminder of the railway that used to run through them.
The whole place has a slightly old-fashioned quality to it.
One of my favourite shots is actually one of the simplest.
Jules filmed me from behind, standing completely still inside one of the tunnels. Most of the frame is almost entirely black, with the daylight pouring in from the other end.
The contrast looks brilliant.
It also makes me look like I'm about to be introduced as the villain in a Marvel film.
Which wasn't quite the intention, but I'll take it.
There's another lovely shot looking over a bush towards a church in the distance. It's the sort of detail I probably wouldn't have thought to capture myself, but it works beautifully.
And I think that's one of the advantages of working with somebody else.
They notice things you don't.
The Editing
Of course, being The Kubrick Stare, the whole thing is in black and white.
I don't think that will surprise anybody.
But what really brings the video together is what Jules did with the footage afterwards.
There are moments where two different shots are superimposed over one another, creating these strange, ghostly images where everything seems to exist in two places at once.
Elsewhere, the editing becomes much more aggressive, rapidly cutting between shots in time with the hi-hats.
It's a really interesting contrast.
The locations themselves are peaceful. Trees, woodland, old railway paths and natural light. There's nothing particularly threatening about any of it.
But the way Jules has assembled the footage makes those familiar surroundings feel slightly uncomfortable.
Almost dreamlike.
I think that balance between the natural and the unnatural is what makes the video work so well.
The scenery invites you to relax, but the editing doesn't always let you.
There's also the lyrics.
I supplied Jules with the words as transparent image files and left him to work out how best to incorporate them.
Rather than simply placing static text over the footage, he animated the lyrics, making them feel like part of the video itself.
It's a relatively small detail, but it makes an enormous difference.
A Questionable Fashion Decision
There's one other thing worth mentioning.
This video contains some extremely rare footage of me with hair.
While I was finishing Vapour Trail, I went through a period of growing it out. By the time the single was actually released, I'd shaved it all off again.
So this is the only TKS music video where you'll see me looking like that.
There's also a moustache.
I have absolutely no excuse for the moustache.
Everyone makes mistakes.
Fortunately, most of the video was filmed from behind, so the damage is fairly limited.
Thank God for small mercies.
The Finished Video
What I like most about the finished video is that it feels connected to the music without simply trying to illustrate it.
There's no particular story being acted out, and I don't think there needs to be.
The song already has its own atmosphere. The video creates something visual that exists alongside it, rather than trying to explain what the music is supposed to mean.
The old railway, the woodland, the shadows and the overlapping images all contribute to that feeling.
Everything is recognisable, but something about it seems slightly wrong.
And I think that's exactly what I wanted.
Jules deserves a lot of credit for bringing the whole thing together.
The locations gave us something beautiful to work with, but it's his filming and editing that turned it into something that feels distinctly like The Kubrick Stare.
I've always been quite protective of the creative direction of this project. I know what I want it to be, and I'm not particularly interested in compromising that vision.
But that doesn't mean I want to do everything myself.
Quite the opposite.
Working with somebody who understands what I'm trying to create, but can bring their own ideas and abilities to it, is enormously valuable.
The music might be mine, but the visual identity of The Kubrick Stare is very much a collaborative effort.
And I think this video is a pretty good example of why that matters.
SMS