Aphex Twin: Windowlicker

Eccentric Techno artist Aphex Twin has again collaborated with director Chris Cunningham to produce the music video for Aphex's Windowlicker single. The video clocks in at just over 10 and-a-half minutes, and is a parody of glitzy rap/hip hop videos with its use of limos, champagne, bikini-clad women, and gold chains. Two "homies" cruise around LA looking to hook up, but Richard D. James (the aphex twin himself) upstages them with his super- stretch limo and Michael Jackson-like dance moves. Cunningham uses a similar technique utilized in his other Aphex Twin video, "Come to Daddy", superimposing Richard's sinister grin onto the faces of various women in the video. It makes for some bizarre imagery. This video is seldom seen on television but is available on VHS. If you're an Aphex fan, you'll love it.

I am not kidding. This is the best video ever made. Nothing comes close. It is indescribable. You have never seen anything like this. I am sure you can buy a copy online, and if you do you will not be disappointed. I believe that `Being John Malkovich' borrowed a technique that Chris Cunningham uses in this video and his other video masterpiece `Come to Daddy.' I wish Cunningham would hurry up and make something else, because it's obvious to me that he is one of the most talented directors around today.

Clocking in at around 10 and a half minutes, one would think they couldn't handle a video this long. There are also the problems with subject matter and music. If your not a fan of tech-no you may not like it, but don't make your decision to fast. And if your not a fan of Bizarre Anatomy curdling images, than this might not be for you, but once again don't make your decision to fast.

I've shown this video to over 50 people at this point. some love it to a insurmountable degree like me, and some tell me to turn it off within the first minute of the music start. many of my friends did not like the video initially because of the images, but I had them see it a couple more times and soon they fell in love with it. When you watch this video, your brought into the bizarre and visceral world of Chris Cunningham. The music plays second fiddle to the video or images for that matter. if your not a fan of tech-no you'll realize very soon while watching its not about music. You get lost in what your watching, whether it be for good or for bad. And if the subject matter doesn't appeal to you realize(or try to realize) what a wonderful satire it really is.

Cunningham takes a wonderful stab at the hip hop dynasty. At first you see 2 black men strolling down the road, very interested in picking up some girls. they pull up along side of the road to two black girls. They start expressing their interest in them, very explicitly. The girls are not fond of this at all and want them to leave. Right when you think your not actually watching a music video Cunningham pulls the rug right from under your feet and a giant white limo crashes into the two black man and sends them down the road. Finally out of the limo comes Aphex Twin himself. Being a white man it seems quite out of place, epically when he starts dancing like Michael Jackson to lighting fast beats.

Its at this point the audience will fall love with Cunningham's sick mind, or want to throw the TV out the window. The two women in awe of their new friend actually become so turned on by him their faces morph into his. So ladies and gentleman... you get 2 women with mens faces. Then it cuts to inside a limo and Aphex twin has all these women with his face all over his body, hands rubbing against his chest and theirs legs protruding in every direction possible.

The video carries on with the two original men who were going to pick them up, chasing them around down town Los Angeles. They eventually put on some kind of dance number for them and bathe themselves in champagne a la Aphex Twin. But this is not before they make a startling discovery of their own...

Cunningham employs his talent of synchronizing image and sound amazing, which he proved he could do with his other "Twin" video "Come to daddy". he uses lense flares and puts images out of focus so organically you don't even notice, and it just becomes part of the mood. his cinematography does not really get lost in his first rate editing, every shot is expertly composed and matches superbly to his Busby Berkly like choreography(as sick as a take off it might be).

At the end of this video I felt very weird the first time I saw it. But now, after the 100th or so time I just can't help but get lost with the characters and their environment. There is an obvious lost art of movie editing these days, with it's random cutting and over the top slickness. But Chris Cunningham uses micro editing and every other fast paced technique and yet you still know exactly what your looking at and the tone it generates. He brakes it down to such a science and flow that there's nothing really left at the end of the video, except a feel. and it's this feel you either love or hate. I personally love it. And if you like this video, than there's no stopping you. you'll explore all of Cunningham's Oeuvre within weeks.

A must see for all music video fans and anyone interested in going into the editing or technical side of the entertainment industry.

This video can be found on Chris Cunningham's Directors label DVD from Palm pictures.

...and I've seen "Baby Geniuses".

What starts off as a parody of numbingly retarded rap music videos soon degenerates (some would say "improves") into some sort of surreal, in-your-face nightmare that straight males won't soon forget. If you thought bearded ladies were scary before, prepare to have your mind royally screwed over. Putting aside how revoltingly twisted the video is, it's also pretty funny, as well as expertly shot and edited. Chris Cunningham gets the glossy visuals of rap videos down to a T and the freaky shots work perfectly to Aphex Twin's captivating electronic song. This is genius.

Richard D. James, Aphex Twin himself, plays a big part in the video (apart from providing the titular song, of course) as his characteristic shark grin, as in "Come to Daddy", serves a big part in terrifying the poor viewer. Few musical artists have the screen presence of this guy.

Many will argue that Cunningham's greatest freak-out was his debut video, "Come to daddy", but as stunning as that video is it can't compete with the sheer, basic, and harrowing horror of "Windowlicker". Whether you're a fan of Aphex Twin or not, this video deserves to be seen as it towers miles above most videos of its kind.

I was out on New Years Eve 2005 at a club that had several rooms including a small screening room that was showing weird short films and music videos. We didn't sit for very long in this screening room but during the respite from dancing I watched this music video. Opening with a scene of two "gangstas" trying to pick up two black women the film sees their sports car pushed out of the way by a limousine as long as a football pitch. At this point the music started and Aphex Twin himself starts to dance to entice the women into his car. As they are drawn to him, things begin to change and mutate.

It didn't help that I had already had about 3 double gin & tonics by this time, but the nature of the video drew me in with the hip hop standards we see in music videos all the time before breaking them with some horrifically impressive effects. Although the same idea has been done before, I still though it was effective here. The opening scenes are foulmouthed and funny, establishing the genre we think we are in. The arrival of Aphex Twin starts an impressive dance scene that continues as the women are twisted and moulded into his image. On one level it is interesting because it at least does something different with the video genre but generally it works because it is grossly engaging. Cunningham could be accused of being twisted for the sake of being twisted but it continues to work here. The dancing is as good as hip hop videos generally are – with Aphex Twin himself being a very good mover, but it is the effects that stick in the mind for ages. The masks are impressive, looking as "natural" as such images can and being so imaginative and horrific that I never found myself looking for the joins or the makeup, but only wondering what sort of mind sees this sort of thing when asked to make a music video.

Overall a disturbing and enjoyable video that plays over a strong track. Twisting the hip hop video, the effects are great while Cunningham has enough in him to produce a video that otherwise matches the standards of the genre with quality dancers. Well worth a look if you get the chance.