Orbital & Sleaford Mods - Dirty Rat

What this video is

Released on 20 October 2022, 'Dirty Rat' arrived at a moment of acute political crisis in the United Kingdom — during the chaotic final weeks of Liz Truss's brief premiership, following years of Brexit fallout and austerity-driven social decay. The track is a collaboration between Orbital (Paul and Phil Hartnoll), Sleaford Mods' Andrew Fearn on production, and Jason Williamson on vocals, emerging from a remix…

Why it matters

Represents a landmark crossover between UK legacy rave/techno (Orbital, active since 1989) and the post-punk electronic agit-pop of Sleaford Mods, bridging the Class of 1988 Acid House generation with 2010s working-class protest music. The track's BPM (126), F minor key, and old-school techno…

The director

British film director, lighting designer, and photographer (born 9 January 1968), grandson of director Joseph Losey and son of producer Gavrik Losey. He entered the film industry as a runner on Derek Jarman's Caravaggio (1986), later immersing himself in…