Thomas Dolby - Hyperactive! (12'' Version)

What this video is

Released in January 1984 as the lead single from The Flat Earth, Hyperactive! arrived at the precise cultural moment when the 12-inch single format and MTV's medium-rotation policy were mutually reinforcing each other to create the extended music video as a legitimate art form. Thomas Dolby's 'mad scientist' persona — established by She Blinded Me with Science (1982) — was here channelled into a frenetic meditation…

Why it matters

Hyperactive! sits at the intersection of British new wave, electro-funk, and early synth-pop video art. Its 12'' extended version represents the creative latitude the format afforded directors in 1984 — additional runtime for visual storytelling beyond the broadcast edit. The video's surrealist,…

The director

Daniel Kleinman (born 23 December 1955) is a British television commercial and music video director. After studying at Hornsey Art School, he directed his first music video in 1983 and pioneered post-production special effects across more than 100 videos in…