The Chemical Brothers - Elektrobank

What this video is

Released September 1997 at the commercial and creative zenith of the UK Big Beat movement, 'Elektrobank' arrived as The Chemical Brothers consolidated their crossover status following 'Dig Your Own Hole.' Spike Jonze's directorial approach subverted MTV norms by eschewing the band entirely in favour of a self-contained short film, lending the video cinematic legitimacy and longevity beyond typical promotional fare.…

Why it matters

A landmark in the Big Beat genre's visual canon, 'Elektrobank' demonstrated that electronic dance music could sustain sophisticated long-form narrative filmmaking. By matching the track's escalating tension to a classic sports-film underdog arc, Jonze validated electronic music's emotional range…

The director

Born Adam Spiegel on October 22, 1969. American filmmaker, actor, musician, and photographer. Began career photographing BMX and skateboard culture; transitioned into music videos in the early 1990s. Became the defining music video auteur of the mid-1990s…