Darkstar - 'Text'

What this video is

Released June 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period, 'Text' serves as a lead single from Civic Jams, Darkstar's first album in five years. The record — and by extension this video — sits at the intersection of Brexit-era British anxiety and pandemic-enforced isolation, themes the duo explicitly articulated in press materials: the album concerns 'the juxtaposition of being comfortable in an often…

Why it matters

Represents the mature phase of UK post-dubstep / leftfield electronic pop as practised on the Warp Records roster — a lineage including Mount Kimbie, Actress, and Wild Beasts — where the music video format becomes an art-object rather than promotional spectacle. The near-total rejection of…

The director

Alex Shilt is a 3D visual artist and filmmaker. His portfolio site (alexshilt.com) identifies him as a 3D visual artist working across After Effects, Premiere, and Photoshop. He has VFX supervisor credits (Vimeo) and has collaborated with other musicians…