The Helio Sequence - Upward Mobility

What this video is

Released May 2015 as a single from The Helio Sequence's self-titled sixth album on Sub Pop Records, 'Upward Mobility' arrived during a period when indie rock labels were increasingly commissioning fully animated music videos as an alternative to live-action performance clips — a trend enabled by affordable digital compositing tools and a global community of independent animators. The video's mixed-media aesthetic…

Why it matters

Represents a high-water mark for the animated indie rock music video format of the mid-2010s. The choice to commission a fully abstract, non-narrative animation — rather than a performance or narrative clip — signals The Helio Sequence's and Sub Pop's alignment with fine-art and experimental…

The director

Born 1978 in Belluno, Italy; self-taught animator and music video director who began his animation career in 2005, transitioning from a background in graffiti, painting, hardcore punk, and electronic music. Based in London at time of this production; now…