Watch: Half Waif “Ceremonial”

08 Oct 2014 — Henry Schiller

Half Waif's “Ceremonial” was one of my favorite tracks of the summer, so I’m very pleased to be able to share director Grace Gardner's rather autumnal video. Gardner brings Half Waif’s carefully crafted ode to the dark magic of monotony in a video that is perfectly evocative of the song’s themes and tone. It is filmed in a grimy, hand held-style-- almost Dogville-esque-- and degenerates into instagram filtered, slime-gulping voyeurism. The gonzo approach is offset by the synchronized movements of the dances behind Half Waif's Nandi Rose Plunkett, who sing-lurks at the bottom of the screen. The ceaseless repetitions of daily life are a choreography of sorts: one best captured on handheld devices and filtered into a demonic oblivion. The struggle between the humdrum of the everyday and the vile otherness of breaking even the most banal of habits is on full display in both Rose Plunkett's song and Gardner's exceptional accompanying video.

Give this a watch and check out Half Waif’s debut album KOTEKAN here.