Biting Elbows
“HEARTACHE” and “CONTROL” Music Videos
Directed by Ilya Naishuller
Add date – 07/03/19
About Biting Elbows
By now, fans of Biting Elbows know what expect from the band’s videos: sheer intensity. The Moscow-based post-punk group has become internationally famous for their ambitious, fast-paced, electrifying clips. These are videos that manage to be sexy and terrifying, often at the same time; they pull from sci-fi, thrillers, mysteries, dystopian dramas. But it would be wrong to suggest that Biting Elbows videos feel like excerpts from movies. That’s because they play like their major motion pictures – glimpses into a dark alternative cinematic reality constructed by the band and its directors.
Yes, front-man Ilya Naishuller thinks big. The music he makes with Biting Elbows is intentionally widescreen – it’s full of grand gestures, odd and arresting sounds, bracing rhythms and anthemic choruses. Biting Elbows songs develop the way good movies do: they contain mood shifts, illuminating detours, and thunderous climaxes. And as a filmmaker as well as a musician (he was the director of Hardcore Henry, the 2015 hit first-person action movie), he’s adept at translating those sonic ideas into visual ones. Naishuller was behind the camera for the incendiary clip for Biting Elbows’ “Bad Motherfucker,” a wild escape from murderous mobsters. The video, which is shot in a first-person perspective, has been viewed more than 40 million times on YouTube. American pop fans got a taste of Naishuller’s style in 2016 when he directed the clip for The Weeknd’s hit single “False Alarm” – a tale of a bloody bank heist.
About the videos
However, Biting Elbows isn’t (just) about action and violence. There’s a heavy romantic strain in the music the band makes, and the clip for “HEARTACHE,” their latest single, explores that undercurrent. Rest assured, however, that this is romance done Biting Elbows-style. From the first frames of the clip, danger is in the air. Even as a young couple kisses on a sofa at a party, the dim lighting and the unsteadiness of the camera suggest destabilization to come. Soon, they’re arguing amidst the chaos of the club floor – and others get involved. Naturally, the man takes the worst of it, and as he stumbles out of the party and on to the street, he’s greeted by a surprise that we won’t ruin for you. You’ll have to experience it for yourself.
“Heartache” also serves as a prologue to the blockbuster clip to “CONTROL,” a rougher Biting Elbows song, and one that represents an evolution in the band’s sound. This is the group at its sleekest and most progressive; the mix begs for a sci-fi treatment, and Biting Elbows doesn’t disappoint. Expect an alien invasion, with the interplanetary guests taking over human hosts in search for a good time, reckless car action in an underground car park, unspeakable acts in glamorous bathrooms, sexy people with superhuman strength, and a range of unsettling (but compulsively watchable) special effects. It’s not the sort of video a typical band would make – but no one would mistake Biting Elbows for a typical band.
Want more from Biting Elbows and HIP Video Promo?
Here at HIP Video Promo we’re profoundly honored to work with Biting Elbows once again to share the compelling new “HEARTACHE” and “CONTROL” music videos with the world! Don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know what we can do to ensure these jaw-dropping clips receive spots in your regular programming and online presentations, or if you’d like us to send Biting Elbows merch for on-air contests and giveaways. You can contact Andy Gesner and the HIP Video Promo team at (732)-613-1779 or email us at info@HIPVideoPromo.com. You can also visit www.BitingElbows.com for all things Biting Elbows.
For more info on other Biting Elbows videos, click HERE.