Music video for Mexican Radio – directed, shot, edited, coloured and animated by me.
Berlin-based synth-punk band Mexican Radio asked me to create their first music video. As the visual introduction to the band, the trio (Nathaniel, Dyan and Johannes) needed their audiovisual debut to tick a few boxes:
- performance video first, concept video second
- showcase the band stage uniforms (the band also has uniforms for soundcheck and street promo)
- feature the band’s logo and colour scheme
- should be shot in the band’s real-life bunker headquarters in North-East Berlin
- portray (literally or otherwise) the song’s subject: the Russian nihilist movement from the 1860s and the assassination attempt on Tsar Alexander II
Throw into the mix:
- the band’s visual references (some really low-fi, nasty-looking punk rock videos)
- my visual references (Russian propaganda and Constructivist poster art)
- the “Hi! My Name Is” aesthetic question : did the band want “real” punk, or “David LaChapelle X Sonic Youth” punk?
The result:
Video directed, shot, animated, edited and coloured by Ray Wassef.
Re-Constructivist Music Video
We had a lot of fun recreating iconic Communist propaganda poster designs from Russia and China (authentic and homage alike):
