“Ever wish songs just sang what was happening in the music video? Well now they do.” says Dustin McLean, aka DustoMcNeato, one of the foremost talents in the current “literal video” trend that’s taking the metaverse by storm & cracking my ass up in the process. Dustin & his crew have now created “literal video” interpretations of several pop music videos including a-ha’s “Take On Me“, “Head Over Heels” by Tears For Fears, and most recently “Under The Bridge” by The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
What’s happening with that monkey let me help with the books…
Why’d that janitor walk there?
These “literal videos” are riotious spoofs that are especially brilliant for making fun of the obvious absurdities in music videos. I had trouble breathing I was laughing so hard watching their version of “Take On Me” for the first time, and I still find myself humming strange lines from the literal version of “Head Over Heels” on a daily basis. Dustin & company are by no means the only ones getting in on the action – there are several other great literal video retakes surfacing out there, more and more every day! KeithFK was inspired by what he saw & has created a couple of his own, including a great literal video version of “No Surprises” by Radiohead.
Not enough musical spoofiness to satisfy you? Me neither! So check this madness out
Sleeveface is an internet phenomenon wherein one or more persons obscure or augment body parts with record sleeve(s), causing an illusion. The precise origin of the concept is unknown. A collection of photographs was posted online at Waxidermy.com in early 2006, but a 2008 BBC article claims the idea was created by a group of people in Cardiff, Wales. Cardiff’s Carl Morris is compiling a book on the subject. One case of a “sleeveface” before the internet phenomenon and website, was the album cover by DJ J Rocc, whose own sleeve (front and back) was done in the group sleeveface style.
“Attuned to atmosphere rather than architecture, his poignant images – particularly of people – are often deliberately blurred, a metaphor for life’s uncertainty. Dostoevsky, still a haunting presence in the city, is at times Alexey Titarenko’s inspiration in conveying its noirish aspects. In ‘Untitled (Stranger)’ of 1996, two indistinct figures, seen through lines of slanting snow before a building lighted only by a basement window, make a scene right out of ‘Crime & Punishment.’” – Grace Glueck, The New York Times
