Young Knives Unveil Animated Video For Jenny Haniver
Friday, 18 December 2020
Written by Jon Stickler
Photo: Ian Wallman
Young Knives have unveiled a video for Jenny Haniver.
The animated clip was created by Iman Mahdy, a member of the London-based BLKbrd Collective, whom the brothers met through the Women's Music Project in Oxford.
The track features on 'Barbarians', the fifth LP from Henry Dartnall and The House of Lords (aka Thomas Dartnall), which arrived back in September, following up 2013's 'Sick Octave'. An accompanying statement from Henry reads:
"The song itself is about perceptions of beauty. The female lead in the song is in one way, only there because it came from the name of the strange mixed-up creatures that appeared in Victorian side shows. But in another way the female lead is central to the concept of the song because we are two men who have grown up during a time when the attitude towards women has been continually challenged and discussed.
"The song is a reflection on the traditional view of women in relationships, and perhaps the old-fashioned male gaze and "phwoar" culture that used to be kind of accepted, or at least expected when we were younger. It’s also about the idea of perfection and beauty and when it gets so pushed in our society that it can become garish and ugly. As with most of our songs we are just playing with the words and not making any kind of point; it isn’t activism, it’s a reflection on the experiences of these things by two middle-aged white fellas.
"We were struggling when it came to the concept for the video because we make quite grotesque videos in general, and we really felt like it was time to hand it to someone else who would be able to bring out something different in the story. Iman's illustrations and animation style has such a dream-like quality, and a real touch of something beautiful even in the weirdest of creatures, it felt like the perfect match."
The pair will support the record with a rescheduled London show in March. Original tickets remain valid.
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