ACTORS
Among the legions & legacies of noir synth pop citizens of sound & style, ACTORS remains the dark horse wild card that recently graced the world with the singles “Bury Me” & “Crosses” via Northern Light Records. Presenting a viewing of the “Bury Me” video directed by Scott Matthews, featuring cinematography by James Darby for Photophonic Films; we watch the action thriller antics unfurl between Kira Clavell & Stephanie Van Dyck as either a voyeur or complicit sidekick up against adversarial forces.
“Bury Me” begins with the introductory title marquees that guide us to a frantic scene of Clavell flipping through records until arriving upon arrive and playing the single of our current attention & focus on a turntable. Spontaneous & improvised dance moves are seen in between adventures around town, a mysterious hooded figure with a shovel where the audience is constantly bounced between city scenes & bucolic trips through a menacing forest. Between the town & rural outback cross-sections observed, Kira captures our attention as the elusive & aloof anti-hero protagonist Dia de los Muertos make-up who stalks her prey Stephanie in a car garage where the video reaches it’s apex of heightened intensity. The synth cinema soundtrack qualities are complimented in accentuating a fascinating & multi-faceted heroine/villain who we see experiencing a barrage of emotions that exhibit complicated facets than your standard antagonist character type. Read our recent interview with ACTORS’ Jason Corbett.
Describe the process of watching Scott Matthews & James Darby bring “Bury Me” to life, starring Kira Clavell & Stephanie Van Dyck.
I had met Scott and James early on last year during the premiere of their feature film Primal Shift. Scott was kind enough to choose the ACTORS track “It Goes Away” for the opening and closing sequences of the film. That started the dialogue for the “Bury Me” video. Scott and I have very similar taste in music and movies so it seemed only natural that he would be the right director for the job and James is a very talented cinematographer. We were also lucky to have the talented Kira and Stephanie bring the characters to life… and death. I knew that with the team we had assembled I could step back and let them do what they do. That’s hard for me sometimes, but I’m glad I did. I couldn’t be happier with how everything turned out.
What have you been working on next for ACTORS?
I’ve been working on the next couple of singles at my studio Jacknife Sound. I’m fortunate enough that I produce and mix other artists full-time as well as compose for film and television so sometimes ACTORS can take a bit of a back seat to that.
Tell us about the evolution of how the ACTORS sound has progressed & how your own approach has shifted over time.
I like to incorporate different elements of production in my music. That’s why each release sounds a little different. I used to worry about that, not being cohesive. But now I feel like it works to my advantage. Why hold yourself back from exploring new sonic territory? I’ve made some exciting discoveries along the way.
What’s good in Vancouver right now?
There’s an amazing amount of diverse musical talent in Vancouver.
What have you been listening to, reading, watching, a lot of as of late.
Some staples for music have been The Soft Moon, Drab Majesty, and Cold Cave, as well as some of the usual suspects. I’m always checking out new music.
I fell in love with the Nicolas Winding Refn movie Neon Demon. It seems to be a love/hate kind of movie.
The last book I read (again) was George Orwell’s 1984… which was too long ago.
Other things folks should be focusing their attention on right now?
Make time to do what you love. Be who you want to be.
Hopes & wishes for 2017?
I hope & wish that 2017 is another great year for artists and musicians to create and share. Nothing makes me happier.
