Nicolas Godin – “Elfe Man” Video (Stereogum Premiere)

Nicolas Godin – “Elfe Man” Video (Stereogum Premiere)

Nicolas Godin, one half of French electronic duo Air, released his Bach-inspired solo debut Contrepoint in Europe late last year. But the album is just now officially making its way over to us here in the United States, and Godin is re-whetting our appetites with a new video for closing track “Elfe Man,” a tribute to Danny Elfman’s film scores full of tinkling celesta and plucked strings.

“I wanted a tune like Snow White lost in the forest, all super-scary,” Godin explains. “There are many influences here. The celeste is inspired by Danny Elfman, who writes Tim Burton’s scores. When I was young, I watched John Ford westerns with my dad, with music by Aaron Copeland, which is my favourite period of music. So ‘Elfe Man’ is both gothic and about a cowboy in Arizona — but then Tim Burton grew up in California, in the middle of a former desert, which unites both worlds! It’s two worlds, light to night.”

Of the impressionistic video, directors Camille Vivier and Sanghon Kim say, “Listening to Nicolas’ music made us think of an ultra sophisticated music box. It inspired us a modern fairy tale both romantic, mysterious and full of magic like the track. It is a story of a doll that dreams to become human so that she can fall in love.” Watch below.

Contrepoint is out on 4/22 via Because Records. Pre-order it here.

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