"It's Meant as a Kind of Borgesian Dream Quest" We Speak to the Director of The xx's "Fiction" Video

Last week You Need To Hear This premiered the stunning video for The xx's "Fiction". It was directed by LA-based Young Replicant, who has previously worked with Bonobo, Purity Ring and M83. We spoke to him about the thinking behind the video and what he makes of the band's minimalist aesthetic.

Noisey: Hi! The XX video uses a few classic noir techniques, was that something that came from being in LA?

Young Replicant: I think LA definitely played a part in that - especially considering that the noir elements weren't really a conscious effort. While growing up I was exposed to a lot of neo-noir movies that borrow from the genre long before I started discovering the source material. I guess it's noir by second-hand cultural osmosis. LA has a lot of ambiguity, ennui, and a kind of geographic desolation - which is why it's so suited for noir. The very first time I heard The xx I could've swore they were an LA band.

Did you have a narrative in mind for the video?

I wouldn't want to spell it out completely but there is a loose narrative happening. The band was looking for something simple, performance based and a bit surreal. I'm obsessed with mid-century Palm Springs; boozy, luxurious modernism mixed with south-west Americana. I combined those elements with the images of the jungle, the desert and the moon. It's meant as a kind of Borgesian dream quest - a blurring of what's real and what's imagined.

The video starts after a party. Are you often the guy still awake when everyone has gone to sleep?

Once the party's over I usually try to bow out gracefully and surrender to sleep but I'm definitely a night person. I think I'm most fully realised under the cover of darkness. There are a couple of moments on this album that remind me of the times when the music has stopped, your friends are gone and you're left to contemplate the night's disappointments and unresolved emotions. After I pitched the idea to the band, Romy told me that Oliver had written "Fiction" after a night out, so that kind of validated it.

You've worked with the band before, what were they like when you were filming this time?

They're great to work with. I think everyone was more at ease since we've been through the trauma of making a video once before. Sleeping on the couch wasn't much compared to what Romy and Jamie went through in the "Chained" video. Oliver still had it rough though.

Yeah, how the hell did you get him to dance?

It was his idea!

Was it choreographed?

He worked with choreographer Allen Walis to develop some interesting moves that felt natural and then he improvised. We rolled camera and he just did his thing.

The xx introduced a minimal aesthetic to all their promotional materials from day one, do you think that's something that's influenced other artists?

Definitely. I think part of what makes them iconic is that their sound and image is perfectly in sync. Sometimes after seeing a musician play live or watching an interview I have trouble relating to the music in the same way. There's an aesthetic disconnect and the mystery that inspired me when I first heard the music or saw the album cover evaporates. My experience with The xx wasn't like that. I think they embody the music and visuals they present - it's not just a marketing thing. That's part of what makes their material resonate with a lot of people. It's not just a regurgitated, throw-away mood board invented strictly to promote an artist.

A lot of the artists you work with have a similar aesthetic to their music. Is there something you look for when pitching/choosing who to work with?

I prefer darker, electronic sounds but my main criteria is that the music inspires images and motion. Sometimes I'll love a track as a piece of music but won't be able to find a cinematic equivalent that excites me. Other times, music I wouldn't normally listen to inspires something really vivid. I try to be open minded and choose songs that allow me to tell a different kind of story each time.

What's your favourite music video (not made by you)?

There are a couple, mostly by Martin de Thurah. UNKLE's "Rabbit in the Headlights" by Jonathan Glazer is another one that stands out to me as a perfect video.

Thanks Young Replicant!