Evening Standard Music Review: creating a formidable groove from his array of drum pads and keyboards, Barnes sings in a distorted, robotic voice over the amazing clattering rhythm of Afrika Shox. Verdict:

Afrika Shox Case StudyThe music video I will be studying is for the track “Africa Shox” by the British electronic group Leftfield. It is taken from their second album “Rhythm and Stealth” and features the vocals of Afrika Bambaataa, known as the “godfather” of electric funk. The music video was directed by Chris Cunningham, a British video artist who is well-known for directing music videos for ambient music and electronica acts similar to Leftfield, such as Aphex Twin and Autechre. The track was released on 6th September, 1999 to critical acclaim.

The characteristics of the electronic genre include lots of synthesised, artificial sounds produced electronically; this could be either through the alteration of musical instruments or the voice, which can be distorted to sound more robotic. Sampling is often used, as is echo and reverb to create an synthetic, electrical sounds which sounds like it has been taken fresh from the streets. Electronic music videos often take place in cities, or any man-made location, to reflect the synthetic nature of the genre. Flashing or strobe lights are used to highlight the dance element of the music, creating a club-type atmosphere.

The genre of the track is predominantly electronic/dance, with hints of garage and underground sounds. The electronic genre originated towards the end of the 19th century, where sounds were created that had previously not been considered as “musical”. During the 1920s electronic instruments and compositions were developed, until the 1950s where the genre began to build popularity, especially in the United States. In the 1970s, electronic music began having a significant influence on popular music, which became evident in the 1990s when the genre began to feature predominantly in the music charts.

What i s the re la t ionsh ip be tween l y r i c s and v i sua l s?

The lyrics for “Afrika Shox ”are both amplified and contradicted by the visuals. One way in which the lyrics reinforce what is unfolding on the screen is when the black man – in his zombie-like state – grasps onto a metal fence as the lyrics “let’s get electrified” are heard. The fence could be seen as electric, referencing the lyrics, but the image also amplifies the meaning of the words: the electric fence could represent those used in American prisons, suggesting that the man is trapped with no escape from his dark and unsettling world. It could also suggest that he is caged – almost like a desperate animal – ready to be gawped at and mocked by the rest of society, reflecting the voyeuristic nature often seen in music videos.

The lyrics are also contradicted, thus creating a sense of irony. Never is this more evident than when the black man’s arm is broken off by a passer-by, while the lyrics “city of angels” are heard in the background. While this is a reference to New York City, the location of the music video, it also juxtaposes the image on screen, as on-lookers stare at the helpless man with no pity or emotion instead of attempting to help – a far cry from the supposed “angels” expected – creating a sense of irony.

Another way the lyrics contradict the image on the screen is when the man falls over at the end of the song, and Africa Bambaataa comes over and asks: “do you need a hand?” This reinforces the helplessness of the man as doesn’t even have a hand to spare, creating a sense of pathetic irony. It is worth mentioning that it is only a fellow black person (Afrika) who offers to help the man, which highlights how society often discriminate against black people and they have to turn for each other for help, creating a political statement. This could be inked to the recent shootings in Ferguson, America, between white police officers and unarmed black civilians. Finally, At the beginning of the song, the lyrics “Afrika Bambaataa” are synchronised with a security guard’s walkie-talkie as though he is speaking the words. As the voice is digitally distorted, the electric genre is directly reinforced by having the guard speak into the walkie-talkie, an electronic device. As he is a guard, it could be suggested that he is guarding the black man and that he is his prisoner, linking back to the idea of the electric fence being like a prison.

What i s the re la t ionsh ip be tween mus ic and v i sua l s?

The electronic genre is repeatedly reinforced by the shots of police car lights flashing at the beginning of the production. The lights could be seen to represent the strobe lighting in clubs, which are often located beneath the city, referencing the underground roots of the genre; this is also reinforced by a low angle, point of view shots of the city. There is further reference to the underground roots of the band through the choice of an underground car park for the location of the breakdance scene, which also references dance and dubstep generic conventions. However, during this sequence, the noir lighting and focus on the isolation of the black man illustrates the attitude towards African Americans struggling in New York. 

However, to some extent the visuals contradict the music. New York is represented as a dystopia, reinforced by the low angle shots of the twin towers (hard geometric in shape), muted colour added from the edit (resulting in desolate, unnatural connotations) and crowded streets, which indicate that the African is alien to this modern – almost mechanical – culture. The dystopic aspect of the mise-en-scene and negative representation of New York may take audiences of electronic music out of their comfort zone, as a strong message is being presented, creating an unsettling viewing experience. However, generic conventions also feature in the production to appeal to the fan base: the edit is fast and cuts to the beat, emphasising the beat of the drum. Also, when the zombie-like man is walking along the street, he walks to the beat, very rarely falling out of time; this could suggest how he has been thrust into New York which he cannot escape, so the music is almost pushing him along, forcing him to fit with the status quo even though he is struggling against it.

The music builds throughout the video. At the beginning, very few instruments are playing, while there is only a voiceover. Lots of wide angle shots are used to establish locations, while the shots are held for long periods of time, creating a slow pace. However, when the beat comes in there is lots of movement; the characters are walking or dancing, only pausing when there is a drop in the music, such as when the man’s arm is broken off. The whole time, the video is synchronised with the music’s beat.

Are there a r t i s t c lose -ups and s ta r image mot i f s?

The band Leftfield do not feature in the music video, instead relying on the African man be the predominant character of the music video; the character’s role is to shock the audience and make them challenge how society treats people, especially those who are not white. This shocking message about our malfunctioning society also links to the name of the band: Leftfield. It creates connotations of being progressive, or out-of-the-box, which therefore makes Leftfield a band “for the people”; this could suggest that the band wanted to use the music video not to promote the band, but to instead make a political statement. There are lots of recurring motifs in the music video of the African man, particularly close-ups of his face. These close-ups highlight his blurred, zombie-like eyes, almost like he has been hidden away in darkness for a long period of time and has only just found his way into the light, which has blinded him; this is almost like many slaves who were shipped from Afrika and became blind from being in the dark for too long. His eyes are crazed and glazed over, much like a zombie, which dehumanises the man; this may suggest that he has been through so much that he feels he is no longer human.

However, while the band Leftfield do not appear in the music video, featured artist Afrika Bambaataa does. He is the only person to help the African man throughout the video, which is a poignant statement due to the fact that he is black too; this highlights the divide in society due to racial prejudice, a divide which is still evident today, such as the recent African American church shootings in Charleston, South Carolina, by a white man with racist motives.Afrika Bambaataa is presented as also being hidden away from society, which could be a political statement as he, too, is black. He is inside a ticket booth in the car park, watching a group of white men break dancing; this could be a potential political statement to how white people colonised black music and dance. Afrika is, however, portrayed as being a more powerful figure than any of the other characters in the video; low-angle shots are used to connote power and dominance which highlights his importance to the audience. This is a convention often used in music videos, as close ups are used for the main artist to sell their image and to have them connecting with the audience. Afrika is also portrayed as a Jesus-like figure, emerging from the light to help the black man; he holds a wooden staff, like Moses in the Bible, which connotes power and authority.

I s there a re fe rence to the not ion o f l ook ing?

Film is by nature voyeuristic, and in the case of this music video it is the audience who act as the voyeurs; we look passively at the disintegration of the black man as he stumbles around New York, clearly traumatised. However, there are other evidence of voyeurism within the video. Firstly, though the use of low angle shots of the middle aged business man who is reading the newspaper when the black man’s arm is shattered; rather than looking at the black man he turns away as if the broken figure before him is invisible, almost treating him like he was non-human or an inanimate object. This allows the audience to reflect on what they’ve seen as it is a shocking image, allowing them to reflect on their own humanity and decide whether they would have acted the same way. It is ironic that the business man is reading a newspaper, as it suggests he is interested in current affairs and world news, and yet he is uninterested by one which is unfolding right in front of him.

The use of camera movement also explores voyeurism. There is a point-of-view tracking shot at the beginning of the video, moving into the grotty car-park where the African man is discovered; it allows the audience to explore this hidden, alternative reality which is hidden from society, where all the homeless people also live, creating a sense of helplessness and despair. As the camera creeps along, it is almost as though the audience is intruding on this hidden world, creating an unsettling atmosphere, but also makes them want to find out what is hidden round the corner.

There are other references to ‘”looking” in the video, such as the use of shiny, reflective surfaces throughout the video, from the windows of cars, the lights reflecting on the car park floor and the puddles from the rain. The whole time the African man, who seems to be trying to escape an unfamiliar world, is being constantly reminded of what surrounds him, which only adds to his distress. The camera is also very unsettled and shaky, reflecting how he is overwhelmed by everything, so he’s looking around desperately to take everything in; point of view shots allow the audience to be put in his position so we feel empathy for him.

I s the v ideo per fo rmance , nar ra t i ve o r concept based?

The video for “Afrika Shox” is not performance based, due to the fact that Leftfield did not appear in the music video; this means there could be no shots of them playing their instruments or DJ-ing. However, there is a performance aspect in terms of the break-dancers in the underground carpark, highlighting the roots of electronic music; they dance to the track, a convention of the genre (like the flashing lights of the police car) which also makes the video more appealing to fans of electronic music.

I believe that the music video is mostly concept based. Cunningham has been heralded as “visually ingenious”, and has stated himself that he likes to ”…listen to a piece of music, really get inside it and let it suggest a little universe to create” when making his videos; this suggests that he likes vivid concepts which other people may not explore, reiterated by the fact that he is a video artist. Metaphors are used to highlight the social and racial issues facing modern society to challenge the audience and leaving them mulling over the poignant images that they have just watched.

The video is viewed from the perspective of the African man is a first person narrative; the camera is shaky and rapid, which implies that the man is scared of his surroundings, so everything is blurring onto one. Lots of first point perspective is used, for example, when he first makes his way onto the streets of New York and he studies the Starbucks sign; this puts the audience in his position so we can feel his vulnerability and empathise with him. Low angle shots are used for all the people that he meets; this could imply that everything feels big and imposing, while also reiterates his vulnerable and weak state.

Are there any in te r - tex tua l re fe rences?

An intertextual reference which could be made is to the 1989 film “Jacknife”, starring Robert De Niro as a Vietnam war veteran suffering post-Vietnam stress syndrome and having trouble fitting in with society. The Vietnam war famously resulted in a large amount of casualties of Africa-Americans, so Afrika Shox could highlight the shock of the man being forced back into society after all the horrors he has seen. The black man is wearing dog-tags, indicating he served in the war, while his wide, crazed eyes implying he suffers from PTSD; he lives on the streets, like many of the men who returned home and lost their jobs and money.

Are there any in te r - tex tua l re fe rences?

One of the many intertextual references in the video for “Afrika Shox” is the portrayal of New York as a dystopian future. Cunningham uses grey, dull colour grading – creating connotations of cynicism, disillusionment and nightmares – which brings to mind noir science fiction films, such as “Blade Runner”; the film also referenced through the overcrowded, confusing streets the black man finds himself in, which Ridley Scott uses in “Blade Runner” to indicate a dying planet. The low-angle shots of New York also reference Carol Reed’s surreal representation of Vienna in “The Third Man” as like a labyrinth, as well as the dystopic representation of the city in “The Matrix”. This dystopic representation was pioneered in cinema by the film “Metropolis”, released in 1927 and directed by Fritz Lang, which depicts a city built (quite literally) on inequality. Lang believed the city of the future was synonymous with power, corruption and greed, even anticipating the rise of fascism. He said in an interview: “Metropolis was born from my first sight of the skyscrapers of New York in October 1924… I thought that it was the cross-roads of multiple and confused human forces, blinded and knocking into one another, in an irresistible desire for exploitation, and living in perpetual anxiety.” This is an image similar to that of the black man in “Afrika Shox” stumbling along the sidewalk, knocking into passers by and desperately reaching out for help, while everyone looks on, ignoring him.

The representation of the black man as a zombie is also an intertextual reference the horror genre, in particular his zombie-like appearance. The man continuously reaches out his arms, stumbles along and doesn’t speak, instead crying out; it is almost as if he has been in isolation so long, he has become dehumanised and shunned by humanity, highlighting their ugliness. His appearance could also be an intertextual reference to Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”, a novel actually about the disenfranchised and could relate to Frankenstein’s monster being the metaphor for the attitude towards marginalised races. Shelley writes: “I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs”; this description is not dissimilar to the glazed eyes of the African man as we are first introduced to him in the dark alley, suggesting that the man is being released into a scary, new world for the first time, much like the monster. Another quote – “one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me” – highlights the similarities between the black man and the monster; Shelley makes the monster seem sad and almost pathetic, reaching out for help, much like the way Cunningham presents the zombie-like figure of the man. Both emotionally resonate to the audience, creating an effective intertextual reference.

How does the v ideo h igh l igh t representa t iona l i s sues?

Ethnicity: The video highlights the discrimination and racial tension between different ethnic groups, and the prejudice which they face in society. The black man could be seen as a slave to the predominantly white society (interestingly, even in the crowded street scenes, the crowd is overwhelmingly white), objectified and seen as something with no feelings, that is easily disposed of. Indeed, the music video also strongly suggests the poem “Limbo” by Edward Kamau Brathwaite, which explores the experience of a slave getting off a slave ship, blinded by the light. At the end of the poem the slave thinks to the beat of music: “out of the dark, and the dumb god are raising me up, up, up, and the music is saving me, hot, slow, step, on the burning ground.” Therefore, the video could be seen as a powerful metaphor for the slaves who stumbled off the slave ships, just like the African man stumbles, clearly blinded and confused by the alien and toxic culture New York offers him.

New York: New York is portrayed as loud and bustling, the centre of a thriving, modern world, as highlighted by the cultural signifiers of Starbucks and the establishing shot of the World Trade Centre. It is ironic that it is portrayed in such a positive light as it strongly juxtaposes the sad, pathetic image of the broken African man searching for help in the new world. For three decades until 11 September 2001, the twin towers stood as the symbol of American economic might, as well as a powerful icon of capitalism; in the “Afrika Shox” music video, created in 1999, the use of the twin acts as a binary opposite of the raged, shabby clothed, stumbling African, metaphorically links capitalism to the exploitation of the third world. The Twin Towers also act as a metaphor for a contemporary audience for the attack and final obliteration; the video is an example of unintended prophetic irony as both the African man and the Trade Centre are attacked and eventually destroyed, with both also linking to racial tension: 9/11 resulting in racial prejudice towards Islam, “Africa Shox” and the social divide between black and white.

Gender: in the video, there are no major roles for a female character. One of the reasons for this could be that there are very few female artists in the electronic music genre (Leftfield is an all-male band), reflecting that the industry is marginalised for women unless they are willing to be hypersexualised (see artists like Beyoncé or Rihanna). Also, the existence of single-gender dystopian societies is a common motif in speculative fiction, seen as a way to explore implications of gender in science fiction and fantasy; as New York is portrayed as dystopian in “Afrika Shox”, Cunningham could have used this idea as a basis of another political statement, this time highlighting how women are often ostracised in modern day, patriarchal societies.

Ideology: the name of the band, Leftfield, creates connotations of being progressive, or “for the people”, suggesting they may be trying to move away from the mainstream. It is important to note that hip hop and dubstep developed in black urban neighbourhoods, but in the music video, break dance is performed by white males; this is a reference to the hijacking of black music by white performers – such as The Rolling Stones being inspired by Muddy Waters and naming themselves after his song “Rollin’ Stone” – and white people colonising black music. It is quite a strong message which is reinforced by the fact that they steal the black man’s culture, yet do not attempt to help him when he begins to fall apart; this is still evident today, by commercial artists such as Iggy Azalea taking aspects of the African American identity, such as their hip-hop style of music or cornrow hairstyles, and introducing it into white culture, all the while failing to speak up on the racism that comes hand-in-hand with “black identity” (look up this interesting video on black culture: “don’t cash crop on my corn rows”).

How does the v ideo h igh l igh t representa t iona l i s sues?

Status: it is evident from the beginning of this video that the black man is portrayed as having a very low status; the camera continually uses slightly high angled shots to make the man look small and weak, while also using lots of wide angle shots to make him seem small and insignificant. We are first introduced to him in a dark, damp alleyway; the camera creeps towards him in a point-of-view shot, almost like we as the audience are viewing him out of curiosity and pity, not wanting to get too close. Interestingly, it is the white businessmen characters who convey the most power and authority through the use of camerawork; close-up shots connote dominance and highlight the lack of emotional and empathy on their faces when viewing the African man, while low angle shots make them appear taller and more imposing. The shots of the businessmen watching the black man are held for long periods of time, connoting curiosity as their eyes linger on his broken arm; this is a powerful image, as they are more compelled by the curious sight before them than actually helping the man. Again, this is a message still evident today; even during the recent Tunisian beach massacre, people have gone to the scene of the crime and taken “selfies” of themselves, more interested about the fact they had been there than about what had actually happened.

Conclusion: the main purpose of this video is to promote the artists and the track, as seen through the conventions of the electric genre being featured, such as the flashing lights and synchronised editing. However, it is also used as a means to highlight strong political messages about modern society, with intertextual references to slavery and even the Vietnam war.