Playlist: Kevin Thomas

What is the best promo you have seen recently and why? 

The first thing that comes to mind, is Fink U Freeky by Die Antwoord - though it's already six years old, but so funny.  But in truth I’m a real sucker for emotion. Stuff that uses new techniques I respect and appreciate, but give me a film that oozes heart and soul any day. With that in mind it's got to be the phenomenal Sergei Polunin dancing to Take Me to Church by Hozier, directed by David LaChapelle. The promo has made me love a song that I might not have cared for, had I not seen this beautifully elegant bit of film. And isn’t that ultimately the sign of a great promo? 

Also, Bowie's Lazarus, directed by Johan Renck, gets me bawling every time I see it. It’s more than a music video. It’s a farewell.

What’s the first promo you remember being impressed by?

Still with my tearjerker hat on, I think I gotta say Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O’Connor - penned, of course, by a true genius, Prince. The mixes look horribly dated now, but Sinead O’Connor’s performance is as mesmerizing today as it ever was. I always think of it as being one take but it actually wasn’t. But who cares, impression is more important than reality.

What’s your all-time favourite music video? 

I’m a lover of simplicity. When isn’t simplicity a great thing?

For me, the real sign of a great director is when they can take a concept that is complicated and fraught with problems and make it look effortless. That’s why my favourite all-time music video is No Surprises for Radiohead, directed by Grant Gee. The video was filmed at high speed and played back in slow motion. That was the only way to do it and keep Thom Yorke from drowning. Absolutely stunning and as fresh today as it was then.

What other directors/artists do you look to for inspiration? 

I don’t really look at any directors for inspiration. There is a danger, I think, that by looking too hard at other people that work in a similar medium, one can find oneself copying them, albeit subconsciously. The waters between ‘being inspired by’ and plagiarism are all too often muddied, often unintentionally.

Having said that any creative person needs to keep topping up their creative bank. I remember years ago reading that the main source of inspiration for Willian Friedkin when he directed The Exorcist in 1973 was a painting by Rene Magritte. An artist in one medium being inspired by an artist in another has always stayed with me.

So my source of inspiration is more likely to come from going to the theatre, ballet, a gallery or simply by just watching people. Sometimes the most banal things can be inspiring.

What are you listening to at the moment?

Right now I’m playing the latest album by folk singer-songwriter Micah P. Hinson called The Holy Strangers. There is a song called Micah Book One which is genius. Again – simplicity is key. Just Micah speaking over a stripped back drum beat. But the lyrics – wow!

I’m also playing All Melody, the new album by German composer Nils Frahm that is a cross between electronic and classical and totally brilliant. But in all honesty, not a day goes by without me playing Bowie. There will never be another Bowie.

What’s your favorite bit of tech, whether for professional use or personal use?

 I’m not a techy person. But I do have a state of the art Kuzma turntable that has a real diamond for a stylus. I don’t know how to use it but it looks great.

What artist(s) would you most like to work with and why? 

Tricky question, cos ‘artists’ can mean so many things. In terms of recording artists, Radiohead have been the most consistent with their music videos from as far back as 1995 with the releases of Just (Jamie Thraves) and Street Spirit (Jonathan Glazer) to last year's Burn the Witch (Chris Hopewell). They just seem to always get it right. That’s because they are great artists that perhaps know how to get the best out of other artists.

On the other hand, Take Me to The Church features Sergei Polunin who I consider a great artist and was directed by David LaChapelle who is also a great artist, but the ‘recording artist’ is someone I personally am not really into. Which all goes to show it’s about collaboration and what different people bring to the party. If someone, anyone, has a germ of an idea that sparks something in me, I would like to work with that person.

Music videos have had a resurgence of late; where do you see the industry being in five years time? 

There will always be music videos so long as there is music. And music’s not going anywhere, and nor should it. I do question whether there is anything new. I hate to say that, cos it immediately smacks of old fart. But both my sons say the same thing. They play The Clash, Velvet Underground, The Smiths and all the stuff I grew up on. They’ll say they are off to see some band and I'll ask who are they and they say, just another Joy Division rip-off – you’re lucky; you saw the real thing.

Tell us one thing about yourself that most people won’t know… 

My addiction is babyanimalsco on Instagram. I find watching films of little kittens or baby hedgehogs extremely therapeutic.