Watch: Editors Showcase New Video For ‘Formaldehyde’

Editors are gearing up to release their brand new single ‘Formaldehyde’ shortly, and today, have showcased the accompanying visual clip.

Directed by Ben Wheatley - who is making his music video debut with the short film - the clip bears a rather surreal host of characters, all set out in the desert, paying - according to the press release - a ‘homage to the great Spaghetti Westerns of the 60s and a modern version of Jodoroskys El Topo.’

Filmed in Almeria, in the South of Spain, Wheatley has given a detailed explanation into the importance of the location and themes in the clip:

‘Out of the blue I got asked to direct the promo for the Editors track Formaldehyde. A lot of directors come up through making pop promos: I didn’t. My route in was through advertising, internet and television. The pop promo is something I’ve always been interested in. Music plays a big part in my film work and I’ve always admired the work of Michel Gondry, Chris Cunningham, David Wilson and Dougal Wilson to name but a few. I was very flattered to be asked. Ive always grumpily maintained that promos were a young mans /womans game (basically because Id never really been considered to do one!).

So thanks Editors for thinking of me.

We shot on the old sets for Sergio Leones ‘Once Upon A Time In The West’ in Almeria in Spain. It was quite an experience. The sun is so bright and strong (I’ve just shot four features in a row in the UK; that kind of thing impresses me!). The mountains look amazing and everywhere you look you feel the vibe of the spaghetti westerns (they actually pipe the Morricone music in on loudspeakers so its impossible not to feel it).

The promo stars Simon Smith and Tilly Gaunt who the eagle eyed will have spotted from my segment of the ABC’s of Death film.. U for Unearthed. Simon is also in Down Terrace (and he maintains his hand is in Kill List! playing a drum… he was certainly there… but I’ve never spotted it).

We shot the promo in a day and it was pretty frantic but good fun. We worked with a great bunch of Spanish cowboy/stuntmen/extras who wore the incredibly heavy and awkward masks with good grace.

Hopefully one day I will get to return to Almeria and shoot a feature film. Its an amazing place… Hope you enjoy the promo.’

Check out the video below.



Taken from their recently released record ‘The Weight Of Your Love’, the band will release ‘Formaldehyde’ on 2nd September.