Natasha Khan, aka Bat For Lashes, is enjoying a busy but exciting 2013. In her collaboration with electronic producer/creator extraordinaire Jon Hopkins she extends her artistic palette to music video direction, hot on the heels of her successful third album Haunted Man. Actor Saoirse Ronan bathes in tandem with nature in a torn and ripped world. The symbolism of the bath, blooming flowers and semi submersion plays with the imagery put forward by Millais in his painting of the nymph-like Ophelia – I think it likely Khan had this in mind.
Of course this video is not completely abstract or without reference – it’s part of Hopkins’ soundtrack to Kevin MacDonald’s (‘Last King of Scotland’) upcoming film ‘How I Live Now’. It’s based on a girl who gets caught in World War III, which I guess fits with the subjects in the video. Hopkins is himself riding a wave of critical accomplishment after his superbly refined Immunity, released in June earlier this year. His soundtrack includes tracks by Daughter, Nick Drake, Fairport Convention and Amanda Palmer and will be released in November.
