Words: Karl Johnson | Photo: Mars Washington & Jonny Dickens

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South London combative art rock outfit Bollards have shared the video for new single ‘Crimestopping’. Following on from their February EP ‘Harbour Dance’, the band further induct us into their world of experimental fragmented dance that arrives as nightmarish as it is euphoric.

Shadowed by an ingrained darkness in the track’s storytelling, Bollards glide from a conventional arrangement to an immersive ending which takes the listener on a pilgrimage through the outfit’s electronic influences – sitting in perfect contrast to the subtle vocal hooks. The juxtaposition between the track’s spacious atmospheric moments, rubbery bass drive and possessed vocal energy descends down a rabbit hole into an alternative universe of progressive madcap-psychedelia. 

Vocalist Jonny Dickens notes, “It’s a direct attempt to musically represent a sort of societal collapse or descent into unknown territory. AJ (synth and samples) brings in this crazy synth line that we internally refer to as ‘the matrix line’ (directly inspired by the music in the background of the nightclub scene in the first Matrix film), and things just get more and more chaotic from that point onwards. It is insanely fun to play live.”

Arriving with an accompanying music video which sees vocalist Jonny Dickens lost in a world of multi-level surveillance, a Big Brother-esque universe where it is unclear whether the protagonist is being policed or policing. The video conquers up an outward anxiety and tension which builds to the point where there is nothing left to do but run from the unfolding dystopian nightmare. The video was co-directed by Mars Washington, Jonny Dickens, cameras by Mars Washington, Jonny Dickens, Louise Warberg.

Bollards play Moth Club, London with Alien Tango on 22nd October.

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