The Horrors’ new video for Ghost is hypnotic, satanic and erotic in equal measure

If two things have defined humanity throughout history, it’s sex and death. Every culture we have a record of has been obsessed with both and ours is no different. From Love Island to the World Cup (this might be a reach, but I reckon I could find a sociologist willing to back me on it if needs be), there’s no greater spectacle in the world. Because of this overlapping interest, it’s hardly surprising that there’s a lot of ambiguity between the two as well and case in point is The Horrors’ new single ‘Ghost’.

A suitably dark and ominous track from their latest album V, ‘Ghost’ opens with creaking synths and a strung out electronic organ, providing plenty of mortal vibes from the off. Within twenty seconds a seductive staccato drum line has crept in and the lines have begun to blur, setting the stage for Faris Badwan’s haunting, deadpan vocal. Guitars start to rip, and as the chorus looms, centre stage is Faris singing a commanding chant to “come feel it”.

Premiering on Notion today the accompanying video captures the ambiguity of the track terrifyingly well. Directed by duo in/out (Slowdive, Hercules & Love Affair) and shot with a thermal imaging camera it’s an exploration of the human form, playing with the subtle tone of the camera and the shifting soundtrack to conjure moments of horror and desire. There are bursts of flame, splatters of some unknown fluid and a particularly haunting close-up of a baby’s face, the heat generated by their breath glowing like flames as their nostrils flare. Speaking about the video, the Horrors said: “We wanted a video that represented the song visually and encapsulated the ambiguity of the lyrics. We felt that in/out perfectly captured the tense feeling of the track and created one of our favourite videos to date.’ Watch the video premiere for ‘Ghost’ below.

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