As the opening shot of the new music video from Oneohtrix Point Never appears on screen, the image of computer generated Iggy Pop stands still. He stands, staring ahead as a cabin lit from inside sits in the background and then after seconds past begins to move forward. His movements mirrors something one sees from a zombie video game. This is how “The Pure and The Damned” begins.
Earlier this summer, the American electronic producer gave a sneak peak of the track which appears during the closing credits of the thriller, Good Time. Now, with the film premiering in selected theaters and gaining praise of critics, Oneohtrix Point Never who’s name is Daniel Lopatin has accompanied the track with a darkly visual music video with features appearances from the lead stars of the film.
Oneohtrix Point Never has collaborated with the legendary music icon Iggy Pop for the track who also appears in the video in CGI form. The music video is directed by the Safdie Brothers who also directed the film that stars Robert Pattinson.
Pattinson, who many might remember as the sparkling vampire from the teen films, Twilight is almost unrecognizable in the music video which features the creepy computer-generated Iggy Pop. There is also a cameo from Good Time co-star Benny Safdie, one of the directors of the film.
Within the video, which also works as a companion piece to the film, features Pattinson and Safdie as their characters from the film. There is no recycled footage from the film itself here instead gives viewers a new insight on the troubled minds that resides inside the two brothers. Here, the brothers are staying in a dark cabin in the middle of the woods. Pattinson is seen attempting to feed his mentally disabled brother while haunted by the CGI version of Iggy Pop who appears veiny and shirtless throughout the clip.
Towards the end of the clip finds Pattinson, wielding a sword, as he follows a trail that leads him to discovers a wolf-like beast devouring another animal. There, a stare-down ensues between human and animal. Overlapping this strange image is Iggy Pop’s vocals singing about love which makes the tension between the two creatures even more strange. The vocals ends with the wisdom that; “The pure always act from love..The damned always at from love/That’s love.” Whether Pattinson’s character comes out of the stare down and kills the beast or not is unknown as the clip simply ends with Iggy Pop having his own stare down with the camera.
Good Time takes place over one night in Queens, New York and tells the story of a small time criminal named Constantine “Connie” Nikas played by Pattinson who attempts to rescue his mentally disabled brother from prison after a botched bank robbery. The film has a cast that features Oscar nominees Jennifer Jason Leigh and Barkhad Abdi.
In addition to performing “The Pure and the Damned,” Oneohthrix Point Never also composed the movie’s score. During the 2017 Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, the soundtrack for Good Time won the award for Best Soundtrack beating out other nominated works by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, Jed Kurzel and Ibrahim Maalouf. The film also received a six-minute long standing ovation after the screening at the Cannes Film Festival.
The record is available to purchase or stream via Warp and you can go see Good Time in theaters now.
Watch the creepy music video below.