We all know that the images we see in the media and in advertisements are manipulated, but have you ever wondered exactly what goes in to that manipulation? In their new video for “Do I Have to Talk You Into It”, which can be seen above, Spoon show us their take on the matter, as photos of singer Britt Daniel are edited in Photoshop. The edits seem normal at first- color correction and spot removal of blemishes- but then things start getting weird. Layers of skin are replaces with muscles and bones, and Daniel’s face, body, and hair are distorted past the point of recognition- till eventually, he turns in to a coyote.
Inspired by the nearly hypnotic effects of “speed edit” tutorial videos on YouTube, director Brook Linder did a photoshoot with Daniel and compiled photo editing footage created by three separate editors for the resulting four-minute clip. Linder tells Gizmodo that the video for “Do I Have to Talk You Into It” is more of a commentary on the peculiarities of YouTube and social media stardom than the editing process itself, saying, “You want to have a light touch so that people can bring their own interpretations to it.”
“Do I Have to Talk You Into It” comes from Spoon’s latest album Hot Thoughts, which is out now on Matador Records. Hot Thoughts is the Austin-based band’s ninth studio album and their first on Matador Records since their 1996 debut Telephono. Spoon have also released a tenth anniversary remastered version of their 2007 album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga on vinyl and digital, along with the accompanying Get Nice! EP, which is available here.
You can listen to Hot Thoughts on Spotify below. The album is also available to stream or purchase through all major outlets here.
