Touché Amoré’s “Lament” video turns anxiety into art

Touché Amoré have certainly mixed things up with the videos from this year's immense Lament. The post-hardcore band rolled out a mini-movie for "Limelight" before leaning into their cuddlier side with the pup-filled visual for "Reminders." Today, premiering below, is the conceptual and somewhat stark accompaniment for the album's title track.

The "Lament" video was created by visual artist Sujin Kim, a recent graduate of CalArts where guitarist and fellow alumni Nick Steinhardt found her work. Kim's 3D rendering of imagery around the themes of anxiety and sadness bring Jeremy Bolm's search for meaning ("You'd think by now I'd have a grip/But again I've let it slip") to life. She packs the video with snakes and worms, a yawning red abyss, and a figure made of clay that shatters with ease.

Speaking to The FADER about the video, Steinhardt said: "The original concept centered around being used up and tossed aside over and over again until you’ve had enough. Told through the story of earth and clay, pot and plant, the interplay between a lifeform and vessel, constraint versus freedom, nourishment and depletion via a symbiotic relationship. As the story developed further, the idea of animation came into play, which freed my brain a bit to lean further into the macabre, grotesque and surreal.

The poetic and dark nature of Sujin Kim’s work immediately resonated with me, and when she excitedly responded that she was available for the project several months ago I didn’t quite know the level to which she was going to commit herself. It became clear from our initial conversations about words and meaning that a conceptual approach was just as important as the overall aesthetic. The end result is something I’m truly proud of and feels like one of the most ambitious visuals we’ve had to date."

Kim, meanwhile, added: "Making a full CG animated music video for post-hardcore music was a highly experimental and new visual attempt for me. Collaborating with great musicians made the whole process of creation so much smooth and perfect."

Lament is available now. Check out the video above.

Thumbnail image courtesy of George Clarke.