Raw and Unfiltered: Dirty Dirty’s “Isochronism”
Video Review
Dirty Dirty – “Isochronism”
By Gary Horn
Dirty Dirty’s “Isochronism” video does not have a storyline, expensive backdrops or professional actors. Instead, it relies on Ian Forrester’s (vox/guitar) and Mark Knowles’ (drums) driving intensity, capturing their electro-industrial rock energy in a raw and unfiltered fashion.
Through most of the film, both lighting and camera angles eliminate background visibility. Shot in observational cinema style, the viewer feels that they are invisible and drifting across the stage. The camera is constantly moving, catching gritty subtleties – nose rings, ear bolts, scratched pedals, black finger nail polish, boots that are beat to crap. Clip durations are short, holding the viewer’s attention.
The song itself is built on a deep, penetrating, fuzzy distortion. Beginning lyrics describe escaping into intoxication to avoid a partner’s critical stares (“Slip behind unconscious eyes to see//And counting on my hands the ways I’m stupid in your gaze”) and end with a saddened conclusion (“If love’s the same as possession and games//Then spare me from this smothering approach”). Overall, the sound felt unique and the lyrics relatable.
If there’s a weakness in the video, it’s in its simplistic style. The stage is plainly lit and the work appears to have been completed with one camera in a single afternoon. There is minimal artistic interpretation besides zoom and focus. With only two subjects to work with, toggling became somewhat predictable.
With that said, I’m a sucker for high-energy performances and “Isochronism” does a good job of capturing that. Ian sings with the fire of a southern Baptist preacher and Mark spends as much time off his drum throne as on it. There was enough hustle here to persuade me to subscribe to their YouTube channel with tempered expectations.
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