The Director Explains: EDEN - 'Sex' (Video)

Photo credit: Diane Jong

Hailing from Dublin, EDEN is a 20-year-old vocalist/producer/multi-instrumentalist. We Speak to Toby Morris, the director behind the music video for EDEN's debut single, 'Sex'.

About The Track: 'Sex' follows the dissolution of a young couple’s relationship and the emotions can be heard in the explosive highs with strong instrumentation and vocals followed by the raw, vulnerable lows. Utilizing a “less-is-more” approach, EDEN emphasizes a blend of organic and synthesized instruments to create a unique and visceral sound.

The Director Explains

Where was the video filmed?

The video was shot in and around Sydney, Australia and Tokyo, Japan.

How does the video compliment the song?

The video definitely explores the themes of the song. The idea was to explore a fractured relationship through time and space, showing its contrasting highs, lows and eventually failure. The narrative within the video was entirely designed around the tonal beats of the music.

Any behind the scenes stories?

Lots! The big idea behind the video was that every single shot would be in a different location. That means a LOT of locations! We had to deal with flooded quarries, insane oceans nearly dragging our talent out to sea, sneaking smoke machines into abandoned buildings - and that was all before we even got to Tokyo! It was a really ambitious idea, and those sorts of shoots aren't possible unless everybody involved is totally committed to sucking it up and working hard to achieve something special.

Tell us about the ideas/themes/imagery used?

The execution of my initial concept was all about contrasts. The idea was that every single shot be in a different time and place whilst our actor's movements flow seamlessly through them. This meant we were able to create dramatic and visual moments which contrasted the euphoric early stages of a relationship with the destructive disconnect that occurs as one falls apart. Creating these emotional contrasts brought performance is one thing, but we really pushed to have each location really reflect a specific emotional moment within the song, utilizing existing colours and shapes to accentuate our story beats.

What is the message the video is trying to convey?

The video is really first and foremost a visual accompaniment to the song, therefore it's message should be synonymous with the listening experience. I feel like the best music videos are those that take a great song and make it even more engaging. The visuals in "sex" explore a declining relationship, but also hopefully convey the lasting impact of this relationship, and remind us that even if something doesn't work out, it doesn't negate that connection and its influence on you. It's about fully accepting that and moving on. Or not! Maybe it's just about banging.

Interview feature by Karla Harris