The Artist Explains: Chima Anya & Soulchef - 'Time'
London based medical doctor (GP)/ rapper Chima Anya talks to us about his invigorating visuals for ‘Time’ and letting go of the ideal that the transience of time is something to fear.
Where was the video for 'Time' filmed?
The "present day" shots are all filmed around Ipswich but the flashback scenes are from Bahrain, Oxford, Leeds, London if memory serves me correct.
How does the video connect with the song?
I really wanted the video to convey the sense of urgency that the songs rhythm provides. It's almost like the whole song is an alarm (hence the red lights, the clocks), which then moves from an alarm to a triumphant chant ("I'm still alive, you feel that right" - despite time's best efforts!.) - even the car has its hands up in the video. The video sort of depicts from the flashbacks how I went from the madness in my younger years - the funeral, backflips in Bahrain, UK tour scenes to now casually driving through the streets of Ipswich in my i8 documenting life in the studio.
Do you have any behind the scenes stories you could share with us?
Funnily enough the car wasn't initially part of the story board. I'm not really that kind of rapper hahaha. But when I rolled through in it, the director was like come on man we gotta get it in the video as it's too much sauce to ignore it. So the car shots were pretty improvised. Thinking back on it now I wonder what we would have used instead of the car?
Can you tell us about the ideas/themes/imagery used?
The imagery was of a colourful character (hence the wild outfit) - shaped by his vast experiences - from death, travel, tour and now really being better than I've ever been really. We also wanted to show the rapper side of me (in the crazy outfit) versus the doctor side of me (in the more formal attire), and how over the years I've learned to panic less about time and do things at my own pace - feeding into the overall theme of the album ‘No Pressure’. You have the traditional imagery of what success is in the sports car but also elements of my African background and a strong nod to my professional background. "A thesis on time."
Is there a message the video is trying to convey?
"Past the reach of time..." true quality lasts and endures, to be timeless is the ultimate achievement in art, music, fashion, whatever. We get so hung up on what is new but the message is not to be "of the time" but to be timeless. "Time is running out, used to fear the clock - till I saw in bad times it would clearly stop.” “You fear the infinite" - because really infinity makes time irrelevant.
Interview by Karla Harris