Playlist: Raife Burchell

What’s the best music video you’ve seen recently and why? 

This is America by Childish Gambino. By releasing this video he has solidified his status as one of, if not the, most important artists today. Out of the relatively small window of artists that have a voice that can actually power change, by creating this four-minute visual onslaught he's set out his stall that he's willing to go all the way in order to deliver his message. There's a dedication, force and intelligence required to actually cause the conversations that continue to be so important – to not be brushed under the carpet. 

In a time when we're facing so many pressing economic and political challenges, This Is America, for me, has also shone a light on how the most influential artists are stopping a little shy of fulfilling their roles. They're leaning into it, hard, but seem unwilling to push the envelope to the point where they're not just going to ruffle some feathers, but they're willing to drop a bomb on the whole nest. 

With the internet at their disposal, today's most prominent selling artists have more power than some of the most influential political leaders of our lifetime, so the music industry as a whole does need to continue to realise it’s role is pivotal in trying to provoke change. Music has the power to (actually) shift the axis on how we react to one another, and Donald Glover seems to be one of the only power-players in the industry willing to deliver his message to the mainstream, free from fear, regardless of how many records he sells, or doesn't sell. We need more of that right now, badly.

What’s the first music video you remember being impressed by? 

Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel [below] was huge in our house when I was growing up. My family and I used to sit around the TV and gaze in wonder at those groundbreaking visual effects. True Faith by New Order also really resonated with me. I watched it again recently and it’s still so engaging.

And what’s your all-time favourite music video? 

That's impossible to answer, but my all-time favourite music doc is The Last Waltz. When I was a touring musician, I played a show once in Woodstock. A kid came up to me after the show and asked if I wanted to meet Levon Helm. The kid turned out to be Levon’s nephew, or at least he said he was. I thought about it long and hard - I declined - it was 2.30am, and I had a vision of my all time favourite drummer chasing me across his front lawn with a shotgun. Levon passed away a few years later. I’ve never regretted turning the offer down. 

What other directors/artists do you look to for inspiration? 

The composer Stephen Rennicks [below, left] and director Lenny Abrahamson. They're very inspiring to be around - not just creatively, but because of the way they’re able to collaborate with all of the other personalities involved in making a movie. They’re both completely in control of their space and very giving at the same time. I always come away from the time I spend with those guys feeling like I’ve learned something new about the process.

What are you listening to at the moment? 

I'm into a track called Make a Change by Durand Jones and The Indications… that guy can sing! I also revisited You Can Go Now by Schmieds Puls recently and can’t stop listening to it. I tend to find a track and binge on it for a while. I'm keen to see what Jorja Smith comes up with through 2018. Am also into Kelly Lee Owens and Yellow Days. And I keep hearing whispers of the mythical Sonny Riot re-emerging from whatever rock he’s been hiding under - that’d be something!

What’s your favourite bit of tech, whether for professional or personal use? 

A set of vintage RSL speakers I've just bought for our London office. That’s about as modern as I get I’m afraid. 

What artist(s) would you most like to work with and why? 

I was very upset when Johan Johansson recently passed away. He was the real deal - a true artist. 

How do you feel the music video industry has changed since you started in it? 

I grew up in the golden age of music videos. Thankfully, with videos like This Is America we seem to be heading back towards artists using the video platform as one of their most relevant forms of expression. Social media has its place, but I feel like it’s been a factor in the dilution of visual creativity within the music industry. 

Music videos have had a resurgence of late; where do you see the industry being in five years’ time? 

Labels are seeing that revenue streams over the past five years or so have started to show good returns on visual content. I was talking to a video commissioner at one of my favourite labels recently - they used to plan on making two or three videos during an album campaign - they’re now considering one of their artists' recent requests to make a video for each song on his debut album. It’s an art form that carries such weight when executed correctly, so I hope artists keep pushing themselves to express their message without fear of the repercussions to their record sales. No Fear!  

Tell us one thing about yourself that most people won’t know. 

I can spin a cushion on my index finger like LeBron James.