Ring Road video

[Lx_Nen]

A video for Ring Road has appeared over on Underworldlive...

...and a damn fine one too! Call me old fashioned if you like, but it's got a 'kiteless for the new millennium' feel to it that fits the song and Underworld far better than the likes of the 'boy boy boy' video. It's almost the missing link between Kiteless and the Crocodile video too.

10/10 from me!

[negative1]

i would hardly call a slideshow like this a video..

i'm sorry but the song itself is not strong enough to
warrant having a video..

no its not even close to their earlier work...

still waiting for a 'proper' video to show up..
looks like the ones for this album didn't make the cut..

oh well..

later
-1

[mondokat]

i would hardly call a slideshow like this a video..

no its not even close to their earlier work...


Actually, it's very reminiscent of the Spoonman video. It does have some fancier computer affects, but I would say that the geometric shapes seem kind of tacked on. Overall, as far as the video goes, I like it a lot.

The song doesn't fit the video though. When I first heard the song I thought it was jarring how British it is. I remember thinking it was a very obvious homage to their home town, and I would have expected the video to be the same. No pictures or video from Essex? No Romford? Not even a picture of a building? Very strange. The song references a TON of people and culture, but the video totally misses that point. They missed a terrific opportunity here, if you ask me.

[holden]

The song doesn't fit the video though. When I first heard the song I thought it was jarring how British it is. I remember thinking it was a very obvious homage to their home town, and I would have expected the video to be the same. No pictures or video from Essex? No Romford? Not even a picture of a building? Very strange. The song references a TON of people and culture, but the video totally misses that point. They missed a terrific opportunity here, if you ask me.

Tend to agree. But this just opens up the debate of whether you want a literal video, where the images are ties to the lyrics, or, as UW have most often done, something much more conceptual, even nonrepresentational.

[dubman]

Tend to agree. But this just opens up the debate of whether you want a literal video, where the images are ties to the lyrics, or, as UW have most often done, something much more conceptual, even nonrepresentational.

thaaaaank you
if anything this is treading old ground. refining some things, but going back to that look of the feel of the track not being tied to anything literal but given color and type as its own attitude.
i mentioned in the uwlive thread that i like the video for boy boy boy and all, but this is finally some satisfaction. if thats a slideshow then its always been that.

[khouri]

I tend to prefer more conceptual videos and songs, myself, which is why I like Underworld. But Ring Road is a explicitly pedestrian song referencing extremely specific things in a very clearly defined reality. I think the video should have followed suit in this case.

[joethelion]

what's funny...

is that, if the video was basically a literal translation of the lyrics to "Ring Road" the SAME PEOPLE would be moaning "why can't they do more conceptual videos like they used to... why don't they do stuff like 'Rez' 'Spikee' or 'Darktrain'"

I actually liked this video, not totally sure about those geometric shapes, but overall... I found it pretty damn entertaining (much more so than say... "Boy Boy Boy" or DA3D)

...anyways they already did a video where it's just (basically) someone walking through the city... it's called "Banstyle" - remember?

[gillenium]

Booooooorrrriing.

But all of the OWB videos have looked like high school video projects, so I wasn't expecting much.

[dubman]

pfft. :rolleyes:
i think only beautiful burnout could be seen as DIY enough to be made in high school. i challenge anyone in college even to replicate what was done in BBB and RR. if they could do it without looking like amateur hour on youtube then they can probably get a job doing it.

ps. it's weird being the one defending their output ;). i can SORTA understand the mild frustration i guess. i'd actually be rather depressed if they did one that literally showed what the song was on about

pps. despite me liking the video and the recent mix up with minneapolis i still think this song is terrible.

[Yannick]

I want you to be the way I want you to be and when you're not It hurts (me) Like shredded tape something sticky for security wrapped tight around a metal box to imitate security there's a blue sky over me but the fear is on me In a place where ball games are strictly forbidden luxury two bedroom apartments overlook the traffic lights next to the rails It's a hot day It's a It's a hot day a lazy day for some but I'm bringing from the inside all these things I see a wall that's gonna fall down maybe hurt somebody after it's been tagged and fly posted It's a rush job It looks good for long enough knock ʻem out and sell ʻem and move on It's a fast buck and the race is on to get in get out get what you want get out It's the short term the long term can look after itself unless you happen to be living here I gotta stop

People are squinting to block out the sun complaining or sucking it up praying for rain the next minute for a scorched earth what's it worth? Enough is never enough let's have a little moan put the world to rights sit back and watch it all slide by itʼs a view from a train pay somebody else to drive see the suits I see the suits sunning themselves on the steps of the supermarkets and I think of you when Iʼm alone like this burning from the inside

I found a new door I didn't know where it went I went through and came out in this shopping mall where boys wear England shirts and West Ham shirts and Arsenal shirts and boys from Dagenham wear jackets called “Harlem” Grinning at the door of the Anne Summers (sex) shop It's Saint George's day and all the old people smile the young look hungry looking for a new door I'm in the sun at the back of the shops where the purple wheelie bins are pushed up against the doors that say, FIRE EXIT I smell grease there's broken glass thing under my feet the boys stop for a smoke in the sun and watch the girls cross from the job centre to the station a drunk stands in the door of a pub a bunch of peas sticks in one hand a cheery carrier bag hanging in the other hanging in the other girls in England shirts read the papers and giggle at a table in a café offering ʻHome made dinners' it's good food but your clothes come out smelling of grease

I've got my back to the rail at the end of the alley back to the by-pass you might've seen me scratchin' all these things inkin' it out deliver us from temptation and doubt there's an abandoned trolley Called ʻSAFE' and Radio 1 And on And on And on And on And on And on And on And on And on And another England shirt out in the sun spring falls in pink on the black top and cracks black and yellow tape covers the scene of a break in and every time I think of you I get my peace back

[Yannick]

The Single – ʻRing Roadʼ
Release Date – 7th July 2008
Label – www.underworldlve.com
Cat Number – UWR-00021-3
Distribution – Vital
Marketed by - Integral
Formats – CD, 12”, Digital
www.underworldlive.com


Remixes available by; Laidback Luke, Autokratz, Kris Menace and Fake Blood

[joethelion]

me wanty remixes NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


....AND THEY BEST NOT BE TERRITORY RESTRICTED
(like Beautiful Burnout.... grumble)

[BrotherLovesDub]

KRIS MENACE! excellent choice!

[dubman]

me wanty remixes NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


....AND THEY BEST NOT BE TERRITORY RESTRICTED
(like Beautiful Burnout.... grumble)
god, yes.

I WANT R59 :mad:

[mondokat]

HAHA, I just watched the video again and noticed that they DID reference the song in the video. If you look carefully, when they talk about the wall (that might fall down and hurt somebody) they have a subtle wall graphic that gets "tagged" later. They also have a graphic of the wheely bins later in the song. There's other stuff too. Can't believe I didn't notice before.

I LOVE it! :p

[negative1]

The Single – ʻRing Roadʼ
Release Date – 7th July 2008
Label – www.underworldlve.com (http://www.underworldlve.com)
Cat Number – UWR-00021-3
Distribution – Vital
Marketed by - Integral
Formats – CD, 12”, Digital
www.underworldlive.com (http://www.underworldlive.com)


Remixes available by; Laidback Luke, Autokratz, Kris Menace and Fake Blood

the only good thing about this, (hopefully),

is that it will finally put an end of releases
for this album (and not in a good way either)..

looking for the next in the riverun series....

later
-1

[holden]

the only good thing about this, (hopefully),

is that it will finally put an end of releases
for this album (and not in a good way either)..

looking for the next in the riverun series....


Not an OWB fan at all, are you? That's cool. Except that apparently the record is pretty much exactly what Rick wanted to make (according to Karl interview), so future output might be more akin to OWB than say STITI.
That said, i listened to OWB twice today, and it really has grown on me a lot, particularly the last several tracks. "Faxed Invitation" for example and "Mamgu..." are new favorites. My only real complaint is the pacing seems off. Too much frontloading of dancier tracks, then the weird break that is "To Heal", and too much ambient later on.

Oh, and i gave Laidback Luke and Fake Blood another try. LL still=gross. FB is cheesetastic, in a good way!

[potatobroth]

I love OWB, but this video is pretty much more of the same. I watched it once and that's good enough.

[TheBang]

HAHA, I just watched the video again and noticed that they DID reference the song in the video. If you look carefully, when they talk about the wall (that might fall down and hurt somebody) they have a subtle wall graphic that gets "tagged" later. They also have a graphic of the wheely bins later in the song. There's other stuff too. Can't believe I didn't notice before.
There's also a picture of what I assume is a Ring Road. The same graphic appears at the beginning of the video and the end of the video (see attachments).

It doesn't appear to match the Romford ring road though. I did some Google image searches, but the best I could come up with is that it might match the M25:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ringways_3_%26_4.png

[the real stuff]

enjoyed the video a lot, which is more than I can say for the other OWB videos

I have to say I've really come around on Ring Road. I hated it, wrote it off on the first few listens. too abrasive. but fuck it, it's loud and it's fun

[Lx_Nen]

I did some Google image searches, but the best I could come up with is that it might match the M25

'TIS THE DREAD SIGIL ODEGRA!

AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!

[dubman]

just watched it again
whoever said this is someone's high school project is off their gourd.
goddamn.

[gillenium]

just watched it again
whoever said this is someone's high school project is off their gourd.
goddamn.

Ok, maybe a college freshman project. If it were a high school one, you'd see more checkerboard transitions and star wipes.

[dubman]

Ok, maybe a college freshman project. If it were a high school one, you'd see more checkerboard transitions and star wipes.
such a jackass thing to say, though

[hewlett2]

Totally mystifies me that people don't like this song... it's pretty unusual for UW, I think, but terrific all the same. Love the bit when the beat kicks in on ... "TAGGED!" and the pause before the chorus, which is unexpectedly catchy but makes sense in the way that it draws together all the threads of the song....

Anyway, I'm blathering...

Somebody pitch in and tell me I'm not alone in loving this song!

Hello?

[BeautifulBurnout]

Totally mystifies me that people don't like this song... it's pretty unusual for UW, I think, but terrific all the same. Love the bit when the beat kicks in on ... "TAGGED!" and the pause before the chorus, which is unexpectedly catchy but makes sense in the way that it draws together all the threads of the song....

Anyway, I'm blathering...

Somebody pitch in and tell me I'm not alone in loving this song!

Hello?

Blather away! :D

I love it too. Love the rhythm of the words on the beat. Knowing Romford a bit kind of helps I guess cos I can picture the Wheelie Bins behind the shops perfectly in my mind's eye.

Luscious. :D

[potatobroth]

such a jackass thing to say, though

in all fairness, its not a totally jackass thing to say. these days, a lot of student works have that same gritty, layered look. this video doesn't have a real concept that you can say is on par with something like Cowgirl from 10+ years ago. 10 years ago, something like that was quite difficult to do and had never really been seen before. Today, a video like that can be, albeit MUCH worse, done in an application college kids could get their hands on. it looks like a more polished student video.

its a simple little video that spells out what you are hearing... and much like the song does, i guess thats a good thing. but after watching it, I have absolutely no desire to watch it again because well, I've seen 'it' many many times before... just with different words or textures.

I do love the song though. I loved it from the first moment I heard it and gladly typed it on this forum many many times.

[mondokat]

There's also a picture of what I assume is a Ring Road. The same graphic appears at the beginning of the video and the end of the video.


I noticed the same thing and immediately google mapped Romford to see if it matched, but it doesn't. I wonder what it is?

There are a TON of flashy images that are probably pictures of relevant stuff, but it's a bit hard to see because they are only there for an instant. I wish this wasn't a streaming format so it would be easier to frame step. I bet this thing is chock full of surprises.

[gillenium]

in all fairness, its not a totally jackass thing to say. these days, a lot of student works have that same gritty, layered look.

It's completely fair. I know a guy in high school who consistently makes better content, and the standard of college video editing today is much higher than you'd expect.

This is just art-for-art's-sake, press-every-button-on-the-effects-board stuff, which is fine if you like that sort of thing. It definitely relates to their older videos. But, I'm not really intent on giving free passes to content that lacks creativity and focus just because it originates from Underworld HQ.

[potatobroth]

It's completely fair. I know a guy in high school who consistently makes better content, and the standard of college video editing today is much higher than you'd expect.

This is just art-for-art's-sake, press-every-button-on-the-effects-board stuff, which is fine if you like that sort of thing. It definitely relates to their older videos. But, I'm not really intent on giving free passes to content that lacks creativity and focus just because it originates from Underworld HQ.

i think we agreed :) i was quoting Dub, not you.

[King of Snake]

i think this video is really good. Definitely got that old-school tomato/underworld graphic style but a bit more high-tech with the 3d elements.
Would love to see this in uncompressed form. Some of the detail and motion is amazing.

More visuals like this at the concerts too please! :)

[big screen satellite]

RING ROAD IS THE BEST TRACK ON OWB (along with Beautiful Burnout) - so all you RR haters can lick my OWBalls!!!

on uwlive this video states that it is world exclusive - so i assume that its a uwlive only thing (?) - it is very cool - and pretty clever

i was kinda excpecting an 'in-car' driving round romford' type video showing the things from the song (like tagged walls, people in football shirts etc, ) but that might have been a little too obvious (unless thats the official MTV video - :D )

anyway i can't wait for the other two remixes to surface - Kris' and Autokratz...

/matt sets the sat nav for the ring road....

[TheBang]

Well, there is a second version of the Ring Road video on The Bells! Maybe that'll be the drive around video.

[potatobroth]

It is what it is. Its a jam of images with the lyrics spelled out over top. I don't think its terribly original, especially when you consider where its coming from. Its technically good, there is no doubting that. Its creative in the sense that someone created it and did a fine job at that. But its no Cowgirl, and I don't expect anything should be again. When I first saw the Cowgirl video, I wanted to watch it again immediately following its conclusion. I taped hours of MtvAmp (on VHS) hoping to get. I don't have the same reaction to this probably because its not fresh to me. I actually think the layering in Cowgirl as much more original and aesthetic. So when Karl says, "England shirts" there is a faded England flag. Hrm. Just didn't do it for me.

[grahamwood]

hello there
there is:
a ringroad (m25-maybe a ref to ian sinclairs 'london orbital' or the ringroads of your mind or something!)
a metal box (wrapped tight for security)
a 2 bed apartment (sort of)
some traffic lights
some rails
a wall that gets tagged (sort of)
a shopping mall
st george cross
a cannon
a wheelie bin
a fire exit
a zebra crossing
a tube sign
a pub (sort of)
a cafe (sort of)
a shopping trolley called "safe"
some black and yellow tape
karl (sort of)
lots of photos of pavement/puddles/oil on pavement on a very hot day
some typography
in the video
yes-very literal for once!
big love
g

[lloyd]

thnx for taking the time to post here graham

[big screen satellite]

hello there
there is:
a ringroad (m25-maybe a ref to ian sinclairs 'london orbital' or the ringroads of your mind or something!)
a metal box (wrapped tight for security)
a 2 bed apartment (sort of)
some traffic lights
some rails
a wall that gets tagged (sort of)
a shopping mall
st george cross
a cannon
a wheelie bin
a fire exit
a zebra crossing
a tube sign
a pub (sort of)
a cafe (sort of)
a shopping trolley called "safe"
some black and yellow tape
karl (sort of)
lots of photos of pavement/puddles/oil on pavement on a very hot day
some typography
in the video
yes-very literal for once!
big love
g

yeah ignoring the lyrics, the images were pretty subtle - but pretty literal, i got the traffic lights and rails... it was fun - watching again now....

it's cleverer than promoting a song with a video fronted by some dumb bird in skimpy undies, although i don't discourage this :)

thanks graham, keep up the 'wood' work ;)

[Dirty0900]

Vid was to straight forward to do so this is quite interesting and the best one for an OWB single so far imo.

[TheBang]

a ringroad (m25
Ha, I rock.

[BrotherLovesDub]

best Underworld Video since....Spoonman?

[big screen satellite]

best Underworld Video since....Spoonman?


nah, push upstairs was a great video...

[dubman]

better than cowgirl, at least

of course anyone can do that gritty layered thing. but if you actually watch the people who "press every button" they certainly dont hold back or take their time like this video does. it's very focused and, wait for it, controlled.

gah. you people, sometimes.

[dubman]

nah, push upstairs was a great video...
yeah, so was born slippy.

[potatobroth]

better than cowgirl, at least

of course anyone can do that gritty layered thing. but if you actually watch the people who "press every button" they certainly dont hold back or take their time like this video does. it's very focused and, wait for it, controlled.

gah. you people, sometimes.

i was careful to include that this video is crafted quite well. its just not mindblowing. Cowgirl to me, was, especially for what was going on at that time. It stood out. I feel that this one just melts away. Is that bad? No. Is it good? No either. It just is.

[big screen satellite]

yeah, so was born slippy.

which one ? ;)

[Dirty0900]

KOS video with the lizard r0cks.

[grahamwood]

spoonman
blimey
never knew what could go wrong
so nothing did
simons logo thing was as if a clever stoppage: consideration and detail but really? at the time, yes
and the "dont put your hand" section seeming like the fastest most detailed work ever
into the blood still feels somewhat convincing-platelets detaching towards words
all hand printed words with rubber letters and ink
but that was the first one: the whole opening makes me wonder just what i was thinking
but i think i know
lovelove

[BrotherLovesDub]

the handmade care and love really show in the Spoonman video. definitely my favorite passage on Footwear Repairs. i've worn out that segment of tape! please release the beast on a minty fresh DVD.

[ben]

This video is a masterpiece. Somehow they've managed to produce exactly what I have in my head every time I listen to the song. Gritty and black and white at the start then bursting into colour at the chorus.

[holden]

best Underworld Video since....Spoonman?

If memory serves, Spoonman and Ring Road are the only videos that include most/all of the lyrics appearing in almost-real-time (e.g. the "don't put your hand..." part of Spoonman and all of RR). And the technicolor washes also remind me of Spoonman and parts of Spikee (though the latter had lots of repeated images/patterns, there is a very trippy section where the colors kep changing).

The layered bold text, layered till it's unreadible recalls Dubno and Mmm skyscraper i love you artwork/typography.

Forgive me, but the graphic line drawings remind me of artwork for Radiohead's "OK Computer"/"Amnesiac" albums. Not a bad thing, though!

Rather than the splatters and layers of earlier videos, the washes of color and the way the line drawings/grids float in/out is a nice update of the classic look.

A return to abstract Tomato Form after the people-centric NUXX/Push/Jumbo/KOS/Moaner/TMO/DA3D/Crocodile/BBB vids. Love it!:)

[darktrain]

sorry if it's already been mentioned, but there's another Ring Road vid up at:
http://trafficjpn.com/underworld/musicvideos.html

would like to see this combined with the previous!

[potatobroth]

i find that video 100x more interesting to watch. thanks for the link. love it!

[negative1]

i find that video 100x more interesting to watch. thanks for the link. love it!

i found it about 100x worse than the previous one,
and thats not saying much..

are we done with this album..please underworld?
please? how much more torture are you going
to put us through?

later
-1

[grady]

perhaps green screened karl and graham's video could be combined into some strange hybrid.

That said, I did like all the photographs of what I can presume are the surrounding areas mentioned in the lyrics of the song.

[grady]

i found it about 100x worse than the previous one,
and thats not saying much..

are we done with this album..please underworld?
please? how much more torture are you going
to put us through?

later
-1
You're really hating all this a lot aren't you?

[TheBang]

I liked both RR videos. I think they're the best of the OwB video lot.

[jose m]

i found it about 100x worse than the previous one,
and thats not saying much..

are we done with this album..please underworld?
please? how much more torture are you going
to put us through?

later
-1

god.... you drag your disappointment around with you

[mondokat]

sorry if it's already been mentioned, but there's another Ring Road vid up at:
http://trafficjpn.com/underworld/musicvideos.html

would like to see this combined with the previous!

Wow! I really like this video. Much better than the old one. I don't know if it's worth buying just for this and Parc, though. Especially since Parc is the same as the version we already have. I guess we'll have to wait and see what comes up for sale on underworldlive.com...

[Lx_Nen]

An interesting take on the song, the underpass near the icerink is getting quite famous now!

[pafufta816]

maybe -1 could share his depressions and food dislikes with us as well : ) j/k

[dubman]

would like to see this combined with the previous!

within the first minute i was thinking this. less karl, more reckless images. text and drawn objects in a similarly real/not real way.

those little moments of fancy in the second vid were needed more.

wont make the song better but it would be nice.

[potatobroth]

i really liked it the way it was. doesn't need to be combined.

[holden]

While i enjoyed the previous Warwicker video, this one is a joy!
Karl makes some hilarious expressions.
i like how the background wobbles in synch with Karl's movements, makes it seem less green-screen and much less distorted than when the camera's attached to the subject.
The colored graphics are sparse enough to be effective. Odd that the background is B&W, given the vivid imagery of the lyrics (but maybe it's just to contrast with Karl in color).

[potatobroth]

so I'm the fool that didn't realize this was green-screened eh? (it crossed my mind, but it didn't look obvious. :(

[TheBang]

Nice "making-of" diary photo today. And confirmation of the green screen. :)

[stimpee]

are we done with this album..please underworld? please? how much more torture are you going to put us through?

later
-1not called negative1 for nothing!

[jose m]

he seems committed tho !:)

[Dino3D]

The new video is cool. Much better than the boring animated!

[stimpee]

I actually really like the new video @ traffic jpn. any more info on who made it?

[TheBang]

It was made by John Warwicker and Julian Bryant.