Live Review: Elliot Moss drops emotional video for 'Without the Lights'

1 November 2016 | 8:11 pm | Jackson Langford

New York-based ELLIOT MOSS has simply outdone himself. He recently dropped his futuristic ballad, 'Without the Lights', which touches on one of society's more pressing issues - domestic abuse.

The song ebbs and flows in intense ways as Moss' voice, with a distinct Bon Iver-esque quality to it, absolutely pains with emotion and empathy. The song's climax is almost overwhelming with synths, as they build up this kind of audible anxiety that Moss peppers throughout his beautiful vocal work.

Moss explains that the song is about "One person, or a singular experience, can alter how the rest of the world feels to us. This song, for me, is about becoming acquainted with a reality wherein we are forced to see our circumstances for what they truly are.”

The song is intense enough, but that intensity is amplified tenfold by the music video that Moss just dropped. If you're a fan of Sia's music video for her mega-tune 'Elastic Heart', you're going to absolutely froth this.

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Directed by wunderkind choreographer Phillip Chbeeb, who also stars as the male dancer in the clip, the video not-so-subtly displays an abusive relationship as the woman in the clip experiences bouts of violence and assault - it's not graphic, don't worry - and reflects on those experiences in an absolutely heartbreaking montage. The clip not only compliments Moss' beautiful song - with thick synths James Blake would be a fan of, intricate production and tinkering drums - but it takes it to another, pain-staking level and makes you appreciate the track in a completely different light.

This isn't the first time that Elliot Moss and Philip Chbeeb have collaborated. Last year, Chbeeb directed an equally beautiful dance video for Moss' song 'Slip' from his debut LP Highspeeds, out now via Pod, which you can watch here. It's pretty blatant that when these two visionaries get together, lightning can definitely strike twice and we're praying for a third.

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