Music / Premieres
Video Premiere:
The Dull Joys - Somewhere, I Don't Know
Words by Magnus Barber
Thursday 30th April, 2020
In something of a disconcerting move for fans, Melbourne art-punks The Dull Joys have shared a new clip for an old track today, which reimagines the dark and moody atmosphere of ‘Somewhere, I Don’t Know’ with its distorted sense of reality and opaque, vintage aesthetic.
Just like the unpredictable and volatile tendencies of their music, The Dull Joys are back with a brand new clip - however, although their latest release Natural Habits is just a few months old, the band have diverted back to the title track of their 2017 debut album. It’s an interesting move, but coming from a group that excel in post-punk sprawls that often elude both time and genre, it somehow makes sense.

Although their latest album saw The Dull Joys push the limits of the sound past the scope of the first full-length, it’s a thrill to listen back over ‘Somewhere, I Don’t Know’ to hear the band coming into their own. Opening with a calm yet ominously atmospheric guitar riff, the track is marked by a tense attitude, which builds as the bassline inserts itself and further intensifies the heightening sound. We’re sent into an impulsive sway as the track erupts with Lilli Dunn’s drumming, which ignites an adrenaline-fuelled rhythm before settling into a funky groove.

Meanwhile, Jordan Obarzanek’s sharp and shady vocals cast a calm and commanding presence over the beat, smoothing the erratic instrumental force as he takes the reins with his distinguishing voice. After one more thunderous instrumental, the track calms down and we’re slowly brought back to a sense of reality as ‘Somewhere, I Don’t Know’ dwindles to a finish.

The new clip, directed by Shenae Louise, serves as the perfect visual accompaniment to the track’s otherworldly ambience, and offers us a break from the norm with its antiquated visualisations and impulsive choreography. Inspired by music videos like ‘Weapons of Choice’ by Fat Boy Slim and films such as Singin’ in the Rain and Cover Girl, the clip purposely blurs the line between reality and fantasy, as the protagonist becomes lost in the infectious beat of the music and unplugs from his regular routine to dance and sway around the tram carriage.

Talking about the clip, Louise says “for the janitor, his imagination is his only escape” - his brief moment of being somewhere apart from his immediate reality perfectly reflecting the track’s “unconscious” and “fluid” sound.

Watch the new clip for 'Somewhere, I Don't Know' above, and keep up to date with The Dull Joys by following them on Facebook.