Set your eyes to stunned – the new Esben and the Witch video for “When That Head Splits” is a psychadelic animated wonder, created by director Rafael Bonilla Jr, it uses almost 9,000 still frames and premieres today via Tumblr.

Currently on tour in Europe, they return to the UK for their largest headline show to date at London’s  Scala (Tickets), before making their long-awaited return to the USA and Canada.  The band have recently shared a track-by-track of their new album Wash The Sins Not Only The Face on their Facebook page, whilst director Ralph Bonilla had these words about the video:

“I started first with the painting that was part of the inspiration for the song, Salvador Dali’s Metamorphosis of Narcissus and the accompanying poem. One of my favorite things about Dali is that his paintings are full of hidden meanings and symbols, so I tried to do the same. I combined this with lyrics from the song, as well as an idea the band hand about a girl who gradually transforms into the landscape she’s traveling through. The girl in the video is a combination of the nude women and the dog in the Dali painting, and as she travels through different regions of this strange alien planet, her body transforms along with it. I saw the other characters and the different locations in the story as reflections of her own self, until finally in the last segment of the video, she ends up in a place made entirely out of flesh and blood, literally inside her own body. Most of the video was accomplished using plasticine models ranging from 4in. – 1ft., which were fitted with wire armatures. The backgrounds are either digital paintings or watercolors. The final product contains almost 9,000 frames that were animated by hand.”

Upcoming tour dates:

Fri 15 Feb – Brussels – Botanique – Tickets

Sat 16 Feb – Munster – Gleiss 22 – Tickets

Sun 17 Feb – Hamburg – Knust – Tickets

Mon 18 Feb – Berlin – Bi Nuu – Tickets

Wed 20 Feb – Munich – 59to1 – Tickets

Thu 21 Feb – Zürich – Rote Fabrik – Tickets

Fri 22 Feb – Cologne – Gebaude 9 – Tickets

Sat 23 Feb – Utrecht – Tivoli Oudegracht Spiegelbar – Tickets

Sun 24 Feb – Paris Point – Ephemere – Tickets

Tue 26 Feb – London – Scala – Tickets

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Thu Mar 21 – Philadephia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie

Fri Mar 22 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge

Sat Mar 23 – Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory

Sun Mar 24 – Montreal, QC – Il Motore

Mon Mar 25 – Toronto, ON – Underground at The Drake

Tue Mar 26 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle

Wed Mar 27 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th St Entry

Sun Mar 31 – Vancouver, BC – The Media Club

Mon Apr 01 – Seattle, WA – Chop Suey

Tue Apr 02 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios

Thu Apr 04 – San Francisco, CA – Brick & Mortar Music Hall

Fri Apr 05 – Los Angeles, CA – Bootleg Bar

Sat Apr 06 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar

Sun Apr 07 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom

Tue Apr 09 – Austin, TX – The Mohawk

Wed Apr 10 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada

Thu Apr 11 – Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s

Fri Apr 12 – New Orleans, LA – Circle Bar

Sat Apr 13 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade (Purgatory Stage)

Sun Apr 14 – Durham, NC – Motorco

Mon Apr 15 – Washington, DC – DC9

 

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