Analysis of the music video 'Afrika Shox' by Left Field

Before even analysing this music video the ideology of the band is shown through the name which connotes what type of music they are making as they are called 'Left Field' this could connote there position in the political spectrum suggesting that they are part of the left wing party. Therefore, in reference to this video it is clear that they believe that in the USA there is still racism and inequality going on due to how New York is represented like a dystopia where life is extremely bad because of deprivation or terror the complete opposite to living in a utopia. The nightmarish representation of New York in this music video references to that of post war Vienna in The Third Man, this is due to the dim lighting and bleak feel to it, there are no signs of happiness or hope.
         Furthermore, from the very beginning of the video aspects of the electronica/dance genre are shown through the shot of the police car as the bright lights flashing on the car represent the genre as they resemble the bright flashing lights of a being at a club where you would hear the dance music. Another way the genre is represented is through the sharp clear edges of the buildings and everything within the mise-en-scene, everything is inanimate connoting the fact that this city is lifeless maybe suggesting the lack of emotions in the people which is shown through the expressionless faces of those surrounding the main actor in the video.
          The main actor in this video is shown completely isolated and cut off from society and the misfit of the mise-en-scene throughout the video. There is a sense of alienation in this video due to how alienated the main character is from everyone else in the video, it is almost as if he is not considered as a human being. This references to the film Animal Kingdom where the main protagonist is completely isolated from his uncles after not complying to their wishes. Also the location of this film also references to this music video as it shows Melbourne as being a disturbing city with no sense safety, security or warmth.
             There is a sense of confusion from his body language and facial expressions as if he has just randomly arrived into a strange new world, this links to the music which has a feel of confusion to it. The main actor is a metaphor for the slave trade and therefore represents a slave arrival in America which is also an extended metaphor of racism as this video suggests that it is still continuing in America. Therefore due to the representation of the slave trade there is an intertextual reference within this song to a poem called 'Limbo' which is by Edward Kamau Brathwaite. He writes about the fact that going under the limbo stick is like the slaves going down into the slave ship which carries them into a living hell. 

       Furthermore, the main actor in the video is kicked out of society just like a slave which is the story of black culture in America. He is looked at and treated as if he is beneath everyone else, the white people surrounding him see him as no better than animals, unequal to them and inhuman. This is made evident in this shot where a middle class white man merely looks over his newspaper to glance judgementally at the black man without any look of concern or empathy but instead an emotionless glare in his eyes. This shows how the white people of America in this video cannot get involved or even associated to the black people as if they are invisible and nothing to them. However, after watching this video it is not clear as to whether the zombie is in fact the isolated black man or the emotionless white middle class men? This is due to the fact that they seem to have no care for other racial groups in society due to their lack of empathy and how they can simply ignore someone in need. As the black man looks up to the white man with a look of needing help and a hand but gets no response as the passer by continues to walk past him.

      The fact that the location of the video is set in the streets of the contemporary city New York establishes the dance/electronica genre further as it has an urban feel to it due to the noir lighting of the  dark and grungy streets. Urbanisation is strongly linked to  that particular genre which is represented clearly in New York. 

     There are also some shots which are shown in an underground dark and eerie feeling car park which adds to the genre matching with the mise-en-scene. During the car park scenes there are several white adults break dancing which also represents aspects of the genre, for example aspects of Leftfield's music have been influenced by progressive house which fuses house music with dubstep and reggae.Therefore the break dancing shown by the white males is ironic as that particualar aspect of dance is originated from black dancers. So therefore this scene contradicts the ethnic stereotype of reggae/dub/electronica music being danced by only a black group of people. Also, the fact that the break dancers are of an older age group than other break dancers one would normally see this shows that this video and music is aimed at maybe a more niche and sophisticated older audience. A dancer knocks part of the black man's leg off and it shatters showing how black people are having there culture stolen from them by the white dancers. He is invisible to those around him, whilst he looks on no-one seems to see him apart from Afrika Baambaata who is the only one in the scene who acknowledges him and offers him a hand, him being the only other black man in the video. The fact that the black man is literally shattering to pieces symbolises how black culture is in New York, falling apart. 

    In reference to Andrew Goodwins music video analysis this video shows aspects of a relationship between lyrics and visuals, for example the lyrics "Lets get electrified" could symbolise the fact that his culture is getting electrified by everything surrounding him. For example, the fences around him could signify an electric fence meaning that he is trapped by the danger of New York which links back to the idea of him being an slave arrival.