Behind the scenes at Egyptian Hip Hop's latest video shoot

Egyptian Hip Hop dropped their latest video, for single Yoro Diallo, last week. With a retro, rinsed-out aesthetic that is reminiscent of something that would appear on an unwatched communal TV screen about 20 years ago, it flickeringly documents the band as they play through their song in the naturalistic setting of Loughborough’s Swithland Waterworks. Watch the nostalgic video here, and scroll down to see director Isaac Eastgate’s thoughts and photographs from the shoot.

Isaac: The record label really didn’t like the first video, so they made me make the exact opposite video to make up for it.

After a lot of research and funding and filming I almost completed an hour long TV documentary of English heritage sites, with Egyptian Hip Hop personally presenting and soundtracking most of the film, but after I had finished taping them playing out for the end credits music I got a lot of threats to cut it down to 4 minutes. The video is in Japanese because of budget issues. It is a lot cheaper to have stuff like that outsourced to other continents and it’s all done online now anyway.

The intro explains that this is Swithland Waterworks of Loughborough, and describes some of the basic functioning of the filtration bed system. I really wanted the black bars at the top and bottom of the video, but they are at the sides instead which I think really ruined it. My favourite part is the swan, it’s really a spectacular moment of beauty.

I think it is important briefly to mention a superstar and star who was a big influence on this and all my work, a Trinidadian pop star with over 20 self titled albums who shoots, directs and edits his own music videos. Thanks Neville.