FRINGE MUSIC FIX TV ventures to the furthest reaches of the alternative pop multi-verse in search of the most intriguing and imaginative multi-sensory musical accompaniments released weekly. We are thrilled to present to you our selections for the five best music videos released the week of May 22nd to May 28th, 2022.

Alex Porat "Sensitive" (Dir. Mashie Alam)

Kicking off our picks for music videos of the week is the Mashie Alam (TOPS, Katie Tupper) directed video for Toronto's Alex Porat. Asked about "Sensitive", the talented singer-songwriter shared her innermost vulnerabilities and insecurities proclaiming “I’ve always known that I’m an overly sensitive person, I definitely cry a lot and I let my emotions take control of me. My default is reading into situations, taking a lot of things personally, and constantly overthinking. I make my own life harder than it needs to be and that’s the whole concept behind Sensitive. Sometimes I’m convinced it’s a secret super power being able to pick up on all the little things but sometimes those little things are all it takes to bring me down.” The visual sees Porat surrounded by a colourful backdrop and an assortment of fruits and veggies which she metaphorically caresses and eventually destroys.

Noga Erez "NAILS" (Dir. Indy Hait)

Recently signed to Lizzy Plapinger (MS MR) and Derek Davis' Neon Gold, Noga Erez makes a bold return with a new single and music video for "NAILS". The visual was directed by frequent collaborator Indy Hait (Lola Marsh) and features Noga's creative/life partner Ori Rousso. Asked about the song/visual's significance, Noga explained "‘NAILS’ is a song about jealousy, and how being jealous of people, in this particular case another woman, makes you idealize that person in a very weird and dark way." Delving further, Noga offered up that the song is a response to the idea that society suggests we should bury negative thoughts; “I feel like we live in a culture that says, ‘Don’t think those negative thoughts. Don’t even let that cross your mind’ but sometimes I’m like – ‘these bitches are looking at my man, I don’t want that!’ – it’s very, very funny. So I say, let it cross your mind, so that you can leave these things at the thought level, and get the poison out of you. The song is an invitation for everyone to feel that empowering, aggressive vibe and embrace it.” The music video also takes a quite literal aim at beauty standards as a mob led by Noga approaches their target. "What we are actually walking towards is a woman who looks like a model,” Erez explains. "She has that typical/classic body image. The unrealistic societal standards of beauty—skinny, tall, sexy, flawless. She's walking in slow motion, and as we all come into the same shot, you realize that she is actually ten times our size. Then there is a David and Goliath type of situation where I take out a slingshot and shoot her straight in the forehead and she drops dead. It’s very weird and ugly and funny.”

Empress Of "Dance For You" (Dir. Alexis Gómez)

Along with the announcement of a new five-song EP entitled "Save Me" due June 24, Empress Of has released a fashionable music video for the single "Dance For You". The dynamic visual was directed by Alexis Gómez. In a statement, Lorely (Empress Of) explained the single is about moving on: “I love the lyrics on this song, I made this in Minneapolis with BJ Burton. It was freezing outside. I was in a cave-like studio in the snow literally dancing as I wrote this. ‘Surrender to me like this’ is a touching lyric for me because I’m not hurt over this person anymore. I’ve come out the other side.” The new EP and single were recorded during the pandemic as Lorely found herself reflecting on the impact of a recent breakup. “One of the biggest key things for me making music is being out of my comfort zone,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “And I think a lot of artists relate to that. Because when you’re out of your comfort zone that’s when innovation happens. I went around renting these spaces, travelling a bit. And it was a little bit miserable, but it helped to isolate certain feelings and lyrics and songs. I did that for about half a year.”

Flume "I Can't Tell (Feat. Laurel)" (Dirs. Ram Han, Johnathan Zawada)

A standout from the imaginative collection of visuals dropped as part of the marketing for Flume's recently released "Palaces", the animated video is a brightly coloured and inspired counterpart to "I Can't Tell" that features "Yonic" imagery created by Ram Han with 3D animation by Johnathan Zawada (Röyksopp). Ram's unique visual style was most recently featured in the artwork created for Magdalena Bay's "Mercurial World".

Wallis Bird "I Lose Myself Completely" (Dir. Fergal Brennan)

Topping off our picks this week is the visceral and energetic music video from Irish-born, Berlin-based artist, Wallis Bird for her 80's inspired single, "I Lose Myself Completely". The visual was created by Irish animator Fergal Brennan and consists of a series of portraits of women by women spanning ancient cave paintings, pieces from 18th/19th centuries right on through to more modern pieces with all presented employing lightning-fast editing. The result is striking and an unforgettable merger of classic art presented using modern animation techniques. Bird had the following to say when asked about Fergal: “Fergal is a critically acclaimed, wildly inventive visual artist from Ireland. This music video is a genuine feat – Fergal chronologically documents thousands of uncredited and under-acknowledged women artists from today right up to the very first cave painting through melding and re-animating their work. He painstakingly turned this mammoth idea into a fully coherent music video. If it wasn’t my song I would still be saying this. It’s a work of art.”