Hammock – My Mind Was A Fog… My Heart Became A Bomb + In the Middle of Nowhere (Music Video)

by Steven Spoerl

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Forward thinking in visual narratives often yields exhilarating results and Hammock’s recent dual clip project for “My Mind Was A Fog…My Heart Became A Bomb” and “In the Middle of Nowhere” definitely falls into this category. Taking the concept of forward thinking and maximizing its potential, Hammock create a challenging vision of the future and wind up with a meditation on familial bonds, loneliness, and technological advances. As the first piece of the project, “My Mind Was A Fog…My Heart Became A Bomb” establishes a sense of place through a subtle, effective VHS haze, while also introducing a deeply conflicted protagonist in a more crisply-shot present time. Over time, and over Hammock’s gentle ambient symphonies, implicit suggestions are gradually revealed; the world as our protagonist once knew it was lost, likely to a virus, and the people closest to him didn’t manage to escape.

That profoundly sad emotional set up, one that recalls Interstellar and Moon as much as Sigur Ros’ devastatingly exquisite clip for “Vaka“, sets the tone for the harrowing finale presented via “In the Middle of Nowhere”. With visuals that suggest a touch of (rightful) Emmanuel Lubezki worship enhancing the project’s sophistication and sadness, “In the Middle of Nowhere” pulls the focus closer to present tense, driven by the astoundingly graceful nature of Hammock’s compositions all the while. Haunted by the memories of things loved and lost, the clip’s protagonist (played with unbelievable gravitas and conviction) slowly succumbs to a level of unprecedented despairing hopelessness, culminating in a brutally crippling moment where all hope for a reunion- even an artificially designed one- is lost. When the entire affair draws to a hushed whisper, what’s left in its wake is one of the most deeply moving videos not just of the year- but of the decade. On a technical level, it’s a masterpiece- but on a human level, it’s unforgettable.

Watch “My Mind Was A Fog…My Heart Became A Bomb” and “In the Middle of Nowhere” below. Order Oblivion Hymns, the record that produced both songs, from Hammock directly here.