The members of Beirut unite for a series of therapeutic group experiments in their intense “When I Die” video.
Multimedia artist Brody Condon directed the clip inside a Berlin Futuro house, guiding the musicians through meditative scenarios. They move around the floor in dramatic poses, sprawl out on their backs and lay their hands on each other — culminating in a scene with songwriter Zach Condon collapsing under their collective weight.
“After the psychosomatic session that inspired the [cover art for Beirut’s recently issued LP, Gallipoli], I ran another session with Zach to guide a new video for ‘When I Die,’” Brody Condon said in a statement. “Something was missing. Later I learned the song was loosely about a fictional suicide cult, so I facilitated a group encounter with the band before their show in Berlin. I was surprised by their willingness to test each other’s boundaries, and spontaneously embody elements of Zach’s inner zone. They told me these intimate processes didn’t feel so differently from what they already do on stage.”
“When I Die” appears on the February-issued Gallipoli, Beirut’s fifth album. The band is currently promoting the record on an international tour that continues April 11th in Leeds, England.