Frank Lebon directs high-speed montage of real relationships for James Blake video

James Blake has released the music video for his track Can’t Believe The Way We Flow, directed by artist and filmmaker Frank Lebon. Following videos for Asap Rocky, King Krule and Mount Kimbie, and a film for Gucci starring Harry Styles, this new work for James Blake applies his raw and humorously honest style to a story of love in London.

The film is a high-speed montage of clips showing 35 different couples at their most intimate, bizarre and uniquely banal moments, exploring how the ins and outs of real life in a relationship. From cooking eggs for breakfast, to a cheeky thigh pinch at the bus stop, and some more private moments, the video quickly flicks from scene to scene at a pace double the speed of the track. Where its skilled editing really comes to the fore, however, is in sequences showing all the couples (including one hand-drawn pair) kissing and holding hands in synchrony, expertly sewed together in a quick-fire composite animation.

There’s some underlying themes too: a number of the cast, including Blake himself, gets pooped on by a pigeon – presumably bringing good luck to all involved. And look closely and you’ll see a cameo from Frank’s dad, Buffalo photographer Mark Lebon, as a slightly menacing Cupid sniper. Lebon Senior originally founded London underground film club Reely N Truly in the early 80s, and now Frank and his brother, and fellow director, Tyrone Lebon run the biannual film night as part of their collective DoBeDo.

James Blake has previously worked with a range of collaborators from illustrator Quentin Blake, for his artwork for The Colour in Anything, to director Anna Rose Holmer, whose film for Blake featured a heavily pregnant Natalie Portman.