"Skipping Like A Stone (ft. Beck)"

24 September 2023

4 mins 32s

Skipping Like A Stone (ft. Beck)

A stone goes rogue in this enthralling promo for the Chemical Brothers' latest track 'Skipping Like A Stone', which sees them joined by experimental musical mainstay Beck. The film features an unusual star in Kurt Steiner - who holds the world record for stone skipping and is a hero among practitioners of the niche sport.

The action has a deceptive start, as those familiar with odd music promo concepts will watch Steiner meticulously setting up his woodland station - shots interspersed with flashes of textbooks about the art of skipping - and expect this to be a low-action, high-concept meditation on one man's commitment to his art. As soon as the first stone flies, we realise this couldn't be further from the truth.

The stone whisks viewers along on a madcap journey through the land, as it embarks on an unceasing quest to do kinetic good. These deeds of benign destruction include disarming a robber, freeing a woman from a burning building, and inspiring a young boy to develop his own passion for the rocky craft.

It's weird, unexpected, and makes for a hypnotic watch. Directors Pensacola ensure each shot is carefully composed, maintaining the film's polished, high-art feel throughout the kinetic action. This is a strange watch in the best way, and will have viewers realising they're holding their breath only when the starring stone comes back home to roost with its skipper at the very end.

UK

Promos