The simplicity, or perhaps, the unchanging nature of a drum machine is reflected in the new video from MPHO (featuring members of The Men, Dream Police, and Juniper Rising), for “Built a Fire”, the first track off their self-released T.I.G.H.T. EP. The visuals, also shot and directed by the trio themselves, are as barebones as it gets, focusing the camera on the cornerstone, and maybe the star of the whole show: a Roland drum machine (they’ve since added a drummer for live presence). Arms and hands float and dance in and out of the frame, sometimes with lyrics written on them, and sometimes holding beloved seashells with campfires playfully painted on them. The band has a serious affinity for the beach, especially emphasized in the opening seconds of the video, in which plain lettering carved in driftwood and shells spells out “MPHO,” the only deviation from the single drum machine shot of the song’s duration. Fast-paced, yet grounded in its prettiness, the track is a flowing jam of bright synths and billowing bass, danceable from the very first note hit.
