Synopsis

Filmed in stark black and white, the video places John Lydon and Leftfield in a shadowy basement, where they perform amid a restless barrage of close-ups, movement and stark lighting. The band works through the track's pounding electronic rhythm while Lydon delivers his abrasive vocal with characteristic intensity. Their performance is intercut with glimpses of an enigmatic figure, adding an unsettling, almost confrontational atmosphere. The stripped-down setting and monochrome presentation keep the focus on the collision between punk attitude and aggressive dance music.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was made to promote the 1993 single and runs for approximately 3 minutes and 47 seconds. Its black-and-white 4:3 presentation gives it a deliberately stark, underground feel.

• "Open Up" was released on November 1, 1993, and became Leftfield's first major breakthrough. It reached No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart and topped the Music Week Dance Singles chart.

• Lydon's vocal was recorded in May 1993 at Leftfield's Rollover Studios in London. The collaboration came through John Gray, a mutual friend with connections to Public Image Ltd.

• Lydon had previously dismissed much dance music as formulaic, making his partnership with an electronic duo an unexpected crossover. Leftfield were specifically interested in the character of his voice rather than simply attaching a famous rock singer to a dance track.

• The song's "Burn, Hollywood, burn" refrain was connected to Lydon's frustration at not being offered acting roles. Around the single's release, forest fires were also raging in Southern California, and the combination caused radio and television programmers to react cautiously.

• "Open Up" was later included on Leftfield's 1995 debut album, *Leftism*. The track became one of the album's defining examples of punk aggression fused with dub-heavy, progressive dance production.