Synopsis
Sin Cos Tan's "History" unfolds as a stark, unsettling short film built from fractured images, oppressive settings, and feverish visual interruptions. Rather than following a conventional narrative, it creates the impression of emotional and psychological collapse, with disorienting scenes accumulating around the song's melancholy synth-pop pulse. The editing gives the video a nightmarish, almost hallucinatory quality, turning romantic failure and resignation into a barrage of bleak, surreal imagery.
Factoids & Trivia
- "History" was released in 2013 as part of a specially commissioned series of short films connected to Record Store Day.
- The track appeared on a limited 10-inch vinyl edition produced by Music Finland and The Line of Best Fit. Only 1,500 copies were made available through participating record stores.
- The song began as one of Juho Paalosmaa's early home demos before being recorded by Sin Cos Tan.
- Paalosmaa described the lyrics as dealing with miscommunication, resignation, and the repeated return of both problems.
- The video was compared by The Line of Best Fit to the bleak cinema of Lars von Trier and the Dogme 95 movement, as well as the disturbing montage style associated with Robert Breer's "Blue Monday 88" promo.
- "History" helped introduce the Finnish synth-pop duo to a wider audience during the promotional campaign for their self-titled debut album.