Synopsis

An alien crash-lands in downtown Los Angeles, rupturing a water main and struggling to keep its balance in Earth's gravity. As firemen investigate, it slips through elevators, escalators and anonymous city spaces while compulsively trying to drink water it cannot swallow. The alien eventually wanders into a bleak arcade, where pool players sit beneath televisions showing the same soap opera. Surrounded by commuters, bus passengers and Segway riders, it imitates the strange behavior of humans, twisting down the boardwalk in an awkward attempt to blend in.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was presented as an unnerving companion to "Bendin'", a track from HTRK's 2011 album "Work (Work, Work)".

• HTRK members Jonnine Standish and Nigel Yang both play the alien. The video's central physical performance literalizes the song's repeated ideas of bending and twisting.

• The story moves through several recognizable Los Angeles environments, including downtown streets, elevators, escalators, an arcade and a boardwalk.

• The alien's attempt to drink water is a recurring gag and an important visual obstacle. The Quietus specifically highlighted the video's compulsive water consumption and bleak arcade setting.

• HTRK later described working with the filmmaker as a first-time collaboration during their Los Angeles visit. The band said he drove them between several locations each day, introducing them to his favorite local haunts.

• The production was shot on a Canon 5D. It was distributed online and was also broadcast in Australia on ABC's music program "Rage".

• A still from the video was used for the cover of the 2012 "Part Time Punks Radio Sessions" release by HTRK and Tropic of Cancer.