Synopsis
A hazy late-night world unfolds through grainy, retro-styled images of telephone chat lines, intimate close-ups and shower fixtures. The footage moves in loose synchronization with Laurel Halo's dreamy vocal, turning the repeated invitations to "call me up" into an atmosphere of isolation, desire and artificial connection. Its deliberately dated look recalls early-1980s television and VHS culture, while the fragmented editing and surreal juxtapositions make the video feel like a half-remembered infomercial encountered at three in the morning.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video premiered on December 13, 2010, alongside promotion for Games' debut EP, That We Can Play.
- Strawberry Skies was the opening track on That We Can Play and featured Laurel Halo on vocals. The EP was released through Hippos in Tanks.
- Games was the production partnership of Daniel Lopatin and Joel Ford. They created the project around a deliberately retro electronic aesthetic, using vintage synthesizers and sequencers to evoke 1980s pop production.
- The song was reportedly the only track on the EP produced in a professional studio rather than the duo's apartment setup.
- The song's lyrics were assembled from intentionally nonsensical phrases created while shaping the vocal melody. Lopatin and Ford described the words as being chosen primarily for their sound.
- Contemporary coverage repeatedly connected the clip with 1980s television, VHS tracking problems and late-night culture. The shower imagery and chat-line footage were central to that deliberately nostalgic presentation.
- A Gatekeeper remix of the song appeared on That We Can Play, while Hudson Mohawke released a separate remix shortly after the video premiered.