Kraków, Poland’s second-largest city after Warsaw, is one of the oldest and most beautiful in the world, and has for centuries been considered a capital of culture. It’s no wonder that Kuba Kubica, the man behind the extraordinarily innovative electronic act SOUNDQ, makes it his home.
The music video for ‘Bad Lot’ serves as a travelogue for Kraków, with Kuba Kubica showing us around – but not to the tourist hot spots – he takes us to the heart of the city, those places which are most distinctly Polish, and Eastern European. Every shot in the clip directed by Łukaz Czarnecki brings with it that tiny sense of danger, that excitement of the unknown, of something different. Kubica is proud of his hometown, and everything about it – both the glamour, and the grit, the energy, and the beautiful people.
There’s a sense of danger in Kubica’s writing as well. He’s more honest and open about the demands of life than we’re used to if our musical diet is primarily American electronic pop. He deals with stories of interpersonal struggle; power imbalances; the cruelties of fate: he knows there’s not always a happy ending. His music draws from old school house, bass, even contemporary pop, and gives it a texture that makes it sound completely unique. ‘Bad Lot’, with its catchy, eminently danceable and propulsive sound, has become an international underground success, with audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.
A bold song requires a bold music video, and ‘Bad Lot’ doesn’t disappoint. Opening with an almost apocalyptic image, we see young people laying face up on the ground, surrounded by shards of broken glass, and broken wood. There’s something odd about it – they’re spaced evenly apart, their heads are placed neatly on or nearby to pieces of clothing. Soon enough they’re up on their feet, they’re driving around Kraków in old model cars, across suspension bridges, through tunnels, and then they’re dancing in car parks, in the industrial zone. Even with hints of sinisterness and the cold grey tones of the video, it’s sensual and sexy – and it’s impossible to escape the beauty of this city, and with it the feeling of hope.
Watch the music video for ‘Bad Lot’ below and find out more about SOUNDQ here.
