Tokyo duo FEMM, consisting of two mannequins with emotions, have revealed their brand-new single ‘Sugar Rush’, along with a breathtaking new music video
The video adopts a luscious film-noir visual style that evokes the darkness of love. It features a mesmerizing performance by the world-class unicycle dance troupe MIRACLE, of the Kawasaki Watarida Unicycle Club. Dressed in sweeping ankle-length skirts and fishbowl helmets fitted with stardust fairy lights, these graceful droid-like “Sugarbots” are what the video’s director refers to as a “human special effect”.
Among these retro-futuristic mono-wheeled marvels, the two members of FEMM lead the dance to create an atmosphere that recalls the beauty and awe of ‘Alice in Wonderland’, their stature as serious and imposing as the Queen of Hearts.
The video was directed by Ryo Noguchi, a member of U-min and WORLD ORDER who has collaborated as a dancer and choreographer with world-famous artists such as will.i.am, Missy Elliott and Marquese “Nonstop” Scott. As a filmmaker, Noguchi won the Outstanding Film Award at 2019’s GINZA SHORT FILM CONTEST for his film ‘Splendor’. The cameraman and editor on ‘Splendor’, Shuhei Yamada (HANABI), assisted Noguchi on the video for ‘Sugar Rush’.
Choreography was handled by Noguchi along with Makiko Izu and Nao Usui. Together they emphasized the distinctive smooth and speedy movement of the unicycles, enhanced by the high-precision control and rotation that is MIRACLE’s trademark. The result is so much more than simply a troupe of backing dancers: Integrated carefully with the members of FEMM, they help to form a remarkably refined, sublime work of multimedia art that is entirely unique.
