Disjuncture - Radiohead 'No Suprises'

The use of disjuncture is a common theme in much of Radiohead’s work, being an indie-rock band that has such a unique style of music is a means for blending it with such a unique style of video. The promo contains a single shot of a water tank being filled with the head of front man Thom Yorke inside it.

 

Disjuncture - the promo bears no resemblance to the lyric or its meaning; abstract; often seen as unconventional / ‘arty’ videos; creates a new range of meanings for the song.

 

With the main refrain of the lyrics being ‘No alarms and no surprises’ it is a contrasting image to see. Additionally we see Yorke trying to hold his breath for as long as possible during the song before the water pours out and he continues singing the lyrics again.

 

Another video that uses this technique is 30 Seconds to Mars’ ‘Up In the Air’. The promo is a short film that displays the performance side of the song but also random shots are shown with various dancers illustrating a more artistic side to the band.