The creative use of media language in the Chris Cunningham music video “Africa Shox” by Leftfield.

1. Afrika Shox
Leftfield ft. Afrika Bambaattaa
Released
6 September 1999
Directed by
Chris Cunningham
Genre
Electronic/dance/hip-hop/noire

2. Leftfield
Leftfield were a British electronica band, producing music of a genre
coined as progressive house, between 1989 and 2002. In the 1990’s
they were described by Mixmag as;
"the single most influential production team working in British dance
music".
The term ‘Left field’ can be defined as ‘radical’ or ‘experimental’ and
can also have political connotations.

3. Reinforcing the genre
Goodwin’s Theory of music videos
1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics
(e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for
boy/girl band).
Goodwin’s Theory states that a successful music video will
demonstrate genre characteristics within the visuals and
aesthetics. Cunningham follows this convention closely in
Afrika Shox.
At the beginning of the video, the audience is presented
with the image of an approaching police car, which
immediately indicates the electronic genre of the track.
Flashing lights and sirens (above) have connotations with
discos or raves, where this music genre is likely to be played.
As well as this, the images of the break dancers in the
underground car park (right), demonstrates genre
characteristics in line with Goodwin’s theory.
The choice of location, suggests the underground nature of
the artist, helping to establish the audience for the music
video.

4. Very much contrary to Goodwin’s Theory, Cunningham’s
Afrika Shox video at times contradicts the audio, in which a
dystopic representation of New York City is created. The low
angle shots of The World Trade Centre, appear threatening,
and so make the African character appear alienated within
the culture he finds himself. This representation is created
further, through cinematography, with conventions of film
noir, such as black and white, giving the setting negative
connotations.
Intertextuality
Vienna, as depicted in Carol Reed’s
‘The Third Man’.
Metropolis – 1927, Fritz
Lang
Various intertextual references can be made between
Cunningham’s video, and other texts. Most notably, a link
can be identified between the dystopic representation of
New York City and the image created of the city of Vienna,
in ‘The Third Man’. Cunningham similarly attempts to make
his lead character feel isolated, as Carol Reed does in ‘The
Third Man’, by creating a sense of alienation amongst the
inhabitants of the city, which is achieved using elements of
film noir.
Fritz Lang first pioneered the sort of dystopic city
representation we see in Cunningham’s text, in the 1927
film, ‘Metropolis’. This city of the future was quite literally
built around inequality.