Playlist: SASHINSKI

London-born filmmaker Sasha Nathwani aka SASHINSKI, has directed promos for the likes of Snakehips, Jonas Blue, Star.One, Ferreck Dawn and for clients including Sony Music, Virgin Records c/o Universal, 3 Beat Recordings, Polydor and Spinnin’ Records.

What’s the best promo you’ve seen recently and why?

Alt-J Deadcrush by Young Replicant. Loved the way it fuses an artistic narrative with interpretative dance and stunning cinematography.

What’s the first promo you remember being impressed by?

Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Bad. I’m an 80s baby!

And what’s your all-time favourite music video?

Tough one. I always come back to Hurt by Johnny Cash directed by Mark Romanek. That one always gets me, Johnny Cash really bares himself in that video, and you rarely get that in pop promos.

What other directors/artists do you look to for inspirational?

This changes depending on what I’m working on. I recall watching Wim Wenders documentary on Pina which opened me to whole new world of choreography. The work of Kahlil Joseph is really inspiring to me at this moment in time. More recently, the videos by The Blaze are really original.

What are you listening to at the moment?

Blossoms, Nils Frahm and Childish Gambino.

What’s your favourite bit of tech, whether for professional or personal use?

I’d hate to sound like an Uber driver but I’d have to say WAZE. That app must’ve shaved weeks of my life to do other things.

What artist(s) would you most like to work with and why? 

Solange. I love her videos. She always seems to be saying something that has some kind of socio-political relevance to the times. Yes she finds a way of doing it in a subtle and tasteful manner. And Jamie XX and Alt-J - their music is so incredibly visual, naturally lends itself to amazing videos.

How do you feel the promo industry has changed since you started in it?

It’s definitely the most youthful part of the industry. You step onto a promo set and the average age of the camera department is often under 25. That wouldn’t be possible 10 years ago – but modern technology and the digital revolution mean it’s comparatively easier to train on industry standard equipment in your vocational years than it was for generations before.

Music videos have had a resurgence of late; where do you see the industry being in five years’ time?

Hate to sound like a broken record but budgets are forever being squeezed which isn’t sustainable. That means filmmakers and labels are going to entertain more product placement in order to get the necessary funds to do the idea justice. There’s a new hybrid of “music video commercials”, I’m referring to Nike Da Da Ding and H&M Close The Loop – when they’re done well they’re really fantastic.

Tell us one thing about yourself that most people won’t know…

I always travel with an extra pair of socks.