Great Lake Swimmers, "River's Edge"

This clip for “River’s Edge,” a highlight off Great Lake Swimmers’ ’09 LP Lost Channels, is an oldie but a goodie. Director and animator Nir Ben Jacob (well known for his excellent video for “On The Water” by The Walkmen) flexed his impressive stop-motion skills with a flowing, woody animation that matches the earthy eloquence of the tune.

“About half a year ago, I stumbled on these wood-chip plate compositions my late grandfather made,” said Nir. “They’re a beautiful example of early Israeli-Yemenite art. As soon as I saw them I knew I had to animate them. They had been in storage for years so it meant a great deal to bring them out and breathe life into them. This was an opportunity to not only contribute to his work, but also expose it to the audience it never had. When I heard “River’s Edge,” I was amazed. It’s a great track and the music and lyrics corresponded to the plates perfectly. It was really exciting to see how the visuals complemented the song.”