Watch: Tom Vek – Aroused

“I’ve always maintained that a music video that can be described in one sentence will help people digest and pass it on”, argues Tom Vek, the perpetually-underrated electronic supremo.

He’s quite right, isn’t he? Nirvana- ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ can be summarised as “Angsty youths riot in school gymnasium”, while Fatboy Slim’s ‘Praise You’ can be described simply as “Unfit Americans break into dance at California mall”.

Well, if the video to the artist’s new single ‘Aroused’ is to summed up in one measly sentence then it has to be something in the vein of “Painfully beautiful hipsters smoke ample supply of cigarettes, causing biggest hike in Lucky Strike sales since the Mad Men Season 4 airing!”

“It’s a nod to the way in which smoking is used heavily and quite innocently in art and fashion,” says the self-taught musician, whose debut We Have Sound came out way back in 2005. “In the video, it represents feelings of being overwhelmed and extremities—both of which tie in with the sentiment of the album.”

‘Aroused’, taken from Vek’s forgivably-belated second record Leisure Seizure, was beautifully shot by London-based director Saam Farahmand. “We are friends and we argue about films a lot, so it seemed a good idea to risk destroying our relationship and invite him to direct a music video”.

There’s that general common belief that when smoking adverts got banned the cigarette companies actually benefited as they no longer had to lump out ridiculous amounts of money to the likes of Don Draper to sell their products. But they can still thank their Lucky Strikes that they will always have music, art and gentle peer pressure to counteract those tar-filled lungs and withered baby hand photos they put on packets now.

You can watch the video embedded above, or on Nowness.com.