The Peach Kings - "Mojo Thunder"

Prepare to plunge into the lowest possible human depths with The Peach Kings' latest music video for Mojo Thunder, directed by Kris Merc and Benjy Brooke. Despite the hand drawn, chalky look appearing quite analog, the majority of the project was actually executed digitally with a very convincing emulation of a hand drawn feel.

We're made to witness one man's journey through cycles of abuse, pain, vice, lust and ultimately destruction in this gritty video, which evokes memories of Sin City (That protagonist looks like Marv, no?) and Bruce Timm's stylized work.

Bang Bang! - The Hunt Is On

Written and directed by Julien Bisaro and Claire Paoletti, Bang Bang! is an upcoming short from the same folks who worked on the critically acclaimed Ernest And Celestine feature that's recently made the jump overseas. Aside from it's beautiful black and white aesthetic, it seems like the short will follow the story of a 25 year old girl called Eda trying to get between her dad and his prey during a prolonged hunt. Looking forward to the premiere of this short on June 20th.

Dark Noir

My name is Vincent Black and I can see things other people can’t. Animator Rafael Grampá used the Absolut Facebook community to craft the tale of a man who kind of resembles a more stylized John Constantine from Hellblazer.

Using a mixture of 3D and 2D, we're offered the tale of a man who can see creatures that lurk between our reality and an alternate dimension. Thankfully Absolut's presence in the short was incredibly subtle, bordering on the unnoticeable (Check the out of focus) bar in the backgroun. Check out the making of the short after the break!

Palmipedarium

Jeremy Clapin's Palmipedarium is a moody, stylized short about a boy and his encounter with a rather strange duck and a rite of passage as he goes out on a hunting trip with his dad. The short, which has been making the festival rounds this year is based off that thin line we walk between reality and our imagination during childhood. Clapin also directed Skhizein, which won awards at Cannes and Annecy back in 2008 (Check it out after the break).

Simon knows about ducks quite well. They make noise, fly, swim, some even roll. Sometimes, it's a bit confusing and Simon gets lost.

The Longest Road

Leaving what we have to find out what we left behind.

In this highly atmospheric musical narrative, a prince casts aside the crown and kingdom he was set to inherit in order to find out what he's been missing out on outside the walls of his kingdom. In the process he sheds everything he once had, including his trusty companion to get a taste of liberty, but at what cost?

This is a cool example of a 'circular' narrative, starting and ending in the same place, at different points in time. The score by Matthieu DeLaporta does an excellent job offering us the equivalent of music to represent the protagonists mindset throughout the journey - Alienated, rebellious, hopeful and so on, filling that void left by the choice to go dialogue-less. Some truly beautiful imagery courtesy of director Mandy Wyckens.

Hound

Created as part of Olivia Marion's graduation film from the French animation school EMCA, Hound is a highly atmospheric short which is impressive both in it's aesthetic and choice of lighting and color, which must have been pretty damn complex to pull off.

In Hound a man travels through a dark forest aided with nothing but a flashlight and his senses, seemingly hunted by a predator out for blood. While the setup seems to indicate some rather sinister events are bound to unfold, the final result is thankfully quite cheerful. Man's best friend

Stubborn Heart - "Penetrate"

UK-based electro soul duo Stubborn Heart is a relatively new act, with their debut album out last fall. Their single, "Penetrate," is a funky, moody track with a fantastic sense of atmosphere.  The accompanying video is equally moody, with a sense of loneliness and desolation, yet somehow doesn't come off as too terribly dark.  While some scenes are sadder than others, quite a few really just give off that "My life isn't always terrible, but tonight is just one of those nights" kind of vibe, which can be related to easily.

Carn

Created at the Emile Cohl Academy in Lyon by Jeff Le Bars, Carn tells the story of a lost boy and his encounter with a desperate, dying wolf who offers him a choice: Either perish in the unforgiving cold of a harsh winter, or sacrifice the wolf for warmth in exchange of taking care of her cubs and raising them as his own, or else.

The 3D art style used in Carn is absolutely stunning, emulating a truly unique look which comes off as a cross of Zelda's Windwaker style and classical storybook. Following the darker story of the short, Jeff Le Bars incorporated plenty of highly stylized play between lights and darks to visually match the tone. One of the best self contained stories I've seen this year so far.

Homo Ferus By Johnny Dombrowski

(Via)

Self proclaimed 'alleyway illustrator' John Dombrowski just recently shared a hefty dose of fantastic new illustrations showing off his spreading reputation in the art world with his perpetually moody work, including his take on Guillermo Del Toro's bombastic Pacific Rim Jaeger, Gipsy Danger. The illustator has been busy since joining the New York based Society Of Illustrators, providing work for a variety of magazines, custom poster collectives and a healthy dose of personal projects to keep him well rounded.

His clients at this point have included companies including Wired, Maxim, Billboard, Bloomberg, DC Comics, Penthouse and many more with an ever growing list of accolades. Check out a smattering of new pieces by Dombrowski after the break, including a piece for Star Trek: Into Darkness and his Homo Ferus series.

Hiku

Created by Tristan Domenjus & Adrien Fromenteil as their graduation film at France's Ecole des Métiers du Cinéma d'Animation (School of Crafts And Animated Film), Hiku is a wonderfully atmospheric short centered around one man's struggle to survive in an inhospitable environment. Throughout his multi-day journey he's haunted by images of a ghostly woman and a creeping chill, implying a strange trauma that lingers about the sullen protagonist. Yet at the end of the day, there's a silver lining to his ongoing struggle.

Really enjoyed Tristan and Adrien's choice to do more with less in the dialogue-less Hiku, leaving it up to the viewer to interpret and give meaning of these surreal spells. It's definitely a bit of a rarity these days to see shorts and films leave important plot elements to the imagination, so I definitely appreciated them taking the path less traveled with Hiku. Loved it.

Nimbus Machina

Created by French animator Thomas Plaete, Nimbus Machina is a wonderfully atmospheric, monochromatic affair executed on a flat, 2D plane. Onboard a gigantic steam machine reminiscent of Howl's Moving Castle, a pilot tries to flee the monstrous storm he inadvertently creates. There's a really stellar use of negative space in the short, with plenty of play between dark and light to sell the pristine exterior accented by graphic exhaust and the moody interior of the pilot's hulking machine.

Another Hell

This moody, brooding short was directed by Saam Farahmand, and starring country singer Daughn Gibson. Based off Gibson's music, this short tells the story of a man a a kind of crossroads, with a difficult decision to make. His stoic character's background and direction is ambiguous, leaving the short quite open-ended, while definitely touching on the idea of escapism.

Maxxi Soundsystem & Thomas Gandey - I Don't Care

Thomas Gandley and Maxxi Soundsystem, mentor and producer respectively teamed up to deliver this sensual piece of house music, accented by distorted, robotic vocals and flowy, pulsating synths. A series of stylized monochromatic portraits present a variety of fringe characters unconcerned with the way society sees their interesting quirks, professions or orientations.

The Art Of Michael Manomivibul - Dark Worlds

(Via)

Mike Mano has embraced monochromatic imagery as the way to express himself, and I feel that it works perfectly with the subject matter he typically conveys. His moody, aquatic themed pieces typically feature vintage divers, lost in an alienating sea filled with strange creatures and darkness. All color is sucked out of his worlds, which add that visual heaviness to the somber scenes he illustrates.

If you're in the mood for dark, atmospheric pieces, check out more of his awesome work after the break! And pick up some prints from his store while you're at it!

Frangin

If you've got a need for a subtle yet moody animated short, then you're in luck. Frangin, which is French for "bro", is about a young boy who sees his older brother off to war. He dreams and reminisce about the good times they spent together beforehand, and decides to send off a message via pigeon to his brother now that he's left home. With the very, very subtle audio, it's really all about the animation: It's angular, simple, yet with a few frames that have a beautiful watercolor look to them. It's a rather somber short, but rather touching at the same time.