Jonathan Currinn
Released this week is the brilliant music video for Ampersounds’ single “Nightdrive” but it’s not just a music video drop because they have also dropped a new version of the track, the Hellcat video mix which is the version used in the visual. This updated mix shortens the official track by 40 seconds or so. The track obviously follows up the original release of “Nightdrive” which follows up their previous single “Personal Jesus”; while the music video is their sophomore visual following from “World Is Ours” featuring Elan Atias.
Ampersounds is the electronic project from two music veterans Fred Falke and Zen Freeman, who have both had lengthy EDM careers. The Los Angeles-based duo’s solo careers speak for themselves with massive accomplishments from both of these artists including remixes of worldwide stars, like Miley Cyrus and Jamiroquai as well as soundtracking huge movies and The Oscars. The project was born in 2021, with the duo dropping their debut collaboration, “Burning Down The House” – a cover version of The Talking Heads’ classic track, which has gone on to become Ampersounds’ most-streamed track on Spotify with over 350,000 streams. They have been riding that success ever since and have been growing in popularity and proving themselves in the EDM world as an electronic project, as well as continuing their own solo careers.
Watch the music video starring Alessandra Ambrosio for “Nightdrive” by Ampersounds here:
Written by Benjamin McIldowie, Fred Falke, and Zen Freeman, “Nightdrive” is an addictive dark dance track that is perfect for playing on your car’s stereo during a late road trip, as the title suggests. The vocals come, from no other than, Mr Hudson (Benjamin McIldowie), who is probably best known for his 2009 hit “Supernova” featuring Kanye West, the follow-up “White Lies”, or for his feature on Jay-Z’s 2010 single “Young Forever”, as well as N-Dubz’s “Playing With Fire” – and so it’s no surprise that his vocals are superb on this track adding depth and mystery in a twisted gloomy vibe that accompanies the track perfectly. Ampersounds know exactly what they’re doing when it comes to their sound adding in ’80s synths and rhythmic drum chords that all flow to create this melodic twilight energy. This track deserves to be added to a racing film or game soundtrack, it totally belongs on a Fast & Furious film soundtrack, or a Need For Speed, Forza, Gran Turismo, or Dirt game soundtrack. The Hellcat video mix is a darker synth track that feels slightly faster which probably fits the visual better, whereas the original has more rhythmic beats, progressive segments, and drops with substance.
The music video has been directed by Racing Cowboys with Taylor Buzbee acting as Producer, Abraham Portillo acting as Director of Photography, Cedric Hervet acting as Art Director, and John Buckley acting as Executive Producer. The main star is Brazillian-American model Alessandra Ambrosio who does a brilliant job of driving the car, showcasing her acting skills and how she would be absolutely perfect in an action movie, as she not only looks stunning but she knows exactly how to develop the character. While this could easily just be Alessandra Ambrosio driving a car, the Racing Cowboys have created an interesting narrative where we learn that she promises to get a captured guy (played by Zen Freeman, himself) to talk, and so she picks up a white Dodge car and touches the boot of the car before getting in and speeding through the city. She constantly glimpses at the necklace on the rear-view mirror, before she gets chased by the LAPD (the LAPD officer is played by Rigo Obezo), but she soon loses the tail and finds a secluded spot, where she opens the boot and reveals to the viewers that there is a man tied up in there, who agrees to divulge all information he has. She shuts the lid of the boot, removes the white coating of the Dodge which turns it into a copper-red colour, and once the police car has passed by, she drives out. At the start, and at the end, there is a narrator who is heard on the radio introducing the track and also ending it, the speaker of which is voiced by Jason Bentley. The video adds tension and substance to the addicting track and substantiates that it deserves to be on a racing film or game soundtrack.
Listen to both versions of the track on Spotify here:
“Nightdrive”, by Ampersounds, is available to download and stream, right now, across all platforms, via their Orange label.
