In 2020, IncInk and Kiss Nuka released Ayo Burn, a socio-political, culturally charged track written and produced by multi-disciplinary artist Kiss Nuka, featuring the rapper-lyricist Kaam Bhaari. The music video, directed and edited by Kiss Nuka and produced by Walkabout Films in collaboration with IncInk, was critically acclaimed and well-received.
Today, in 2022, Ayo Burn has been selected and is being screened at the Völklinger Hütte UNESCO World Heritage Site, standing tall in the great company of some of the most fascinating music videos curated from 30 countries, created by artists we truly respect, some of whom have inspired our own artistic journeys.
The Völklinger Hütte is the world's only fully preserved ironworks from the heyday of industrialisation and is also the first industrial monument of this era to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Artists featured alongside Kiss Nuka and Kaam Bhaari are - Björk, Daft Punk, Michel Gondry, Billie Eilish, Nirvana, The Chemical Brothers, Beyoncé, David Bowie, Dr Dre, Eminem, FKA twigs, Die Antwoord, Guns N' Roses, Lady Gaga, Lil Nas X, Madonna, Nine Inch Nails, Massive Attack, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sia, U2 amongst others.
Ayo Burn takes you on a 360 of our current affairs- from data privacy, marital rape, global warming, environmental destruction, farmer suicide, corruption and so much more. Thought-provoking and soul-bearing, the hard-hitting verses tied in with the visuals that add another layer of storytelling to the expression still stand true today, with us questioning ourselves.
If anything at all changed since 2020?Ayo Burn has garnered a lot of great reviews from peers and fans with it also being recognised and nominated at The London Music Video Awards (2021), and The Berlin Music Video Awards (2021) internationally. On the home turf, Ayo Burn also picked up Best Song (general category) and Best Rap Video at the The Clef Music awards (1st edition) and The Indian Independent Music Awards respectively.
Ayo Burn was a collaborative effort between IncInk, Kiss Nuka and close associates of Walkabout Films (the production house that produced the video which belongs to Navzar Eranee, also the co-founder at IncInk).
The music video was conceptualized and produced by Ananya Dasgupta (also head of operations at IncInk), with added conceptual contribution by filmmaker Shreeda Patel; Indian national award-winning cinematographer Shanker Ramancame on board as the DP; Rajit Dev, an ace Indian choreographer roped in his dance crew and directed the choreography for the seamless visuals; Kiss Nuka's home was transformed into the space that we see in the video by Production Designer Mihir Sud (also the Creative Director of Art & Design at IncInk); National Award winner Preetisheel Singh designed the hair, makeup and prosthetics for the characters in the video and stylist Lovedeep Gulyani styled the cast which included dancers, artists and members of the IncInk family.
From January 22 to October 16, 2022, The World of Music Video at the Völklinger Hütte UNESCO World Heritage Site offers an in-depth look at this fascinating and hybrid form of creative expression—both opulent and deliberate in one. It is not just a matter of musical and cinematic quality, but also of burning issues: artificial intelligence, climate change, gender issues of all kinds, as well as political, psychological, and physical violence. The result is an expansive and unparalleled panorama of the music video genre. Exhibition contents: 84 music videos from 30 countries around the world, presented on 62 large screens up to seven meters wide as well as 22 broadcast monitors on pedestals.
Dr Ralf Beil, General Director / Völklinger Hütte World Heritage Site and curator of the exhibition said,"Here at the world heritage site, more than eighty of the most fascinating music videos of the last years and decades condense into a magnificent study and showcase of the art form. Our aim is an emotional and intellectual inspiration; a truly physical experience is guaranteed in this veritable cosmos of music videos, your eyes will be all ears”.
Kiss Nuka - Director, Editor, Artist & Music Producer / Ayo Burn stated, “One of the biggest reasons to rebirth myself as Kiss Nuka was to detach from a system. I had been a part of for many years, which I no longer subscribe to, and in doing so to create art that was honest, unadulterated, and uncensored. Ayo Burn is a great example of that. An outlet for the rage I have felt building inside me as a citizen of this planet. To be recognized for this amidst artists like Massive Attack and Nine Inch Nails whom I absolutely love and have a deep respect for is an honour. I see it as a sign that I am on the right path”.