Jamie Reid, Simon Emmerson and Youth

'Ancestors' - by artist and political activist Jamie Reid, Afro Celt Soundsystem's Simon Emmerson (both now sadly missed), and Youth - features trippy, tribal, bass heavy grooves that are reminiscent of prime time KLF.

When Jamie Reid had the idea of releasing Calling Back the Ancestors as a tribute to his friend and colleague Simon Emmerson, director Rob Curry was in the middle of conversations with him about a documentary about his life and work. They agreed to collaborate on a music video for the song as a first step, but on the journey up to Liverpool from London for the first day of filming, the news came through that Jamie had died. The video evolved from there into a tribute not just to Emmerson, but to a host of other people. In the run up to filming, Reid had been deeply affected by the passing of Sinead O'Connor, and the video serves as a tribute to her, Emmerson, Reid himself, and Liverpool legend Kif Higgins, the founder of Earthbeat. Visually, the film draws inspiration from an old VHS recording of Reid articulating the meaning of his OVA symbol - a combination of an A for Anarchy and a V for Victory, encircled by an O for Compassion. Opening with this footage, the video is then composed of a montage of ritual dances by three of Reid's close associates, whose performances draw on the indigenous traditions of North American, Africa, and Europe. These performances express the continuity in roots traditions across cultures. The video concludes with Reid's daughter (and granddaughter) recreating the opening archive footage, to reflect the circularity of time and the interconnectedness of future and past.