Last month, two bright sparks of London’s alternative rap illumination sparked a supernova with a joint EP. Both Nix Northwest and Xadi shared solo bodies of work last year—the former’s Xin’s Disappearence being a sprawling narrative-driven album, the latter’s “black rock” providing a nocturnal emotion-led EP—further cementing their revery within the scene. And with their November-shared collective body of work, “Leisure Sickness”, the pair flaunt a seamless versatility in amalgamating their respective sounds into a coherent and potent opus; a five-pronged EP that blends jazz, R&B, samba and rap tendencies.

“Night Owl” is a noteworthy cut from the EP, thanks to Xadi’s focused delicacy in the hook, and the slick rap verses atop an immersive and colour-laden instrumental backdrop. “’Night Owl’ is a portrayal of the way we burn ourselves out through work and play,” Nix offers on the track. “The expectation and intensity we place on ourselves in society can often leave us seeking external relief in the form of vices. It then becomes a vicious cycle, which only leads to a deeper fatigue.

The pair now share the visual accompaniment for the single, directed and edited by Stefano Moscone, which Wonderland premiere. Inspired by David Fincher’s classic picture Fight Club, the cinematic and ambitious video sees the two protagonists framed in bare knuckle boxing matches with mixed results. On the idea, Moscone told us, “‘Night Owl’ is a powerful metaphor for how easily we confuse self-destruction with freedom; but in reality, it’s just another way of getting lost, a desperate distraction from the fact that we’re all searching for meaning in lives that often feel directionless and out of control.”

You can watch the video on Wonderland below…