Kaber Vasuki’s ‘Poi’ Video Unravels like a ‘Black Mirror’ Episode

Chennai’s seasoned Tamil artist Kaber Vasuki plots a dark, dystopic look into human nature on his latest song and music video “Poi,” which recently had an alternative version out featuring singer-songwriter BIGSAM.

With the future-pop sound delivered by producer Atiium, “Poi” (which translates from Tamil into “lie”) comes with a visual narrative seemingly inspired by sci-fi series Black Mirror, which leads viewers into a future where an ingested substance can not just provide relief to insomniacs, but also inspire lucid dreams of deep desires, though it comes at a grave cost to the dreamer. The project, commissioned by KYN Records, also saw Vasuki direct the video with help from director of photography and editor Nirmal Gylson. Vasuki says, “Transitioning from a rudimentary understanding of writing, performing, or directing to actually making something was a steep learning curve. ‘Poi’ feels like a micro-movie, and I believe my crew and I successfully delivered that. It has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me. Looking at it now, I see the flaws and skills I need to work on, but the process of making it was creatively fulfilling.”

It’s made Vasuki – who has been an artist since 2008 and had the distinction of having an NFT sold at 50 ETH in 2021, the highest price for a work by an Indian musician – a better songwriter as well. He now says his previous music videos “bored” him and he’s now found out the power of a compelling story, while maintaining that he didn’t need to think of his audience while creating his songs or visuals.

“Poi” has an alternative version that moves away from the dancefloor to focus more on the lyrics. Vasuki, who writes his music with a guitar to start with, says “Poi” resonated with him on “two emotional levels.” He adds, “Vengeful and hurt-but-healing. Consequently, I created two versions—one for dancing and another for long drives.” He teamed up with BIGSAM recently to perform “Poi” at what was his first performance in five years. Vasuki says about the gig in Chennai, which also raised funds for relief work for those affected by floods in the city, “It felt fantastic! The high you experience when 200 people sing along to songs you’ve written is truly electric, in a way that words cannot capture. Overwhelming love. This experience has motivated me to perform live more consistently in 2024.”

To that end, Vasuki is heading to Coimbatore to perform at music festival High Time on January 20th, alongside Tamil indie band Oorka, Kerala fusion-rock greats Avial and tribal/fusion band Shanka Tribe, among others. The year 2024 marks a decade since the release of Vasuki’s debut EP Azhagu Puratchi. “I feel like I’m entering a new rhythm. I’m involved in more work as a film lyricist and film composer this year, in addition to my independent releases. I’m also planning to hit the stage more frequently, so keep an eye out and come see me live sometime,” he adds.

Watch the video for “Poi Alternative” below.