This music video is: A) So L.A.; and B) So ’80s. But, if you’re going to do the ’80s right, then the absolute best person to hire is Jon Clark, the current king of retro-Reagan era cinema. The above embedded video was co-directed by Clark and Spencer Longo for Los Angeles-based goth-synth-pop band LA Vampires, in collaboration with Matrix Metals. The song is “So Unreal,” off of the album of the same name. Hazy, whispery and electric are all terms to describe both the song and complimentary visuals.

The video’s style was inspired by the So Unreal album cover art done by Longo, who was obviously inspired himself by the ’80s hair salon poster art of Patrick Nagel. Elements of Longo’s artwork are sprinkled throughout the video. (Although fans of Clark’s will spot some of his own doodles floating around as well.) And the final product can be seen when LA Vampires ingenue Amanda Brown rifles through the vinyl record stacks of the store Vacation in Silver Lake, Los Angeles.

As for the rest of the day-glo studio shots that make up the bulk of the video, Clark has told me that all of those scenes were filmed in his and Longo’s apartment in Echo Park. Their living room was transformed into a soundstage for about a month, something their neighbors didn’t appreciate much, especially due to all of the spray paint fumes from decorating the set. That’s what you have to do for art!

And it’s all worth it as this is a perfect combination of music act and filmmakers. The final product really makes one long for John Hughes movies and Miami Vice episodes.

To see some more of Clark’s work, you can watch some more videos of his on Vimeo. And to learn more about LA Vampires, please visit the website for their label Not Not Fun.