Kentish Fire put fresh spin on music video with 360° camera

Ever wondered what it's like to have eyes in the back of your head? Indie band Kentish Fire reveal all with an innovative new music video filmed using a 360° panoramic camera – the same used to create Google Street View maps. With help from a Kickstarter campaign starting this week, the ambitious project will culminate in a public video shoot in London this August, and the band want you to get involved.

Hailing from Camden, the indie-disco outfit Kentish Fire formed in 2008 and are known for their overdriven staccato synths, pumping bass lines and heaving stop-start rhythms. Led by former Imperial PhD student Michael Inkpen, the band regularly headline London club nights, sharing stages with acts such as Hot Chip, The Futureheads, Dreadzone and Plump DJs – as well as having their first single 'So Unpredictable' featured in Channel 4 sitcom Fresh Meat.

The new video is for their latest single 'In Our Band', a tongue-in-cheek take on the highs and lows of playing in a cover band, en route to rock stardom. To film it, they're pushing technology to its limits by using the panoramic 'Ladybug' camera in ways it's never been used before. Whereas normal cameras have just one lens to film action in one direction, the Ladybug has six lenses to capture the action from every direction, producing a remarkable 360° panoramic shot.

The Google Street View maps were made by strapping this same camera to the roof of a moving car and generating still photos. But Kentish Fire are taking things one step further by capturing 360° panoramic footage from a moving perspective. By fixing the camera to a bicycle, boat, rickshaw, mobility scooter or even cable car, they've been achieving some mind-warping kaleidoscopic effects – enabling the viewer to see both forwards and backwards at the same time. The result shows off the best of London in all of its panoramic glory. You can check out the work in progress above.

As Kentish Fire are currently unsigned, the filming so far has all been achieved on a shoestring budget. Since their personal funds are running out, they're launching a Kickstarter campaign this week to enable them to finish off this groundbreaking project and get it out to the world. Those who pledge their support and donate money will receive rewards ranging from free downloads, DVDs and T-shirts to signed guitars, the chance to have a role in the video and even to win a pair of stockings worn by sultry bassist Anna.

The funds raised will be used to film the final 'live' scenes of the video, which will feature shots of the band performing on stage. This will be filmed at the flamboyant club Madame Jojo's in Soho on Sunday 18th August 2013. All members of the public are invited to attend this buzzing event which will feature live music, comedy and dance throughout the afternoon.

To find out more details about the event, visit the Facebook event, and to support Kentish Fire with this innovative project, visit their Kickstarter page.

For more information, email Andrew on band@kentishfire.co.uk