Pet Shop Boys’ “Vocal” Video Is A Trippy Rave Culture Flashback: Watch

In the video for Electric single “Vocal,” Pet Shop Boys take a cue from the song’s lyrics (“everything about tonight feels right and so young / and anything I’d want to say out loud will be sung”) and literally transport us back to the Thatcher-era Euro rave scene — a time period and culture that inspired some of the duo’s most highly-acclaimed work (see: 1990’s Behaviour and 1993’s Very).

Ever eager to experiment and step out of the box, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe tapped photographer Joost Vandebrug to edit together footage of late-’80s British raves, along with scenes from legendary Manchester club The Hacienda, for the “Vocal” visual.

The Boys note the following on their official site: “The video (and the song) was inspired by the way British youth at this time found its own freedom with a new culture epitomised by dance music and raves.”

Here’s my suggestion: watch Pet Shop Boys’ “Vocal” video above, then check out the UK documentary Summer Of Rave (which you can view right now on YouTube). If anything, it’ll open your eyes to a moment in time that us Yanks really missed out on experiencing.

Electric will be released on July 15. What do you think of Pet Shop Boys’ video for “Vocal”? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!