Wavelength 05 – the latest in digital music promos.
Venue:ICA, London
Dates:27/5-06/06
The 9th edition of Onedotzero is showing the latest digitally innovative music videos from both household names such as Bjork, Beck and the Chemical brothers along side more curious and unknown acts. If you want to find out more BBC Filmnetwork has an article about them.
Among the directors present at the screening was one member of the genius animation collective Shynola, who took some time off the ‘Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’ movie to work on Becks new song E-pro. Beck was suspended in the air during the shooting of the promo and poor Beck was constantly adjusting his balls to feel more comfortable during the shoot. The outcome is a imaginative piece with Beck maneuvering a space that becomes the universe, however in the end I cannot help wondering why go through such a complicated process for what in the end is not that extraordinary, it seems they fell in love with their own inventiveness.
Bjorks latest video is a beautiful dreamlike fairytale story, of course with the lady herself in the middle covered in gems, and with organic shapes of sea creatures morphing around her. It is a soothing beauty that makes me feel happy that Bjork is who she is; always picking up new and exciting artists.
Other work that impressed was Doctor 1 + Xavier reye ‘The def song’ by Kaktus Hunter from France 2004 that was selelcted for critics week at Cannes this year. They use old war footage and collage it in a clever way creating a third narrative of an apocalyptic kind with a clear message spelled out in the end of the song war is not the answer.
Other videos also commented on war, such as Jonas Odells ‘Rocket’ for Scottish El Presidente, Sweden 2005, comments more directly on the recent US aggression I feel with its imagery of cold war style inspired by communist posters with the lead singer riding on a rocket himself.
Another director present in the screening was Johnny Kelly ‘ We still got it’ by The redneck manifesto from Eire 2004, he made a self depreciating introduction by telling us that he was new to music promo making and had just put everything he could in there, but the host of the event and the director of Onedotzero Shane RJ Walter defended him and I would too, it proved to be a cleverly created story about making a spoof single cover design, it was refreshingly technically unpretentious.
The Chemical brothers latest by Dom and Nic, UK ’04 is a really well crafted CGI affair with robots chasing the hero in the streets of London, hallucinating stuff.
On the whole the promos which has a story to tell however simple stands out in memory, you can just have so much of beautiful organic shapes ( swirling plants growing seems to be the most popular template in Maya at the moment…).
On in the ICA until 6th of June
