IDM Mailing Archive

1996-09-08 18:06Robot>The Autechre video (I saw AMP last night, wahoo) was composed of >generally low quality a

From:: Robot <robot@sdic.net>
To:: <idm@hyperreal.com>
Date:: Sun, 08 Sep 1996 11:06:14 -0700
Subject:: (idm) my takes on AMP, was Re: Second Bad Vilbel

quoted 5 lines The Autechre video (I saw AMP last night, wahoo) was composed of

>The Autechre video (I saw AMP last night, wahoo) was composed of >generally low quality and confusing video of some sort of alien and >nearer the end of the video a 4 legged robot which provided a lot of >neato, mechanical action shots.. still in different varieties of >low-quality video usually. Great video.

I wouldn't call it "low quality video". If you've heard the track then you'll understand why all the video effects of "interference". Basically the video consisted of shots of what was supposed to be an alien (actually looked like it was in a Tube station) and others of a four legged robot or something with a fifth leg/claw. It looked as though the stationary shots of the robot were of a model and the action shots were DEFINATELY computer animation (the action shots were of the claw and other parts opening or coming out of the robot). Cut in with all of this were various shots of machinery and shots of a possible London Underground station. What gave it the possible "low quality" feel was the effect of video interference every time that distorted noise in the track came in. It gave the effect that you were watching some "discovered" video of an alien and it's space craft I suppose. My other feelings about the video's... I know I'm going to piss off all of you Underworld fans but I found their videos to be about as uninteresting and unoriginal as their music. I think the second video was a tad better than the first (sorry but I don't remember the names) as the first was simply edited shots of a live performance at a rave and the second was like their album cover of dubnobass... I'm sorry but I think a monkey could do better than chopped up edits from a live performance and words and scribbles flying across the screen. One of my personal favorites was the Sun Electric video. Nick Phillip did a great job with the computer animation on that one. I also really enjoyed the animation in the Spacetime Continuum video. The On video was weird and cool but I got the impression that in the end, the director had only half as much footage as needed to cover the length of the track so the sequences went forwards and backwards, over and over... The Chemical Brothers video had an interesting idea but I think the follow through lacked a bit. It was very eighties feeling to me. There were lots of cheesy sets and silly costumes. The Tricky video was beautiful. I really liked it even though it was the most slick and produced looking of all of the others (read, designed for a commercial audience). It had some incredible footage and I especially like the armored troop carrier with "Tricky" on the side in the end. The Orbital video was fantastic. The concept and follow through were incredible. When a video brings you to weird ideas as this one does about life zipping by you, you know it was done well. I was very impressed. The FSOL video was alright. I think against the backdrop of all these other videos it paled a bit. On its own I think it would stand out a bit better. It really didn't go very far with the idea though. It was all underwater shots of some guy blowing small air bubbles and a girl with a white dress. Of course there was the occasional 3D computer graphic thrown in (the had to get their average SGI work in there somehow). The Ken Ishi was by far the most brilliant. It was like a short story version of a Japanese Anime OAV. There was no solid plot as it was very abstract but the colors and character design and imagery were FANTASTIC! Well, there you go. Did I miss any? As was said before, the interludes were pretty uninventive and it was well worth staying up till 4am to cut out the lame commercials (two different love song/easy rock, order-by-phone, special-TV-offer CD collections... _bleah_) _ -robert | |___ ____ ____ _____ | |_ \ / -__/ / _/ | _ \ __________ |_____/ \___\ |_| | |__/ / -studio- \ _________________________________ |_| http://icse1.ucsd.edu/~rcurlee/ \

1996-09-08 18:30Matthew Glen HineOn Sun, 8 Sep 1996, Robot wrote: > I wouldn't call it "low quality video". If you've heard

From:: Matthew Glen Hine <matt@owlnet.rice.edu>
To:: Robot <robot@sdic.net>
Cc:: <idm@hyperreal.com>
Date:: Sun, 8 Sep 1996 13:30:17 -0500 (CDT)
Subject:: Re: (idm) my takes on AMP, was Re: Second Bad Vilbel
Reply to:: (idm) my takes on AMP, was Re: Second Bad Vilbel

On Sun, 8 Sep 1996, Robot wrote:

quoted 2 lines I wouldn't call it "low quality video". If you've heard the track then

> I wouldn't call it "low quality video". If you've heard the track then > you'll understand why all the video effects of "interference".

Well, I didn't mean it was shot in low-quality, just that was the effect it gave. :)

quoted 5 lines The Ken Ishi was by far the most brilliant. It was like a short story

> The Ken Ishi was by far the most brilliant. It was like a short story > version of a Japanese Anime OAV. There was no solid plot as it was very > abstract but the colors and character design and imagery were FANTASTIC! > > -robert

I agree comletely. I don't know if the anime stuff was taken from something else or produced for this video, but it was some of the most intense and coolest animation stuff I've seen. Anybody know who the artist was and if he's done anything else? -matt

1996-09-08 20:59Harald SchmitzHello out there, ever realized, that this mailinglist is received worldwide? Talking about

From:: Harald Schmitz <qpy320@spf1.power.uni-essen.de>
To:: <idm@hyperreal.com>
Date:: Sun, 8 Sep 1996 22:59:57 +0200 (MESZ)
Subject:: (idm) AMP
Reply to:: (idm) my takes on AMP, was Re: Second Bad Vilbel

Hello out there, ever realized, that this mailinglist is received worldwide? Talking about an US MTV-program is not really interesting, esp. as we f.e. in europe see those vidoes (MTV/VIVA) since years. Maybe instead of writing what videos are cool for you and if your VCR recorded all, you could discuss the good and bad of techno videos in general. peace, harald

1996-09-09 09:21Andrew Haley> Date: Sun, 8 Sep 1996 22:59:57 +0200 (MESZ) > From: Harald Schmitz <qpy320@spf1.power.un

From:: Andrew Haley <aph@cygnus.co.uk>
To:: <qpy320@spf1.power.uni-essen.de>
Cc:: <idm@hyperreal.com>
Date:: Mon, 9 Sep 1996 10:21:18 +0100
Subject:: Re: (idm) AMP
Reply to:: (idm) AMP

quoted 7 lines Date: Sun, 8 Sep 1996 22:59:57 +0200 (MESZ)

> Date: Sun, 8 Sep 1996 22:59:57 +0200 (MESZ) > From: Harald Schmitz <qpy320@spf1.power.uni-essen.de> > > Hello out there, > ever realized, that this mailinglist is received worldwide? > Talking about an US MTV-program is not really interesting, esp. as we > f.e. in europe see those videos (MTV/VIVA) since years.

I strongly disagree. Firstly, I'm interested in copies of videotapes of anything Stateside that looks really good. Secondly, I'm glad to see that our cousins over the water are getting it. However, I find the apparent desire to remain "underground" a bit baffling. Techno has been mainstream, more or less, in Europe for a few years and it hasn't stopped the leaders from making good stuff. Andrew.

1996-09-08 18:58BlipvertRobot wrote: > machinery and shots of a possible London Underground station. What gave it

From:: Blipvert <blipvert@snider.net>
To:: <idm@hyperreal.com>
Cc:: <ambient@hyperreal.com>
Date:: Sun, 08 Sep 1996 13:58:34 -0500
Subject:: Re: (idm) my takes on AMP, was Re: Second Bad Vilbel

Robot wrote:

quoted 3 lines machinery and shots of a possible London Underground station. What gave it

> machinery and shots of a possible London Underground station. What gave it > the possible "low quality" feel was the effect of video interference every > time that distorted noise in the track came in. It gave the effect that you

I thought that this was by far the most successful video. The video worked with the cycles of meter inherent to the song by insertion of interferance. It was the only video that I can say added to or enhanced the song that it represented in a significant way. All of the videos except Underworld and Chemical Brothers used interesting visuals but I did not feel that they really contributed to the songs that they represented enough to perceive the song and video as a single object.

quoted 3 lines One of my personal favorites was the Sun Electric video. Nick Phillip did a

> One of my personal favorites was the Sun Electric video. Nick Phillip did a > great job with the computer animation on that one. I also really enjoyed > the animation in the Spacetime Continuum video.

I enjoyed watching the computer animation but I didn't see anything innovative. Just more of the same thing that we have seen since '93 with slight graphics and animation improvement. I found it of particular disapointment that Spacetime Continuum was represnted in this way, it was very yesterday and did nothing to represent the direction of Emit Ecaps or the current ideas that Jonah works with on Reflective releases. I realise that this was probably an Astralwerks project but I would like to have seen them more aware of the influence of Drum and Bass and of the fact that Jonah's work does not fit so neatly within the confines of post-rave. I really don't think the graffics would have been suitable for the space that Jonah was in upon the release of Sea Biscuit, either.

quoted 3 lines The Chemical Brothers video had an interesting idea but I think the follow

> The Chemical Brothers video had an interesting idea but I think the follow > through lacked a bit. It was very eighties feeling to me. There were lots > of cheesy sets and silly costumes.

I don't know what these guys are up to. They must think that they are in line to be the Beastie Boys of techno. I will not be along for that ride.

quoted 3 lines The Orbital video was fantastic. The concept and follow through were

> The Orbital video was fantastic. The concept and follow through were > incredible. When a video brings you to weird ideas as this one does about > life zipping by you, you know it was done well. I was very impressed.

It was very Man Who Fell To Earth but it also reminded me of a video that I saw in the 80s that used a Glass/Reich type of repetition in music with the same type of high speed/low speed film trickery. It was a very good video but it relied on a vocabulary of cinematography that was by no means their own.

quoted 6 lines The FSOL video was alright. I think against the backdrop of all these other

> The FSOL video was alright. I think against the backdrop of all these other > videos it paled a bit. On its own I think it would stand out a bit better. > It really didn't go very far with the idea though. It was all underwater > shots of some guy blowing small air bubbles and a girl with a white dress. > Of course there was the occasional 3D computer graphic thrown in (the had to > get their average SGI work in there somehow).

I think that this was one of the few videos other than Bad Vilbel that was successful in depicting the world of the song that it represented. It used a unique set of archetypes and a false "fourth world" culture or reality "sampled" and "beat mixed" into the contemporary world much like the music of FSOL. The video was without resolve but I wondered if it was a small part of a larger work edited to music video lengthe.

quoted 3 lines The Ken Ishi was by far the most brilliant. It was like a short story

The Ken Ishi video was great but I cringed at the number of times that R&S inserted their logos into the video. By the end of the video their blatant commercialism had become laughable. Steve Grant ******************************************************************************* "And so presented here is the electronic "Au Go Go" that might be heard soon from the juke boxes at the interplanetary way stations where spaceships make their rest stops." -from liner notes of Perrey and Kingsley's _The In Sound From Way Out_

1996-09-09 00:09Robot>I enjoyed watching the computer animation but I didn't see anything >innovative. Just mor

From:: Robot <robot@sdic.net>
To:: <idm@hyperreal.com>
Date:: Sun, 08 Sep 1996 17:09:58 -0700
Subject:: Re: (idm) my takes on AMP, was Re: Second Bad Vilbel

quoted 6 lines I enjoyed watching the computer animation but I didn't see anything

>I enjoyed watching the computer animation but I didn't see anything >innovative. Just more of the same thing that we have seen since '93 with >slight graphics and animation improvement. I found it of particular >disapointment that Spacetime Continuum was represnted in this way, it was >very yesterday and did nothing to represent the direction of Emit Ecaps or >the current ideas that Jonah works with on Reflective releases.

WHAT? I study computer graphics and most of the techniques used such as the level of meta-balls and particle emitting has only been available on commercial animation packages for the SGI in the last year. Getting stuff to look so organic is VERY new in the medium. Besides Nich Phillip isn't ILM or Disney. He's ONE guy with a pretty small SGI. I think what he was doing with the medium moves well away from the conventional uses of the commercial animation packages as most people are trying to get realistic looking scenes out of them (i.e. Toy Story and today's Disney effects)

quoted 6 lines I realise

> I realise >that this was probably an Astralwerks project but I would like to have seen >them more aware of the influence of Drum and Bass and of the fact that Jonah's >work does not fit so neatly within the confines of post-rave. I really don't >think the graffics would have been suitable for the space that Jonah was in >upon the release of Sea Biscuit, either.

You don't know these guys very well. Look at the FSOL video. SGI graphics in there too. These spacey techno heads LOVE computer graphics...

quoted 2 lines I think that this was one of the few videos other than Bad Vilbel that was

>I think that this was one of the few videos other than Bad Vilbel that was >successful in depicting the world of the song that it represented.

<snip>

quoted 2 lines The video was without resolve but I wondered if it was a small part

>The video was without resolve but I wondered if it was a small part >of a larger work edited to music video lengthe.

I agree it was interesting. It just didn't seem to go anywhere as the On video. A good idea is burned into the ground if it doesn't progress. Seeing a guy under water blowing bubbles and being followed by a little girl got stail very quick. I sure HOPE it wasn't edited from a longer peice and if it WAS, I sure hope it progressed into other areas. I thought it was cool conceptually but definately needed to move on with the concept istead of more of the same shots at different agles the whole time.

quoted 3 lines The Ken Ishi video was great but I cringed at the number of times that R&S

>The Ken Ishi video was great but I cringed at the number of times that R&S >inserted their logos into the video. By the end of the video their blatant >commercialism had become laughable.

Well, music video's ARE commercials. That's their SOLE purpose, so the viewer see's it and goes, "Hey, that's cool. I think I'll go hunt that record/CD down." For me, I just like to see it done in an artistic manner. I think the Ken Ishii video did that and very well. In fact, I'm ready to hunt down the special release of Jelly Tones (sic?) with the CDROM... Anyone know where I can find??? _ -robert | |___ ____ ____ _____ | |_ \ / -__/ / _/ | _ \ __________ |_____/ \___\ |_| | |__/ / -studio- \ _________________________________ |_| http://icse1.ucsd.edu/~rcurlee/ \

1996-09-09 14:58Zenon M. Feszczak> >Well, music video's ARE commercials. That's their SOLE purpose... Disagree. Most music

From:: Zenon M. Feszczak <feszczak@sas.upenn.edu>
To:: <idm@hyperreal.com>
Date:: Mon, 9 Sep 1996 10:58:29 -0400
Subject:: Re: (idm) my takes on AMP
Reply to:: Re: (idm) my takes on AMP, was Re: Second Bad Vilbel

quoted 2 lines Well, music video's ARE commercials. That's their SOLE purpose...

> >Well, music video's ARE commercials. That's their SOLE purpose...

Disagree. Most music videos are commercials (and usually not worth a second, or first, glance), but the best music videos are not. Those that only funcation on the level of an ad for the music are a failure, an abuse of a potentially revolutionary medium. A music video should embody artistic values as much as the music it accompanies. Zenon M. Feszczak Ambientologist

1996-09-09 15:14Chris.Hilker>Disagree. Most music videos are commercials (and usually not worth a >second, or first, g

From:: Chris.Hilker <cspot@hyperreal.com>
To:: <idm@hyperreal.com>
Date:: Mon, 9 Sep 1996 08:14:24 -0700 (PDT)
Subject:: Re: (idm) my takes on AMP
Reply to:: Re: (idm) my takes on AMP

quoted 5 lines Disagree. Most music videos are commercials (and usually not worth a

>Disagree. Most music videos are commercials (and usually not worth a >second, or first, glance), but the best music videos are not. Those that >only funcation on the level of an ad for the music are a failure, an abuse >of a potentially revolutionary medium. A music video should embody >artistic values as much as the music it accompanies.

The people who hand out the Cleos would say exactly the same about TV advertising in general. C. -- cspot@hyperreal.com (Chris.Hilker)

1996-09-09 14:38Hirofumi IwanagaOn Sun, 8 Sep 1996, Matthew wrote: >I agree comletely. I don't know if the anime stuff was

From:: Hirofumi Iwanaga <hirobumb@grape.ifnet.or.jp>
To:: <idm@hyperreal.com>
Date:: Mon, 9 Sep 1996 23:38:14 +0900
Subject:: Re: (idm) my takes on AMP, was Re: Second Bad Vilbel

On Sun, 8 Sep 1996, Matthew wrote:

quoted 6 lines I agree comletely. I don't know if the anime stuff was taken from

>I agree comletely. I don't know if the anime stuff was taken from >something else or produced for this video, but it was some of the most >intense and coolest animation stuff I've seen. Anybody know who the >artist was and if he's done anything else? > >- -matt

this video was exclusively made for the music EXTRA, as a promotional video. the guy who made the animation is called KOJI MORIMOTO, who has worked with YASUHIRO OTOMO( akira, memories). he has directed several animation movies such as MACROSS PLUS2. Renaat, president of R&S, wanted the staff of AKIRA to make the promotional video. mr. morimoto turned out to be a big fan of ken ishii. so when they made an offer to mr morimoto, and there it goes. i heard that they spent 12million yen to make this video. limited edition of JELLY TONES contained a cd-rom which included this video(available only in japan, and it was sold out fast) hiro

(idm) my takes on AMP, was Re: Second Bad Vilbel