Gavras & M.I.A.'s "Born Free"

We have something very valuable living as citizens of the United States: the right to freedom of speech. This matter isn't really ever brought up as an argument anymore unless the situation at hand is truly shocking. There is a breed of musician that could belong to any genre, but always incorporates politics and shock value in its work. One such musical act is Mathangi Arulpragasam, more commonly known as M.I.A. Ironically, she isn't American. But I am always hyperaware of my American citizenship when I listen to her music and watch her music videos.

Something I realized with this musical act is that I like her for her identity and music videos more then I like her music by itself. This doesn't discredit her in any way because honestly, this is a large part of being a well known musician in the 21st century. When I think of M.I.A., I think about her personal story more then anything, but there is one director that helped set Maya apart: Romain Gavras. Gavras is a French Greek filmmaker who seems to specialize in shock cinema featuring oppression. Before "Born Free," Gavras worked with Justice for their "Stress" music video.

The pacing on his videos is always fast and the music is the driving force. And no matter what, it seems Gavras and Arulpragasm don't hold back. Violence seems to occur randomly and at any moment after the first minute of the video. In "Born Free," red-haired males are targeted. The is obviously a satire/metaphor for other minorities. M.I.A. is wanting you to wonder, "Why are they hurting redheads? That's so silly and uncalled for." Every time the unmarked SWAT team soldiers perform an action, they seem to do so with extreme force. 

The video was originally released in late April of 2010. I remember my awesome English teacher/school newspaper supervisor talking to our class about the video before she started teaching that day. A few hours after the video was uploaded to YouTube, it was removed by the Google enterprise. It was the first time I truly witnessed such immediate censorship by a large company in the public eye.

MTV commended them for their video. Reporter James Montgomery eloquently wrote that what really seemed to spark a controversy was "the real parallels, of which there are many: the ongoing issue of immigration in states like Arizona, the treatment of prisoners by U.S. troops at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad, and, more universally, the brutal tactics against minorities by government forces all over the world. It's a credit to M.I.A. and Gavras that they don't shy away from any of them: removing the flags from the uniforms of the police officers would have diluted the statement."    

                                         

One can easily see why M.I.A. isn't afraid to approach such controversial matters. She grew up in a Tamil town in Sri Lanka. Her father was a founder of the activist group EROS. Maya was raised in the Sri Lankan civil war living a life of fear. She hardly saw her father and she experienced oppression from soldiers every day. EROS was affiliated with the LTTE, the rebel group fighting the Sri Lankan military. Living the displaced life of a refugee definitely defines Arulpragasm's music. She started as a video artist in Britain. Her visual style in her videos is still prevalent in all of her work. It's always extremely bright with lots of .gif art.

Gavras worked with M.I.A. again in 2012 for her "Bad Girls" music video. You won't find the shock value in it that's present in most of Gavras' work, but he definitely isn't done with this theme. The same year he worked with Jay-Z and Kanye for their "No Church in the Wild" video. 

My point with this blog post is to know the back story of your artists. A lot of them have motivation behind their messages.

Beyoncé’s Live "Run the World" Performance

This week, I want to discuss one of the most famous world superstars and the concept of originality. Beyoncé’s best music video isn’t even in the classical cast of music video, but instead it takes the form of a live performance. In 2011, she performed at the Billboard Music Awards before accepting the Billboard Millennium Award for her fourth album, 4. Beyoncé’s performance was distinct because of the immense screen behind her. Instead of just using backup dancers, she also performed parallel to animations on a screen. The best part was when an army of digital Beyoncés danced with the real one. You probably know what I’m talking about because Beyoncé used the same technique for her halftime show performance this year.

Here’s why this performance can be equated with a normal music video: It’s essentially a site-specific act harmonious with the literary movement of New Historicism. One must understand the timing context of the performance to truly appreciate the work. Not only is the video always going to be just a televised performance from an award show, but Beyoncé/Beyoncé’s team didn’t make up this process of performing in sync with digital animation. Yahoo News reporter Billy Johnson Jr. describes it pretty clearly:

“The next morning, however, the Internet was flooded with articles alleging that Beyoncé copied her show concept from Italian pop star Lorella Cuccarini.

A year earlier, Cuccarini used the same interactive backdrop when she played an Italian award show.

When Beyoncé and Cuccarini's concerts are played side-by-side, the comparisons are even more apparent, down to the sequence and illustrations.

In an effort to curb the negative reaction, Beyoncé admitted her show was patterned after Cuccarini's.

'My makeup artist showed me the performance of Lorella Cuccarini a year ago, and it inspired me so much,' she said in an interview.”

                         

There’s nothing insignificant about the true music video Beyoncé and her team created for “Run the World,” but the skill it takes to really perform live and have the confidence to do so in this day and age is truly impressive. Beyoncé is also a truly talented dancer and this performance highlights her skill. 

                         

Another performance video with the same concept is Kagemu's "Black Sun." It's a collaboration between Japanese artist Nobuyuki Hanabusa and Katsumi Sakakura. These two (collectively known as Kagemu) created their rendition of synchronized dance and animation before Beyoncé and Lorella Cuccarini, so they are believed to be the originators of this technique. Hanabusa describes his process for creating the performance as such: "Here is the process of the movie. First, I shoot the dances and scan the data into a computer. I analyze the motion of a dancer one frame at a time and lay out my graphics in an appropriate position. By continuing this process, I create the animation linked with the dancer."

In the same interview with The Atlantic, Hanabusa was asked to address the controversy with Beyoncé and Cuccarini.

"I think all creators in the modern world are influenced by old pieces in some way. In that sense, a purely original piece does not exist. However, as long as the creators have pride in themselves, I believe they will pursue a new piece or originality. As one of the creators, I honestly regret this case and want the world to know that our performance is the original one." 


For more about Kagemu, Beyoncé and the controversy of borrowing another artist's concept, I suggest you check out the video below and Kagemu's interview with The Creator's Project.

Gondry & The Chemical Brothers' "Star Guitar"

Before I explain anything about this video, you should just watch it. Keep your mind wide open and try to figure out what you’re looking at. The only hint you get is that this is a work by Michel Gondry. So it’d be best if you try and think outside the box as you try to get it. You probably recognize this name, but to refresh your memory he’s the French dreamer/director who created Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) and Be Kind Rewind (2008). Please try and watch the whole video and don’t look ahead at my post.

Okay so tell me what you saw. You’re on a train, looking out a window right? Yes, that’s all true, but that’s only the denotation of the video. The connotation is a beautiful and in depth study on the evolution of the song. Still confused? Now watch this. Once again try to watch the whole video and don’t read ahead.

I first saw this film when my good friend, a British exchange student with enough euphonic knowledge to humble my pretentious high school music persona in a way I’ve never experienced before, gave me a little music video lesson via YouTube. I consider this music video to be the best thing she showed me.

I didn’t understand what I was looking at until I watched the second “making of” video, so don’t feel bad if you didn’t comprehend. To finally spell things out in a connotative manner: Gondry mapped out the entire song into the landscape seen out the window of the train. Re-watch the video again, and you’ll realize that every water tower, tree, building and smoke stack are in visual accord with an element of the song. They follow the rhythm and build in size just like the sound does. It really calls attention to the rhythms and dynamics of the structure of the song in a beautiful and subtle CGI environment. He used footage he took himself on vacation going from Nimes to Valence. My favorite part is how the lyrics align with the people walking at the train station.

This is what makes great art/movies--the ability to make something aesthetically pleasing and have a moral motif at every level. One can find meaning at the deepest degree, or simply enjoy the moving images at a more insubstantial level. I urge you to explore more of Gondry’s work. His music videos and feature films are all incredible and I find him to be one of the most original thinkers of the era. If his style of video intrigued you, be sure to check out the one Gondry made for Daft Punk’s “Around the World.” Instead of having the landscape match the music, dancers emulate the rhythms and sound elements.

The synchronized dancing and women in sparkly swim caps is evocative to old Bugsby Berkeley numbers.

He also has a new feature starring Audrey Tautou and Romain Duris coming out this year. It’s called Mood Indigo (2013).

 One time he and the Icelandic pixie, Björk, made spin art by playing piano.

In my opinion, Gondry is the closest person to translating sound into visuals. He is truly a prophet of his craft.

Be Brave Benjamin's "Devil Fool"

“A videotaped performance of a recorded popular song, usually accompanied by dancing and visual images interpreting the lyrics.” Is this a proper definition for a music video? Oxford Dictionary gives the same definition and Merriam-Webster won’t even acknowledge the term. I guess technically music video is not one word, but it is a noun right? Am I reading too much into this? 

Whenever one is dealing with artistic expression, things aren’t ever black and white. Instead of saying this is the case, let’s just call everything a variation of gray. That’s the way things work in the art world. Music videos aren’t simply art. They are also a medium of communication and a tool for promotion. Why are the official databases the only ones who have the authority to tell us how a music video should make us feel? My goal is to distinguish that a music video isn’t only a short motion picture created with a band in concert with a filmmaking team to promote their message. We are in the age of YouTube, Vimeo and Vevo. The video that Michael Jackson made himself isn’t all one should discuss because ultimately, the audience can be the maker of a video that affects others just as deeply. (And sometimes one has to look at that YouTube video your fat neighbor made featuring shitty claymation of  “Thriller” to learn something new about the song.)

Why do I think this is the case? A music video isn’t a movie and it isn’t a song. The filmmaker and the musician are equally important because sometimes one discovers a band because they have a cool music video. Who truly authored the work and who should get the credit for your adoration? Music videos are tools to sell you on the “look” of a song. Essentially, we are all attempting to see sound.

The format of the “music video” can be video, film, rotoscope, paintings that allude to historical events, art, books, etc., but it can also be a cover song with a live performance, an artist’s work put to music or anything else one can fathom. Feelings can’t always be described through sight or sound. But we do our best to describe a feeling with the tools we have.

I’ll be discussing the opinions of all sides (the musician, the filmmaker and myself) because I do both of these things. I’m warning you now: I’m going get pretty nerdy about movie trivia. Since other ACRN bloggers mention bands that are similar, I’ll be talking about movies a lot.I am first and foremost a filmmaker and storyteller. So I want to discuss truth. Because all music and movies are about portraying some semblance of real life. And I’m excited to finally have a format where my two passions collide. So as an extra chance to help you get to know me, I’d like to discuss my favorite music video of the moment.

A few months ago, I found the music video for Be Brave Benjamin’s “Devil Fool”. Photographer and filmmaker Pablo Maestres directed and Marc Miro shot this gorgeous video. Guys, it's just so cool! Why’s it cool? It’s a beautiful and hyper stylized interpretation of a group of friends flirting with danger. Not all of us can be as brave as Benjamin. So that’s why we’ll let him be brave for us.

The video is better than the song, in my opinion. So it’s more like a soundtrack to a movie. The style of the song is used to twang up the preppy/conservative curry, mint, teal and chocolate video. Agnes Costa did such a beautiful job on wardrobe that this could easily be a fashion video as well. The twang also compliments the typography of the video. It gives a subtle nod to the golden age of the western movie genre.

It’s as if Be Brave Benjamin is telling us to not worry about the consequences. Don’t think, just act. We never see what happens. Do the people die if they are doing something life-threatening? Does it matter? After all, sometimes one has to be young and reckless. The ironic pairing of demure and sweet design with the highly dangerous activities is so sardonically attractive. Artist Genís Argol illustrates cutesy drawings of cars of fire, foxes and ducks hanging from nooses and tall flowers. The dusty color palette and the nonchalant attitude toward destruction resemble a rather strange Greek film called Dogtooth (2009). It’s definitely a good watch if you like the style of this music video, but beware because it’s a bit more disturbing.

When I was watching the video recently, I noticed that most of the framed portraits in the house are the photograph Maestres took of frontman Benjamin Palmer. Due to the similarities in the portrait of Palmer and “Brave Ben” Hall, I’d say the musician got his moniker from the 19^th century Welsh bushranger. Bushranger is a term for an Australian runaway convict. One can imagine that the characteristics of a bushranger mirror that of a cowboy in the Wild West. He answers to no one, but when it comes down to it, he does the right thing. This piece of trivia compliments the twangy guitar motif present throughout the song. Brave Ben the musician currently lives in Barcelona, Spain. This is where the music video was filmed as well.