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Similar to my film viewing habits, this year I have broadened my horizons in regards to the music that I have been buying/listening to. However, unlike my experiences with film, where I went out of my way to seek out non-commercial screenings, my journey with music has been much more organic.
For the majority of my youth, I was holistically enraptured by electronic dance music, to the point where I had no inkling to explore other genres. The tide began to change in March of 2007, when I bought myself vinyl turntables and hit Sydney's 2nd-hand record shops. Simply by spending many hours digging through crate after crate, I slowly yet surely began exiting with a wide range of different sounds and styles.
This growing curiosity for new sounds became an unquenchable thirst when, in February of this year, I started a new job and made 2 new friends, with whom I discussed music at any available opportunity. Increasingly, I would hereafter walk into record shops with a much more educated awareness of what 'important' artists and albums I should be looking out for.
Here is a 30 minute mix of some of the music which has been making a deep connection with me this year. 2008 was a year in which my passion for music and film took a giant surge forward, although it was also a year that saw a number of close friendships slowly begin drifting away with the changing tides of life. The reason I seem to be drawn to the melancholic and bittersweet emotions within this music is no doubt a reflection of the experiences this year has provided me with.'White & Blue'
01 Brian Eno - Aragon (1978)
02 Radiohead - All I Need (2007)
03 Earl Grant - Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You (1961)
04 Art Garfunkel - Ragdoll (1975)
05 The Brian Jonestown Massacre - We Are... (2007)
06 Kerri Chandler - I Think Of You (Reprise) (2006)
07 The Cure - All Cat's Are Grey (1980)
08 Louis Armstrong - Black And Blue (1929)
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Film - 2008 was a year in which I made a concerted effort to attend more film festivals, with the aim of broadening my awareness of world cinema (as opposed to simply the cinema from big American studios). In brief, I managed to attend film festivals from Mexico, Germany, Israel, and Italy, as well as Sydney (both the International and Underground festival), along with a trek down to Melbourne for their International film festival. It was great to not only see some brilliant movies, but to also be amongst the community-based, film-appreciation astmosphere of such festivals. I have completed 2 short courses at Sydney University in International Film History. The first of which was taught by Andrew Urban (Urbancinefile). This course was particularly beneficial, because Andrew consistently had guest speakers from each of the countries we focused on (e.g. the director of the German Film Festival, and the Minister for Culture of Argentina). The second course was with David Stratton ('At The Movies'), where we focused on international films from the 1980's era. Whilst overall the 80's wasn't really a period of huge inspiration for me (although i particularly took interest in the British realist cinema of that time), simply listening to David talk about movies was inspiring in itself - as my bulging notepad attests to! Luminary guests such as director Jane Campion ('The Piano') and actress Rachel Ward ('Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid') also heavily inspired. Both courses were great in the sense of contextualising what was happening in film with what was happening in society. As Greek director Costa Gavras ('Missing') said; "film should act as a mirror to society, it should make people think".Always a nice way to round off the year is to vote in the online 'Best Of' poll' for the 'At The Movies' film review show, hosted by Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton. After some consideration, these are my top 5 films from 2008 that were commerically released in Australian cinemas. The consistent theme amongst these 5 films is that I always exited the theatre a changed person; these films all had a heavy impact on me, and they all served as a very clear mirror to society.1. Waltz With Bashir (Israel)2. The Diving Bell & The Butterfly (France)3. Hunger (UK)4. Towelhead (USA)5. Ten Empty (Australia)
After the success of Canadian film 'Juno' last year, this exceptional and confronting Romanian film hit international cinemas at a pitch-perfect time. Both films deal with the issue of teenage pregnancy, though whilst 'Juno' is set in an advantaged, middle-class family environment, '4 Months, 3 Weeks And 3 Days' finds it's protagonists in communist Romania, with not nearly as many choices.
The contrasts further reveal themselves as Juno, with her family in tow, patiently shops around for the perfect couple to adopt her baby... a world away from Gabita, the pregnant lead of '4 Months', and her friend Otilia, whom, alone, are desperately trying to arrange an illegal, and very dangerous, abortion.
I think we know where I'm going with this: 'Juno' is a cute comedy; '4 Months' is a raw tragedy.
The catch-phrase slogan of '4 Months' reads, 'How far would you go for a friend?', but I feel the subtext in this movie reflect a wider struggle, a struggle that asks the question; 'How far must a woman go because of a man?' How marginalised is the destiny of a woman under a patriarchal legal system?
Before seeing this film, I had felt that the most powerful movie I had seen in recent years was undoubtedly 'Hunger' (2008), which covers the IRA hunger strikes in Belfast's Maze Prison during the early 80's. After viewing '4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days' though, it is clear to me that for all it's gritty courage and bloody persecution, what gave 'Hunger' a weighted sense of poignancy was, in fact, just that: pathetic and pointless testosterone-fueled madness; flawed males rebelling against a flawed male system. '4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days' strips itself of all that ego, and what remains is an uphill battle against patriarchal oppression, defiantly pushed along with the love, self-determination, and quiet intelligence inherent in femininity.
'4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days' was released in Australia in 2007, and is now available to rent on DVD.
Wow, had a great class tonight for my international film history course. David Stratton took us through a selection of Australian films of the 1980's, until we arrived at the feature film for the evening, which we watch in its entirety. Tonight it was a movie made in 1989 called 'Sweetie', by director Jane Campion (of 'The Piano' fame). Anyways, as a special treat, David had brought in Jane to watch the film with us and then chat about it afterwards. Long story short, the film was really bloody impressive (particularly as i have rather ignorantly kinda shunned the Australian film industry up until quite recently), and Jane was really lovely and more than willing to share her thought-processes. She discussed the cinematography, the casting, the themes, and the poetic nature of the subtext.. but just when i had closed my notebook thinking it was pack up time, this was her answer in regards to the thinking behind her choices of soundtrack music:
"Look.. the thing is... some of the best art is done without philosophy.. and instead by just connecting with what is human"
I dove back into my bag and jotted that quote down, cos i reckon it's a really important point. Cos whilst educating yourself on the various philosophies within the art realm is great to develop a sense of history, and therefore a foundation from which to grow from... at the end of the day, if you don't connect with your true human side, all that you are going to express is simply textbook and derivative.
In today's modern era of 'shock & awe' media coverage of global wars, perhaps it is necessary to now use animation in any attempt to pierce audience's general apathy towards realities atrocities. Ari Folman explores this idea in his personal recollections of his time spent as an Israeli soldier in the early 80's conflict in Lebanon - a conflict which culminated in the massacre of thousands of Palestinian civilians by Christian Lebanese forces; under the watch of the Israeli military.
What gives this movie heavy impact is an interesting cinematic twist in the final few minutes: Folman cuts to real-life footage. This is a ploy which suggests his idea was to bring back the startling truth's contained in such real-life footage.
I believe this idea was achieved with haunting omnipotence. During the silence of the rolling credits, all that could be heard in the cinema were the shocking wails of a distraught woman in the 3rd aisle. The affect on the rest of the audience was an undeniable parallel between film, and it's purveyance of reality. A result I dare say was also knowingly orchestrated by Folman.
Waltz With Bashir was released in 2008, and is screening in selected cinemas nationally.
On Friday, during a mid-morning stroll through the belly of Melbourne's city, I stumbled across an independent bookshop. A bookshop in which I would hear a phrase that would come to encapsulate my experience in this lovely town.
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"I Teach: You Listen,
I Talk: You Talk"
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This phrase was part of a poem being read in-store by a man from Greece, who was raised in Fitzroy. The poem was about growing up, and learning to communicate with new people and experiences. I believe that the phrase describes the give:take nature of shared communication; the push:pull structure of engaging in positive conversation. The type of communication where both parties walk away having felt a connection was made.
Later into my day, during a documentary on Marlon Brando - being screened as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival - this exact phrase was repeated by actor James Caan, whilst describing his personal relationship with Brando. At the time I didn't think too much of this correlation in speech, it was simply one of those moments where you smile to yourself and feel that the world isn't quite as big and daunting as it sometimes appears. Now, on Monday afternoon however, as I sit alone staring out the window of a tram, I am reflecting back on all my experiences from the past 4 days, and I realise that they all share a common trait of connections made through positive communication.
The situations may have been different.........
A connection was made during my 3rd and final film screening of Friday night - a Mexican movie called 'Silent Light', directed by Carlos Reygadas. The movie went for 2.5 hours, but felt more like 10 hours. Set in the North Mexican countryside, Reygadas slowed the pace of the film to give one the feel of how life would be if living in such an environment. The result was cinema genocide. People were dropping out of the theatre like flies swatted on a sunny summers day. Whilst on one hand I did feel small pangs of disappointment at the lack of patience amongst this 'arthouse tourist' crowd, I was also excited that cinema doesn't always have to be easy, or even enjoyable, to be great. There is no question about it - the film is debilitating. Yet it is still alive in my mind, 3 days after its screening. I realised that a lot of the audience were waiting for the film to give something to them, rather than giving themselves to it. I gave myself to it, and only after the credits started rolling did it start to give back.
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"I Teach: You Listen,
I Talk: You Talk"
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A connection was made later on in the night at a grass-roots level, independent warehouse party in Footscray. Whilst musically not quite as adventurous as the warehouse parties I've been going to in Sydney this year, the free and community-based vibe was very much of the same ilk. Independent warehouse parties represent the original ethos of early New York underground club culture: no bouncers, no police security, no dress codes, no specific music policy, and no exorbitant prices. Put simply, it is anarchy manifested in its purest form. Conversations morphed into dancing, and positive communication was the social putty which glued it together.
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"I Teach: You Listen,
I Talk: You Talk"
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Further connections were made the following night. Still a little exhausted from Friday's hectic adventures, myself and Kieran (a friend with who I have been connected with since we were 12 years old, and someone who was akin to my pillow throughout my brief visit, i.e. familiar and comfortable), headed along to an Ethiopian cafe/bar in Fitzroy. Kieran has called the cafe his social mecca since moving down here in 2007, and after only 5 minutes inside it was easy to see why. Here was an unpretentious, open-minded haven for like-minded artistic types, which celebrated African culture via the warm and friendly service of food, drink, and live music. The vibe was one of harmonious relaxation, and as a result, the warmth exuded by everyone made the freezing winter weather something of a non-issue. One person in particular left a lasting impression on me; a lovely young woman called Bridget Pross. 'Bridge' emanated a joyous sense of carefree exuberance, whilst her eyes revealed a quiet, guarded vulnerability - a combo which I found incredibly endearing. As it turns out, Bridge is a singer/songwriter originally from Tasmania, who has just recently had her debut album released via a local Melbourne label. After I mentioned I had an interest in reviewing music, I was lucky enough to receive a copy of her CD. This CD will now become my aural memory of my time in Melbourne, and Bridget herself represents the completely warm, welcoming, and wonderful people that I met in my brief, yet fairly intense, 4 day adventure down here in Melbourne.
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"I Teach: You Listen,
I Talk: You Talk"
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......... yet as you can see, the experiences all yielded similar emotional connections. Connections, as fleeting as they may have been, that have left me with a clear reminder of the positivity I feel is inherent in humanity, and ultimately, connections that have left me feeling inspired to share this positive communication in further adventures I may find myself in.
Click here to hear a track off Bridget Pross' album on YouTube
Bridget Pross' debut album 'I Wanted To' was released in 2007, and is available to download from iTunes, via her website - click here
2008: As German record label ‘Get Physical’ move forward into their 8th year of operation, the founders (DJ T, M.A.N.D.Y, and Booka Shade) have decided it’s time to Get Emotional. The act of ‘feeling’ is a physical sensation, after all. The first release of the New Year for the Berlin-based family has been reserved for the ripened artistic collaboration of Dane Raz (Danish-born, Berlin-bred) and Oliver Doerell (Belgium-born, Berlin-based), together known as Raz Ohara & The Odd Orchestra.
In the film ’24 Hour Party People’ – which documents the emergence of the mid-80s post-punk music scene in Manchester, England – there is a scene where Tony Wilson, label-head of Factory Records, listens to a completed demo of rock/dance band, The Happy Monday’s. As their trademark fun and bouncy music enters its second minute of audio, Wilson’s face begins to contort; “where are the vocals?!” The vocals were, in fact, a non-entity on the album - The Happy Mondays had created an entirely instrumental record. Wilson and Factory could not fathom this. The idea of releasing such an album to their established fan-base seemed preposterous.
One wonders if the Get Physical camp, which has worked very hard at becoming a world-renowned provider of quality electronic dance music, had a similar concern to Factory Records. In a reversal of circumstance though, as Raz Ohara & The Odd Orchestra’s self-titled debut is an acoustic/electronic album completely laden with Raz Ohara’s vocals. Would an audience fed a steady diet of loop-based, atmospheric, punchy instrumentals from the likes of Booka Shade and M.A.N.D.Y be willing to embrace an album full of guitar-based, down-tempo rhythms coupled with honest and heartfelt lyrics? Obviously DJ T and co feels the time is right, and after receiving criticism in some pockets of the dance scene for beginning to sound formulaic, one gets the impression that, in some ways, Get Physical are releasing this album as a retort to such negativity: “let’s see if you cynic’s can move forward with us!” Indeed, I believe that this is an album that could, and should, appeal to a much wider audience; not simply fans of electronic dance music.
Meanwhile, back in the world of the genuine artist, where dilemmas such as audience expectation and label appeal are brushed away like dust from a microphone, Dane Raz (providing vocals and guitar as Raz Ohara) and Oliver Doerell (adding a subtle, yet essential underbelly of electronic melodies as The Odd Orchestra) focused all their energy towards creating something that of which all self-respecting artists aim to achieve, something real. Have they achieved this? Well that’s for you to decide. I will, however, leave you with a knowing lyric from the wonderfully lingering final track on the album; ‘Set On You’:
“Truth doesn’t fake, if you’re not afraid to look…if only you would”
Click here to hear a track off the album on YouTube
Raz Ohara & The Odd Orchestra was released in 2008, and is available to download from Amazon - click here
