The other day I stumbled across a Beirut video on youtube, and I found myself completely entranced by it. I'm not sure exactly how to explain my current obsession, but it definitely has a lot to do with the creativity of both the music and the filming process. For example, not only is the following video set up in an unconventional way, but they are playing the music with random items like pool cues and ping pong paddles.
Each of the three full length albums evokes a different place. The first album found its inspiration when Zach Condon (Beirut started as his solo project) traveled around Europe after dropping out of high school. While he was there, he was exposed to Balkan folk music, which is definitely very evident in the music that he started playing after this. The second album has a heavy French feel because Condon was very into French chanson and the time. And the third album has a Mexican influence as Condon had just come back from a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico. He even got musicians from a small village outside of Oaxaca to play on this album.
The way that Condon is inspired by his own experiences is very related to the project that I am working on now because it draws from the experiences of others (in the form of dreams), and my experiences with also play an important role in how I put it together. I'd really like to learn from the filming styles of Beirut's videos, because some of them are very dreamlike, and also because I would like to try to set up things in unconventional ways. I'm going to be posting some snippets of interviews that I have been working on some time in the next couple of days, as well as some excerpts from the storyboard that I'm working on.
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that video is great. the song is good too. but i was thinking something while I watched your video...why do artists stick with one thing? is it a craft thing, like a signature? Or is it because it sold in that form originally? most artists I know do this...they find their "thing" and then do it for the rest of their career. Is it so when they die people can say, "remember? he did that thing...?"
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting. I like the way the artist is confined into using a still place for the video but at the same time making use of the space. I really didn't get what he was trying to put across but his style is very unique and personal. Then again that is what art is about. Making art personal.
ReplyDeleteThe locations and choreography are important to the dream-like quality. Zach Condon comes off as shockingly sincere. That's what's shocking now: sincerity. Liam: don't you find the public or venues only want the one thing and that many artists have done millions of things but there is no space for it.
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