|
"Voices of the Dead"
DVD-R (ltd. 250) |
For a start, let's introduce the artists:
Photographer and videoartist Yuri Elik is primarily known as one of the founders and permanent members of multimedia project 2012, creating audio-video installations on various contemporary art festivals (SKIF, Heilige Feuer, Multivision, etc.). Apart from this Yuri performs on his own making video- and slide-shows for a number of experimental musical bands in St. Petersburg. Yuri is also the video show author for the performances of Simon Magus ballet written by D. Kakhovskiy and the designer of several CD artworks and websites.
Gosha Solnzev (also known as "Van Gog" - 1g0g) - big industrial showman, leader of the project Noises of Russia well-known in Russia, organizer of several festivals, such as "Noise vs. Glamour", "Military Days", "Noisy Women", etc. Gosha has always claimed that he plays funeral music, so it's no wonder he showed interest in the phenomenon of voices of the dead, discovered by Friedrich Jürgenson in the late 50s of the past century. Electronic Voice Phenomenon (voices of the dead, Raudive voices) are the voices of anomalous origin appearing while making records on tape recorders or other electronic audio devices. EVP researches claim and have proof that this is a possible way of communication between physical and some other non-physical planes of existence.
The exploration of this phenomenon led to an effective cooperation between Van Gog and Yuri which resulted in a series of live performances with the "Voices of the Dead" program and this short film, with 24 minutes an obscure psychedelic drama evolving in front of the spectator. A multi-layered collage of concrete visual images and kaleidoscopic colour fields constantly transforms, accompanied by unusual and uneasy sombre ambient with real voices of the dead samples interlaced in it's structure.
As a bonus this disk also contains a 12-min. slide-film "City Spirits": alternation of photos by Yuri Elik with his own soundtrack constructed from city noises. Yuri skillfully focuses attention on subtleties of usual things that remain unseen to the eye of a usual human being, generally too busy with thinking over his insubstantial problems and forgetting about the beauty of the world surrounding him.
The release is packed in a special cardboard sleeve and goes with a booklet with an encyclopaedic reference about the phenomenon of electronic voices.
[screenshots] [trailer] [mp3 fragment] [mp3 fragment]
Yuri Elik - http://elik.radionoise.ru
Gosha Solnzev / Noises of Russia - http://www.noises.ru
The history of instrumental transcommunication - http://www.worlditc.org/a_02_macy_itc_history.htm
World ITC association - http://www.worlditc.org
Reviews
Calls, whispers from the other side are recompiled in this very interesting film based on (E.V.P) Electronic Voice Phenomenom, which are voices from unknown origins and recorded through radio or electronic devices. This concept gave enough bases and ideas to Yuri elik & gosha solnzev to develop a very artistic visual/audile release with a lot subliminal shapes dressed with colours, and at moments showing some abstract faces and paranormal forms. Also the inclusion of visual effects creating an in deep paradigmatical reality through another dimension evoked by suggestive imagery and sounds with an excellent magickal result. The important point with Voices From The Dead is the way as each abstract image fits perfectly with the visual side exploring the subconscious levels which reacts through the different vortex of colors and at moments you can observe human faces shapes with a high dose of surrealism. The visual side was developed by Yuri Elik (A well known Russian artist) and audile side by Gosha Solnzev with the cooperation of Yuri Elik.both of them doing an excellent work due the well handle of visuals. Really this dvdr has important elements through 23:56 minutes. Also as bonus track you shall find “City Spirit” with 12:40 minutes in which Yuri Elik developed his photographic facet in the visual work. Mechanic and metallic devices pictured from different angles, expressing the diverse dead symmetries of abandoned cities and spirits inhabiting these desolated places. Is interesting to see the point, because ech picture give us and exact idea of the whole concept. Also you shall hear some great suggestive music on it. A voice from The Dead is an entrance to other planes of existence which could be feel through sounds and visual compositions here!!!
First things first: If you like dark, brooding industrial soundscapes and some really nice visual art, you may well consider the purchase of this DVD-r which has been released in 2006 by the impressive label Zhelezobeton. Yuri Elik and Gosha Solnzev collaborated on this release and the outcome will keep you occupied for 35 minutes total and you will definitly be re-listening and re-watching it on a nummber of occasions. The 7.5 they are getting is well deserved and was considered to be even higher.
But ... (and I'm truly sorry this is the moment I'm starting this discussion, but one has to start at some point) this release also makes very clear that there is a certain goal artists have to consider when releasing a combination of autitive and visual art. To be more clear: Is this a DVD with dark ambient music, or is this a CD with additional visuals? In both cases the public the release is aimed at is different, so a completely different marketing, packaging and maybe even concept should be considered.
As an art-DVD 'Voices of the Dead' is a bit on the short side; 23 minutes. The visuals on the 2nd track 'City Spirits' are good, but not impressive enough to be named video-art. As a CD ... Well, it's a DVD, it can't be played in a CD player. Listening to the music the images are distracting because of a) its many colouring effects and b) because one keeps on getting pulled to the tube and stare.
Admitted, this is not a problem for this release, but it is something to consider for everybody (including myself being an artist).
As said, a well deserved 7.5 because without all the crap I wrote, 'Voices of the Dead' is a really good track and a visual experiment well worth it.
|
|
© 2002-2022
Radionoise.ru |