As the end of the year is coming, I’ve learned that I should go forth for new endeavours in my life… whether it’ll be economical, educational, life changing issues and so forth; However, in the new year of 2013, as terms with me working in music scene. I decided to not only work on my own music whenever I can but simply start reviewing and analyzing music videos because music, per se, is the main motivation factor in my life. I cannot see myself being anywhere else unless it has to do with music, whether it’ll be in an audio and/or technological sense. It’s a no brainier and I wish I’d paid more attention to it throughout the years in the past. Enough about me, you want that damn review! Well, lately I’ve been watching music videos within the electronic music scene and I thought that these videos are really surreal that they create a second meaning of a wordless song. I have this theory that music videos are either:A(Song) + B(Imagery) = AB(Songs with Imagery) or A(Song) + B(Imagery) = C(Juxtapose Video) I think electronic music videos do take on more of the latter approach. But wait?! Isn’t that what music videos all about? A juxtaposition of video and music? Yes but with electronic music(which has nothing to give on an imagery context, by the way) tends to make surreal and down right weird videos that the two doesn’t connect but somehow give a new meaning.
Now, what is my first video that I’ll starting to reviewing. Well let’s pick the first ever electronic music video I’ve seen Come To Dad…. I mean Piper by Jonny L. Now before I start in the….. well, down right bizarre video. Let’s give this artist some background story: Jonny L, named John Lisners, is from the United Kingdom… you know, the place where Drum & Bass artist becomes famous and Yeah, this is a Drum & Bass song and a real damn good one. Jonny L has been around the scene since the early days of the rave scene around the world in the early ninnies. He was originally signed to XL Records during those times; you know, the same record label that also signed Adele. He’s been big name in the scene but in a small way from my standpoint and what made him to popular was one of his well known songs called Piper. Piper, was released in his debut album Sawtooth in 1997. The album is amazing and the album alone was also the biggest thing that has come from his name. Now for the video and well… that’s a different story…
I strongly encourage to watch the video before reading the review:
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Do you love these random radar-like images in this video? Well if you do, it’s litter throughout of the video.
The video starts off being filmed at some random army/navy/air force/area 51/Jeff Goldblum’s laboratory, where fast pacing random images pop in your face because it wants to be dark, edgy and fast pace… you know, like the damn song. Now I actually don’t mind fast pacing images but if you’re just repeating the same images over and over with no meaning behind it, then fuck you… you’re not making a good video… you’re lazy.
As we… *sigh* have more crazy random images jigger back and forth. We see this guy who’s… wait… who the fuck is this guy? He’s just standing there with his mouth open, waiting for the next fly to enter his mouth? Seriously… this THING creeps me out a little bit. I feel like he’s going to pull a Kirby and suck me into his mouth.
Anyways as we abruptly cut to another person who’s looks like he came for the wrong acting job. “Hey, you’re an actor, right? Then get your ass here, just let us shave your head and keep your mouth open.”
Well ladies? Would you date a man who has his mouth open this wide?
Wait… What the fuck was that? Is someone really “break dancing” in the middle of this place? Why the fuck is he doing that? What serves the purpose for the video? NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! AAAAHHHHH!!
*sigh* As the beat picks up, the video progressively cuts around different parts of last minute of the video. Seriously, that’s the filler of the video. Loads and loads of random imagery and surreal pacing. In fact, at one point of the video, it shows these people who are similarly to the old cat woman from The Simpsons.
Might as well throw in The Simpsons reference, all it’s missing is the loads of cats for them to throw at you. Hell, I think if they had cats they would’ve done it.
I would like to point out, that the video does use stop motion for the main character when he’s moving… nothing shows a great a plot for a music video when you’re doing the robot walk. You know, I think Terry Crews can do a better Robot Walk… then again, I actually do think he is his a freaking cyborg sent from the future to show that robots can act, dance and be cooler than George Clooney!
Well that’s pretty much it… Anything noticeable in this video, is that guy from the first part JUST HAPPENS to be the DJ this warehouse…. WAIT WHAT? This makes no sense and just adding a “DJ” in video just to sound and look cool and edgy just makes you cliche as hell! I’m pretty sure that’s it, so let’s review it in the three main questions:
Is the song good? Well of course it is. It was a staple of gritty, dark and techno sounding Drum & Bass music. I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like this tune and loves Drum & Bass music as much as I do. If you’re into the sound where you think it comes from a fast pace sci-fi movie soundtrack then this track is a great way for you to start.
Is the video good? Yes and no… although it has some amazing camera effects throughout the film, for example the shuttering frames and stop motions being used; However, I though this was mostly a horrible video as it doesn’t create a new meaning of the song nor it works around it to create something similar and it’s pretty much 2 mins of footage but reused for five minutes.
Does this song deserve a music video? As much as I love this track, Jonny L and techstep of drum & bass music… I feel that this song doesn’t really deserve a music video because of two reasons: one, Jonny L, a long respected career started from the rave music era to the modern drum & bass doesn’t have that popular pull up to be on television; unless you’re in the UK, which I think where this music video was originated and two, The video has really drown out the song because of it’s intense imagery and surreal editing to appear edgy and “sci-fi”.
Well that’s all I have to say about this video where my next review, by the way… what is my next review…..
Fuck….
