Nicedisc
DVD
RebuildAllYourRuins
01
Sometime in the 60 and 70's, in NYC, a split in practices between avant-garde filmmakers and video artists became pretty apparent. It wasn't total, there were plenty of figures that occupied a mid-ground, but it was pretty easy to see that there wasn't all too much crossover between the visionary romanticism of Stan Brakhage and Jonas Mekas, amongst the circles that surrounded the Anthology Film Archives, and the conceptual schematizing of Bruce Nauman and Joan Jonas. The latter investigated the conceptual space of the video image, the former the sensual and emotional immediacy of the film frame. Of course, there was plenty of the inverse, Michael Snow, Hollis Frampton and the structuralists made conceptually dense films, while Nam June Paik and Bill Viola made beautiful and sensuous works for video, but despite many of these figures, avant-garde filmmakers tended be more materially minded than their friends in video, hanging onto the works of the older New York art culture, the Abstract Expressionists, and the Surrealists. Video art went the other way, denying that sensuality, and went deeper and deeper into it's conceptual belly button. Many of those videos are admittedly really, really boring, only the most ardent masochists/scholars have the time to sit through the excruciating dullness of Vito Acconci's videos ("The Red Tapes" in particular, man, do yourself a favor and steer clear of those.).
In the impasse, there has been some work done to reconcile the two sides. Those artists that lie between the two camps have had a strong influence on these contemporary practictioners, amongst whom are the duo of Jeff Pash and Nick Phillips, comprising Nicedisc. Two figures are especially worth noting, Tony Conrad and Paul Sharits. Conrad is probably the more well known of the two for the crowd that frequents this site, his long form-drone works are noteworthy examples of the form. His drones are rough, vaguely caustic and overtone rich, played loudly they make the walls buzz with sheets of beat frequencies. In the 70's he made a somewhat notorious film called "The Flicker", which is prefaced by a warning to people with epilepsy, advising them to vacate the theater, because the next 30 minutes are just that, a continuous "flicker" of alternating black and white frames. This description is perhaps a bit misleading, for although the elements are the most basic the film has to offer (white frames and black frames), Conrad strings the frames in a variety of patterns, creating a variety of rhythms, against which play modulating analogue electronics on the audio track. What is most remarkable about the entire film is that you see color, which results from the afterimages of the light hitting your eyes. The film becomes this strange thing, in which half of the drama is happening in your eye, a little like listening to sine-waves and tilting your head.
This sort of thing was what avant-garde filmmakers tended to consume themselves with: this sort of intense formalist excersize, in which the medium is stretched to it's breaking point, and closely inspected at it's very edges. Nicedisc do a funny thing on their self titled DVD: they set the flicker to video, and bump it up against another technique; the fade. In fact, this comprises the majority of the DVD, one piece is called "Fade" the next "Fade + Flicker" and the other "Flicker." The titles describe the techniques at work in each piece, "Fade" consists of colors fading in and out, crossfaded with other colors, "Flicker" consists of varying patterns of flickering frames, and "Fade + Flicker" consists of a combination of the two.
The closest point of reference, other than Conrad is Paul Sharits. Quoting a "general statement" of his, in his contribution to the Structural Film Anthology (British Film Institute: 1976) will make my job easier.
"In this cinematic drama, light is energy rather than a tool for the representation of non-filmic objects; light as energy, is released to ?create? it?s own objects, shapes and textures. Given the fact of retinal inertia and the flickering shuttering mechanism of film projection [here: pulse of electrons against a tube], one may generate virtual forms, create actual motion (rather than illustrate it), build color space (rather than picture it) and be involved in actual time (immediate presence)" (90).The connection with abstract music should be fairly apparent. Just here, sub in "melody" for "representation" or "illustration." The pleasure is similar to that derived from the overtone clouds listening to loud drone music, say Charlemagne Palestine, Tony Conrad, La Monte Young, etc. What's going on is, if not paid close attention to, fairly simple, a good hard look provides a wealth of microscopic detail. In "Fade", one notices repeated patterns that introduce a gentle rhythm, the crossfaded colors create subtle interference patterns that suggest minute variations in how the screen is illuminated. However, on a frame by frame look, these patterns disappear. The detail occurs only in time, if you freeze it, it goes away.
The music on the soundtrack bears an oblique relationship to the image, on the whole the tones and drones therein remain consistently modulating, offering a backbone for the asynchronous rhythms. The flickering may be difficult for some to enjoy, but for those that do, the phrase "light is energy" sounds less like a simple physical explanation, or a high-minded metaphor, but rather a description of the pleasure gained from the throb of flashing lights against the eyes. To some it?s maddening, but lots of people say the same thing about sine waves.
Appended to these three is a short quartet of pieces, markedly different than the three mentioned above (click on the "*" for these). They are strikingly different than the aforementioned, in that they are all black and white with harsh soundtracks, recognizable images and a very clear coordination between what you hear and what you see. Where the earlier three are full of a real grace and warmth, these 4 pieces are bright and caustic. And if they aren't as immediately appealing as the former, the hints of recognizability offer a way out of the former?s pure formality.
What's especially interesting/heartening about this DVD is the absolute lack of any attention drawn to the aesthetic conditions of the creation of this work. If one spends enough time in movie theaters that show avant-garde film, they'll find themselves with a fairly large ream of paper with elaborate conceptual justifications for the filmmakers aesthetic choices. But here, nothing. It's as though there's a greater reliance by younger artists for a work to stand on it's own, both as musicians and (some) visual artists. The loose collective of artists that fall under the "New No York" umbrella (I'm not exactly sure who comprises this collective, for sure I know Dion Workman, Luxury Estates, Backbreakerneckbrace, and probably some more) all share a tendency not to overburden their work with treatises, polemics, and lengthy explanations. Refreshing, to say the least.
- Nirav Soni
Posted by nirav on July 5, 2004 3:46 PMI haven't seen this DVD yet, it's been sitting next to my TV for a few months, but I do have one side comment on Nirav's conclusion here...
"The loose collective of artists that fall under the "New No York" umbrella (I'm not exactly sure who comprises this collective, for sure I know Dion Workman, Luxury Estates, Backbreakerneckbrace, and probably some more) all share a tendency not to overburden their work with treatises, polemics, and lengthy explanations. "
it's certainly been less prevalent lately, but the first few nights they put on at Tonic, they went so far as to hand out printed pamphlets filled with "treatises and polemics". if you look at the list of events they've put on here (http://rayr.net/newnoyork/past.html), you can see a listing for "text" the first few shows. not to mention screening a bootleg copy of Debord's "Society of the Spectacle"...
Posted by: Jon Abbey at July 5, 2004 5:46 PMUmmmmmm. Well, yes. Criticism well taken. I suppose I was more referring to treatises and polemics based upon the actual construction of their work. You'll see plenty of Guy Debord, but I don't ever expect to hear Dion Workman offer an explanation of what specifically makes his work better and different than all art that had taken place before him. The ideas (all of that allegorical power buisness) are extra, firm principles of formal construction are foremost.
Posted by: Nirav at July 5, 2004 9:09 PMI suppose this one is a Zone 1 DVD only, Nirav? Bloody DVD zones drive me crazy (my fault though for not having a TV - I watch DVDs on the computer.. zone 2 only). Anyway, the DVDs are piling up here even faster than the CDs! Went crazy two weeks ago and bought both Werner Herzog box sets. Bloody hell. Ever see the film he made with the dwarves? Fuckin anarchy! Sorry to drift off the thread y'all
Posted by: dan warburton at July 5, 2004 9:39 PM"What's especially interesting/heartening about this DVD is the absolute lack of any attention drawn to the aesthetic conditions of the creation of this work."
"The loose collective of artists that fall under the "New No York" umbrella...all share a tendency not to overburden their work with treatises, polemics, and lengthy explanations. Refreshing, to say the least."
"one may generate virtual forms" then, "overburden" the "crowd that frequents this site", supposedly more heartened by the "warmth" of "sensual and emotional immediacy," with "lengthy explanations"?
"The connection with abstract music should be fairly apparent. Just here, sub in "melody" for "representation" or "illustration." The pleasure is similar to that derived from the overtone clouds listening to loud drone music, say Charlemagne Palestine, Tony Conrad, La Monte Young, etc."
I remember attending a concert by Palestine on the Bosendorfer this winter. He made great drones. And amazing overtones/harmonics which were circulating in the air over our heads like ghosts :-) maybe some felt that like emotional stuff. BTW it reminds me of another thread on JC forum about definition of abstract music.
Sorry if it is a bit off-topics.
Dan, Herzog’s EVEN DWARVES STARTED SMALL is sheer lunacy & I love it. I picked up my copy on the clearance rack of a Sam Goody in the podunk ville of Athens, OH for $3.99. It stuck out like a smashed thumb between copies of Adam Sandler’s BILLY MADISON and Pauly Shore’s BIO-DOME [end transmission of another thread destabilizer]
Posted by: derek at July 6, 2004 5:25 AMthat Herzog movie is certainly crazy, but I certainly wouldn't say I loved it.
Jacques, Keith Rowe is doing a duo show with Palestine in Berlin this fall, if you don't know already.
Posted by: Jon Abbey at July 6, 2004 5:49 AMWhat would you say?
Posted by: derek at July 6, 2004 6:07 AMan oddity that I found painful to get through.
Posted by: Jon Abbey at July 6, 2004 6:17 AMWell, my “love” for it is definitely more of an Agape sort than Philia or Eros. The audacity & oddity inherent in much of the imagery is probably what I find most appealing. Though I agree, it's not always an easy experience to get through. No coincidence that Crispin Glover lists it as his favorite slice of cinema [now back to regularly scheduled programming].
Posted by: derek at July 6, 2004 6:34 AMI thought it was fucking terrifying!
Wow, Keith & Charlemagne.. hope Keith's been practising his open fifths!! Where & when is that, Jon?
it's at Podewil in September or October, and either the night before or the night after, Keith plays there with Perlonex. I'm not positive these are totally confirmed, but last I heard, they were both happening...
Posted by: Jon Abbey at July 6, 2004 6:49 AMhttp://www.podewil.de/start/start-e.html
2004, September 18th INM concert
Five Years Perlonex
PerlonEx.tensions + Keith Rowe, Charlemagne Palestine
there you go, looks like it's Perlonex/Keith and Perlonex/Palestine, no Keith and Palestine together. I think that's right, now that I think about it more...
not sure why someone can't use their real name to post concert info, I continue to believe that posting here anonymously is lame.
Posted by: Jon Abbey at July 6, 2004 7:32 AMDan,
Jeff told me the Nicedisc DVD is 'Region 0' meaning it will play anywhere. I've certainly played it on a domestic telly and a laptop here in the UK, so I doubt you'd have any probs in France on a laptop. You should get in touch with them for a copy for PTA, then.
I'd send a copy on to you myself, but I used the couple copies I picked up from them in NYC (here comes the plug) for setting up some shows.
Nicedisc are coming to the UK in August, and We're Breaking Up will join them, both acts performing video and sound. Only got specifics of London date so far (Aug. 22, at Fordham gallery), but will be through Scotland/North of England in the week previous.
Michael
Posted by: Michael Rodgers at July 6, 2004 7:54 AM"Jacques, Keith Rowe is doing a duo show with Palestine in Berlin this fall, if you don't know already."
"there you go, looks like it's Perlonex/Keith and Perlonex/Palestine, no Keith and Palestine together. I think that's right, now that I think about it more..."
Sorry, just comin back home now, couldn't reply before...
Well, it's disappointing :-)
Hope they can perform a jam session after, like in old good days... Tradition should remain.
Michael
Thanks for the offer! I'll be in London on 23/7 - is there anywhere I could pick up a copy? (Before I blow a monumental sum on DVDs on Oxford St)
Jeff Pash has told me Sound 323 in London carries the DVD. They mailorder, too!
Dan, I tried emailing your Bags address to no avail; I've misplaced your other email address. If you have the chance to meet up in London, drop me a line and we can make arrangements. (Apologies to other readers for display of personal message).
M
Posted by: Michael Rodgers at July 14, 2004 4:52 AMThe Bags email address has never worked. It's a deliberate fake to give the impression that we're living in a democracy & that you have the right of reply whereas in fact any email that gets sent to the site disappears in a military submarine in the Pacific
anyway, Michael, just replied to you elsewhere
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