“In mid-February, when Dan Bejar and the Destroyer live band embarked on their North American tour in support of his new album Have We Met, practically no one anticipated what the next month would hold.” , Here is a superb fragment of a documentary film that will be done after the pandemic. Until then, listen to the new Destroyer album and read our review by Jean-François Cyr.
When Dan Bejar and his frontman band Destroyer embarked on a North American tour to defend the material for his new album Have We Met, who could have expected human activity on the entire planet to come to a halt? The tour was cancelled, of course. Shot on the road by directors David Galloway and David Ehrenreich, Foolssong’s video features scenes of a caravan forced to speed up. or cross the deadly American continent while the world does the exact opposite. “In this very special time, the phrase “Have We Met” deserves less of a question mark than ever. We probably haven’t met anyone new since March, and the pace of this statement is more absolute than a real investigation… We were making a film. Maybe we’re still doing it, but it’s hard to say. Foolssong is what’s left of it for now. “…raise the filmmakers forced to suspend their activities until the public activities of Destroyer, an excellent group from British Columbia, resume. “Hopefully, these foreign landscapes only provide a temporary glimpse of an unknown world, a glimpse of a future that shows a separation from oneself, an isolation. But perhaps the bright side is a little more wonder. Hopefully this is a picture that does not dry.”
The experiments carried out by these two scientists of electronic jazz are yielding convincing results!
Active since 2015, the Montreal electro-jazz duo Topium is the product of a meeting between Jérôme Dupuis-Cloutier (trumpets, keyboards) and Jonathan Gagné (drums, programming). In the first moments of this brand new video, directed by Guillaume Pascale, the two scamps, dressed in protective suits, walk through the corridors of a laboratory, carrying an airtight box with mysterious contents. We don’t know if it’s a nasty virus with a crown, but the substance inside seems to react in a very particular way to the duo’s haunting music. In front of the attentive eyes of the two hooded scientists, colours, shapes and textures unfold, dancing to the rhythm of a hypnotic dub where gliding guitars and the silky volutes of a trumpet evolve. Music lovers fond of what jazz has been offering us for the past few years would do well to listen to it!
If you didn’t see it in theatres last year, or when it aired on PBS a few weeks ago, and you don’t subscribe to Netflix, here’s your chance to get your hands on Stanley Nelson’s documentary about the life of Miles Davis.
It’s not a masterpiece of its kind, and it has been judged very harshly by some critics, but it still manages to capture a rather complex character, who remains without a doubt one of the most important figures in jazz. The film follows the trumpeter through his constant metamorphosis and highlights, with the help of rare excerpts and testimonials from colleagues and friends, the importance of his contribution to the history of music.
And if you’ve seen it, well, the DVD producers are one step ahead, adding 75 minutes of excerpts from three of his appearances at the Montreux Jazz Festival. That’s much less than the complete 10 discs of The Definitive Miles Davis at Montreux DVD Collection, released by Eagle Eye in 2011, and it might make you want to check that out (it’s also available on CD, of course). So it starts in 1973, with a band that has already changed a lot since the beginning of the electric period (to know more about that, check out Miles Electric: A Different Kind of Blue, which presents the concert of August 29, 1970 at the Isle of Wight festival). Only one piece from this concert, “Ife” (on which saxophonist David Liebman shines in particular), found its way here. On the other pieces, recorded in 1984 and 1985, one can particularly appreciate Davis’ interactions with guitarist John Scofield, with whom he had been collaborating since 1982. Here we have versions of “Star People” (two), “It Gets Better”, “Hopscotch” (two) and “Lake Geneva”. A nice bonus, no doubt about that, and it complements the documentary very well.
The origin of “A Murder Most Foul” is unclear; it could be an outtake from Tempest (2012). The “unclassifiable” work, evoking a litany or a lament, is nonetheless a blues song. The harmony is based on the tonic, subdominant and dominant that defines the genre; as does the rhythmic signature in 3/4 and 4/4. The opus, seemingly overseen by an orchestra conductor, is however so languid and fluid that the arrangement of piano, strings, and percussion creates the illusion of unstructured, dreamlike volutes that Debussy (or Sufjan) might have put together in their spare time. The clip is absolute in its sobriety: a still frame of JFK stares at the listener during the 16:56 of the chant, close to a liturgical incantation, which alone, really, deserves attention. The talking blues form has often been borrowed by Dylan, adhering to the tradition of the griot’s improvised declamation with social or political connotations (“Talking World War III Blues”, for example). Here, the text is rather chiseled – the Nobel Prize winner for literature no longer allows himself spontaneity. The beginning is unusually prosaic for Dylan as he relates with lugubrious precision the events of November 22. What follows is a disjointed eschatology, spanning twenty years (1963-1984), zooming in on outlandish references: the British Invasion (’60s), Stevie Nicks (’70s), Nightmare on Elm Street (’80s)… Some will see the work of a genius. However, the metaphor of the JFK conspiracy (Dylan evokes a cryptic “they”) as “death of America” is worn out, and will appeal to a generation that can say they saw Mickey Mantle play. All in all, Stephen King did a better job of bringing the matter up to date (22/11/63). Dylan, like Cash, Bowie or Cohen, should be expected to dazzle in the final twilight of his career; “A Murder Most Foul” is not the expected requiem.
All over the world, musicians compete in creativity and perform works of different styles. Those video recordings respect the precautions necessary to flatten the propagation curve of COVID-19. Here is a first overview of these performances, mainly in the territories of classical music and classical pop. Please note that the descriptions of those videos are written by their producers.
” With this video, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and Kent Nagano wish to thank from the bottom of their hearts, all those in Quebec who provide essentials services and take care of us all every day. Work: Sicilienne, op. 78 by Gabriel Fauré. Réalisation Orchestre symphonique de Montréal avec Carl Talbot (Musicom) et Jean-Marc Abela.”
Pub Choir, Australia. “We can still be together, even though we are apart. Over 6000 strangers from 45 countries submitted a video in 3 days to sing 1 song. It’s dedicated to all the frontline heroes who are keeping us safe. Thanks for covering some David Bowie with us, accompanied by Waveney Yasso on guitar. And thanks to Paris from Sleepy Mountain Films for this HUGE edit. You can support our work by sharing the video or by visiting our website: www.pubchoir.com.au Until the next singalong (we’ll let you know when we’re good and ready!)… With love, Astrid and team Couch Choir.”
Orchestre Métropolitain, Montréal. “Orchestre Métropolitain (OM) joins forces with poet and singer-songwriter Gilles Vigneault, an iconic figure in Quebec and one of the most honoured artists here and elsewhere in the French-speaking world, to offer you a unique and touching anthem. Opening with a short poem addressed to the people here in these exceptional circumstances, Mr. Vigneault lends his song “Les gens de mon pays” to the OM and its conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, performed by remote musicians in an orchestration by Léon Bernier. Through this music, we wish to bring to you a message of solidarity, hope and goodwill… from our family to yours. It should be noted that Mr. Vigneault was a member of the very first OM Board of Directors. “There is no song of mine/ That isn’t made up / With your words, your steps / With your music I hear you playing / I hear you singing / I hear you walking / And it’s going to be okay.” – Gilles Vigneault, poet, singer, lyricist (April 2020)
Ekuan Pua & friends
Orchestre National de France “While waiting to see you again in the delicate period we are going through, the musicians of the Orchestre National de France wanted, despite the distance, to play together, and share with everyone what they know best: music. Hoping that these few, universal notes by Ravel will bring you a little warmth and comfort.” Credits: Didier Benetti, arrangements; Dimitri Scapolan, production
“I cori Lavinium and SingUp! from Rome, virtually join together during this covid-19 quarantine period to sing Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Not being able to do live concerts, this seemed to be the best way to stay together in music. The piece is the result of a collage of the singers’ voices from the individual videos in the virtual choir mosaic. Artistic director and audio-video processing by Fabrizio Vestri. The Rome choirs Lavinium and SingUp! are meeting virtually in this quarantine time to sing together Leonard Cohen’s Halleluja.”
Orchestre national de Lyon. “Musicians from l’Orchestre national de Lyon spontaneously set themselves a little challenge during the confinement period: to play a piece together! Well, just 26 or them, because at 104, it would have been a bit complicated. A little message from them: Among the friends of l’Orchestre national de Lyon, we were starting to miss playing together, so we made do with the means at hand! Hopefully, this little musical contribution will bring a bit of sweetness and good humour into your homes while confined.” Music: Georges Bizet, L’Arlésienne
Colorado Symphony : “Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is an ode to humanity, to peace over desperation, to universal kinship and, of course, to joy. We hope that this small tribute stands as a reminder that community is powerful and together, despite the anxiety and separation, we will come back stronger than before.”
Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest“From us, for you. We’re adjusting to a new reality and we’ll have to find solutions in order to support each other. Creative forces help us, let’s think outside of the box and use innovation to keep our connection and make it work, together. Because if we do it together, we’ll succeed.”
Choeur des Jeunes de Laval, Québec – L’amitié by Françoise Hardy
Andrew Wan (OSM) & Jonathan Crow (TSO): “Two provinces, two orchestras, two concertmasters—one beautiful musical gift! Concertmasters Andrew Wan (Orchestre symphonique de Montréal) and Jonathan Crow (Toronto Symphony Orchestra) perform the second movement from Sonata in E Minor, No. 5 for Two Violins by Jean-Marie Leclair. “
CORONA- Parody LLORONA, Angélica Vale & Marco Antonio Solís. Mexico & Switzerland. “With the voices of: Xavier Alfonso Paul Berrocal Marzia Celii Didier Coenegracht Henri Dès Stephan Eicher Valleria Estrella Françoise Gautier Salma Iagrouni Faustine Jenny Mark Kelly Vincent Kucholl Yann Marguet Virginia Markus Ella Malherbe Mila de Meyer Jubelin Shania Twain Vincent Veillon Yves Ali Zahno Bo Zhao. Video direction: Cee-Roo, Music Producer: Chris Matthey, Royal Studios, Original Music: La Llorona, Angélica Vale, Marco Antonio Solís. 120 minutes, RTS (Swiss Radio Television)”
Thelma Yellin High School, Israël: “Under the coronavirus siege in Israel, all students of the classical music department at the Thelma Yellin high school in Israel recorded their parts for Mendelssohn’s Psalm 42 using their smartphones while at home. Thelma Yellin Symphony Orchestra conducted by Guy Feder Thelma Yellin Choir conducted by Yishai Steckler Head of classical music department: Moshe Aharonov Production: Jonathan Kurilan Sound engineering: Yaron Aldema Video editing: Maayan Franco and Yoel Culiner Artistic director and conductor: Yishai Steckler”
Forestare, Montréal, Québec: Jean Baptiste Lully (1632-1687), Le Bourgeois gentilhomme (comedy-ballet), “Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs”, arr. Dave Pilon, audiovisual editing : Olivier Labossière.
Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra & Edmonton Symphony Orchestra: “Elgar’s Nimrod Variation IX from the Enigma Variations – this is a joint effort between musicians of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, wishing health and care to the people of Alberta, and around the world. We hope this music fills you up – We miss being in the concert hall, and look forward to seeing you there again when things return to normal. Musicians: Conductor. Janna Sailor Fl. Sara Hahn, Stephanie Morin Ob. Elisabeth Mellinger, Dan Waldron Cl. Juilianne Scott Bsn. Bianca Chambul, Michael Hope Hn. Rob McCosh, Jennifer Frank, Heather Wooton, Maxwell Stein Tpt. Adam Zinatelli, Matthew Ross Bone Dave Reid Tuba Tom McCaslin Timp. Alex Cohen Vn.1 Donovan Seidle, Erica Hudson, John Lowry Vn.2 Stephanie Soltice-Johnson, Adriana Lebedovich, Erin Burkholder, Steve Lubiarz, Craig Hutchenreuther Vla. Arthur Bachman Vcl. Rafael Hoekman, Meran Currie-Roberts Kb. Patrick Staples, Trish Beretti Reid, Matt Heller Project leads: Donovan Seidle, Adriana Lebedovich, Genevieve Micheletti Made using DaVinci Resolume, Logic Pro X, Vienna Instruments MIR Pro… and many (and varied) recording devices.”
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: “Watch as the BSO musicians virtually perform the final moments of Mahler’s Third Symphony, a piece that features significant orchestral forces. The Orchestra was able to rehearse the great masterwork, but unable to perform it in scheduled concerts March 12-14 as the performances were cancelled due to COVID-19. The musicians of the Baltimore Symphony were disappointed that they were unable to perform the work and decided to create a virtual performance. Principal Tuba Aubrey Foard said, “We thought Mahler’s glorious and life-affirming coda from this symphony would help everyone feel a little better, knowing that the BSO is with them even when we’re all separated by physical distance.” Each musician recorded their individual part of the final moments of the symphony at home. The video was produced and edited by BSO Violist Colin Sorgi, who created a click track for each musician to play along to while recording their part. The click track allowed the piece to move with tempo changes as it would in a live performance. Each musician employed two devices; one to play the click track and another device to record both video and audio. Visit bsomusic.org/offstage for more great content.”
“The Jerusalem Street Orchestra playing Mozart together from their homes during the Coronavirus outbreak. Wishing you all the best of health! Sound engineering – Yuval Amit Video editing – Culiner Creative Circle.”
International Opera Choir, Rome. “The critical situation in which we find ourselves has profoundly changed the daily life of each one of us, forcing tostay at home to counter the health emergency. Even the world of theatre and music is feeling the effects of this situation, and musicians, singers, conductors, etc. are paying a huge price for being unable to work. They are forced to cancel shows and concerts, which is an economic and moral damage that cannot be quantified. The International Opera Choir – Coro Internazionale Lirico Sinfonico, like other choral groupas, has suspended its activities in accordance with the decree in force. We have therefore opened the doors of our virtual rehearsal room that each of us has ‘reached’ with the means available, equipped with smartphones and our voices, to feel closer to you through music . Thanks to Mr. Giovanni Mirabile, to the artists of the choir who were able to participate, and to the creative team behind this video: Raffaella Baioni, Project Manager; Giovanni Marucci. President of the “Frequencies & Harmonics” Association; Paolo Annunziato, Mixing Engineer and Video Editor; Virginia Cirillo, Content Creator.”
Valentin Vander “100% Confinement Video. Valentin Vander brought together 45 musicians and singers from their places of confinement, to perform this sublime song immortalized by Bourvil in 1963. The audio and video recordings were made with the means at hand, and the whole thing was carried out entirely on a voluntary basis, in support of the victims of the Covid-19 pandemic. Editing process: I sent the guitar solo and guitar/voice track to the musicians and singer who responded to my call. I asked them to add their voices or instrumental part (through the whole song), film themselves, and to try to capture the cleanest possible sound and image. No more artistic indication, trusting the creativity of my friends!”
The Orchestra at The Phantom Of The Opera in London saw a Tweet from Andrew Lloyd Webber playing “All I Ask Of You” from isolation. As a response to this, every member of the orchestra individually contributed a video, audio or photo from isolation to show their support and respect for Andrew.
Camden Voices, UK: In a time of physical isolation, we believe more than ever in creating new ways to stay in touch and keep doing the things we love. So, with that in mind, here is our first ever virtual performance of the gorgeous True Colours, recorded straight from our own homes. We hope it brings some happiness and calm in these crazy times When coronavirus hit the UK, our rehearsals, concerts and tours were cancelled- and, like everyone, we were each stuck in isolation at home. Many of our choir members had travelled back to their home countries to be with family and loved ones. After the initial shock, we became determined to refocus our energy and create something positive and inspirational for each other and our community. This video shows what can happen when we work together, and how we can overcome obstacles with technology and our imagination. It is 28 individual videos, submitted from all over the world, combined into one- a truly international collaboration that shows the power of music in our lives. Thanks for watching- please give this video a thumbs up, leave a comment below and don’t forget to subscribe for new videos. “
Socially Distant Orchestra Plays Ode to Joy can musicians do when they’re quarantined / sheltering in place? They stay close through music. PS: Watch a different person each time, and try to find the cats! Next one: https://youtu.be/kayw0iXoK7g
Socially Distant Orchestra (New York City) plays Dvořák’s “New World”.We don’t have to know each other but we can still connect through music. Have a restful and safe weekend, everyone.
Pub Choir , Australia . “A few days ago we asked the internet to stop misery scrolling for a moment, and to sing with us! Over 1000 people from 18 countries submitted a video of their performance of “Close To You” (The Carpenters) in just TWO DAYS. Every submission that we successfully received was manually added to the collective. And then we saw the magic unfold… Plug in those earphones and turn this up. We can’t adequately express in words what a gift your videos were to us. Each was like unwrapping a beautiful, personal, virtual hug. Thanks for trusting us with your voices, and for sharing your lives with us for a few minutes. We really hope the result gives you something to smile about. We’d love you to share it far and wide (please note, we won’t ask you to make it viral…) Special thanks to Sleepy Mountain Films for this incredible edit. Until our next Couch Choir session… Pub Choir”
The Children’s Voice Chorus, Florida. “Voice of Miami girls couldn’t rehearse in person because of the Coronavirus situation, so we decided to send some love out to the virtual world by dusting off an old song that means a lot to us. Here’s our first try at a virtual choir with Bridge Over Troubled Water arranged by Kirby Shaw. Singing in a choir requires active listening, blending, cutting off together, and so much more. As we approach this new way of making music, we will be challenged to hone our individual skills to maximize our #virtualchoir blend and sound. Nothing can replace making music together in person, but until then, let’s #keepthemusicgoing friends.”
Pastime for the End Times: Pink Floyd, Live at Pompeii (1972)
by Rupert Bottenberg
For an audience of music lovers with no concerts to attend, we suggest a concert with no audience – the English prog-rock superstars at their peak, in the phantom city’s ruined Roman amphitheatre.
Confined to your apartment, no chance of enjoying live music in the flesh anytime soon, beset by the twin demons of apocalyptic doom and irritable boredom… allow us to prescribe a partial remedy, one that captures the concert experience (at a couple of steps of removal), alleviates ennui, and makes monumental existential dread seem kinda cool.
For an audience of music lovers with no concerts to attend, we suggest a concert with no audience – other than the production crew, the ghosts of the dead, and perhaps several species of small furry animals. Filmed over four days in October 1971, in the center of the phantom city’s ruined Roman amphitheatre (with some additional material shot in a Paris television studio, two months later), Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii sees the English prog-rock superstars at their peak, on the cusp of the magnificent LP Meddle hitting the shelves.
Live at Pompeii is bookended by a bisected version of that album’s epic, 23-minute finale, “Echoes”. Sadly, the film can’t be found on any streaming service, and exists in physical media format only as a DVD, released in 2002 and available on Amazon. Extracts exist on YouTube, however, so we’ll start with the first half of “Echoes”.
Echoes Pt. 1
A charming, prosperous, culturally lively city, Pompeii was suddenly destroyed in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the Year of our Lord, 79. Its citizens, along with their hopes, dreams, and cherished memories, were lost in the sands of time – which is a nice way of saying, an approximately five-metre dump of red-hot, lung-scorching volcanic ash. Harsh tokes, there, eh!
Anyway, modern archaeologists have uncovered a vast trove of sociological and cultural treasures in the ruins of Pompeii, a myriad of mosaics, reliefs, and frescoes, feverish invocations of Eros and Thanatos. These amounted to invaluable resources for scholars of antiquity, and more importantly, cool filler content for director Adrian Maben when the close-ups on the flabby, pasty, pot-addled quartet got tiresome.
Also, there is a gong. Watch here as bassist Roger Waters shows that gong who’s the boss.
Saucerful of Secrets
This could be argued, but the high point of the concert film comes halfway though. The most memorable moment of Meddle is the menacing, propulsive “One of These Days”, and it’s drummer Nick Mason’s moment to shine. He doesn’t, really, in the Pompeii footage, possibly because he’s high as a kite. Regardless, this bit is awesome.
One of These Days
Pink Floyd set a cool prog-rock precedent with Live at Pompeii. Germany’s Tangerine Dream toured a series of European cathedrals in the mid-’70s, cocooning themselves in little fortresses of analog synths and offering krautrock prayers to the elder gods of future times now forgotten. Their 1975 set at England’s garishly gothic Coventry Cathedral was filmed, the footage stewed in primordial digital effects, and the hilariously hallucinatory results broadcast on Britain’s BBC2 in 1976.
Tangerine Dream
Bearing even greater similarities to Pink Floyd’s necropolitan field trip is Alturas de Machu Picchu, broadcast on Chile’s Canal 13 and Peru’s Radio Televisión Peruana in 1981. Los Jaivas were the kings of South American prog, incorporating Andean folk music and cosmic freak jams with equal enthusiasm. The Chilean band set up shop in the famous mountaintop ruins of the “Lost City of the Incas”, and lip-synched their way through their latest album, a musical rendition of their national icon Pablo Neruda’s poem. Celebrated author Mario Vargas Llosa introduced the affair. The full program pops up on YouTube occasionally, only to be pulled pretty quickly. Here’s a highlight, though, the grandiose “La Poderosa Muerte”.
Alturas de Machu Picchu
To wrap things up, we return to Pompeii. Here’s the second half of “Echoes”. Enjoy.
A delirious dash of dyslexic synthpop from from the forthcoming Mathematique.
Tara King Th., a cornerstone entity in the roster of Ray Borneo’s Petrol Chips label based in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France, has mastered the delicate craft of cataloguing “retro” sounds without ever being too specific or explicit. The 2018 album Fantaisies Stellaires, for example, is an expansive overview of the space-rock and astro-pop of futures past. The forthcoming Mathematique, out April 2, cleverly connects the dots between ’60s French pop in the feminine, the sweeter side of ’70s krautrock, and the homemade new-wave underground of the ’80s. In anticipation of the album’s imminent arrival, PAN M 360 is proud to premiere the video for “Odd Bird”, the latest teaser track. Frequent collaborator Vestale Vestale provides the vertiginous vocals to this delirious dash of dyslexic synthpop. Check it out, and be sure to count Mathematique in your calculations for the coming weeks!
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