This piece explores other worlds/echoes/memory in the context of an urban landscape and music, though using a relatively unexplored tuning system, redolent of jazz fused by an electro acoustic sound track which, hopefully, melds together the ideas and materials. It's played by German-based Duo Contour, Stephen Altoft, trumpet and Lee Ferguson, vibraphone. Stephen is playing a trumpet specially designed to create 19 equal pitches to the octave although the vibraphone is sounding the usual 12, which accounts for the unusual, although not overly discordant sonorities. The 4th and, presently, last of the Verses series. Verses 1 & 2 were just for trumpet and percussion and Verses 3 similarly uses electronics and film. There are plans for 5 & 6 but a commissioner is needed!
The Birds
This was made in 2004 and was one of the first films I made using a recently purchased domestic camcorder. It was inspired by a memory of Hitchcock's film of the same title (1963) and the idea was to examine bird behaviour with the intention of uncovering any potential conspiracy, in a tongue in cheek sort of way. It was first screened at the Showroom Cinema, Sheffield as part of Host 4 and was subsequently released as part of the same project on a limited release DVD. It has been screened around the UK and in France as part of the Annonay International Film Festival.
The Night which Took the Appearance of Day
Made in 2006, this film takes ideas about colour, nature and aesthetics and explores them in the context of six short scenes. The translations of the Latin titles are incorrect but both the Latin and the 'translation' have meaning within the concept. The philosopher Jonathan Ree kindly explored some ideas with me and allowed me to use my recording of his thoughts (answers to my questions) as source material which ties together some thoughts whilst opening up others, left unexplored. Some joint music/visual techniques were the use of varied repetition and the changes of colour, as pertinent to the colours and textures of the guitar as to the colour palate of the images.
