With great anticipation we approached the weekend that would bring an inevitable mix of cross-disciplinary arts, music and interactivity. The night was founded upon previous collaborations with ‘Compass’ at both ‘Shambala’ and ‘Nozstock’ where their attention to detail transformed spaces into the escapists dream.
At Nozstock a cinema tent, that hugged you with warm reds and delicate drapes, made for a perfectly intimate space for ‘Prymedia’ to drop an Audio-Visual performance. Shambala came later in the summer and the tent this time consisted of peculiarities beyond imagination, from buttons that trigger quirky cameras and vibrating chairs to anonymous telephones and vibrant live acts. One of the standout acts was ‘Pseudo Nippon’, having missed them at Shambala I was thoroughly intrigued to watch their performance unfold at the weekend. With heavy beats coming from two drummers, stage performers baring modern pop culture iconography and oriental style synths and with an ‘Enter The Void’ style in your face visual backdrop, the lead singer/front man had to throw some serious shapes in order to stand out. And that he did, there was a sense of humour amongst the band and the audience that added to the escapists space, the ability to take a step out of the anxieties of life and have a little chuckle at one another.
The very nature of the setup and goings on enabled the audience to transition from one space to another, led by the visual intrigue that was aerial acrobatics in an outside area to one side of the venue, and then back inside where ‘Lumen’ began his punchy AV set.
In addition to an Audio-Visual performance Lumen also collaborated with OCD on an interactive piece. Playing on the theme of Doppelganger they used motion tracking in Kinect running through ‘VVVV’ which allowed the audience to see themselves removed from footage within the city. The original projection showed footage at night and when interacted with the audience’s silhouette, was removed to reveal the day light beneath.
Following Lumen, Prymedia dropped an hour and a half of audio-visuals projected over four huge screens, across the space the visuals could not be missed, even from the other side of Stokes Croft. The glass windows at the showroom front made for a free experience for those who walked by.
As well as an AV set Prymedia built a 10ft tall projection mapped installation constructed from motorcycle tyres, and holding imagery which not only matched the music that was happening downstairs, but also directly linked to the theme of Doppelganger.
The second night brought a series of films, the first of which was ‘Tri Hita Karana’ filmed, edited and directed by the founder of Prymedia, a multiple screen documentary focusing on a Balinese philosophy that has a lot to be desired. The socio religious narrative tackled issues of rural flight, agriculture and how religion plays a part in the future of the country’s harmony. The space was opened up removing a central screen that gave great depth to the room, which couldn’t be captured on camera. The high quality imagery and electronic soundtrack went down well after the fast paced night previously endured.
After a busy weekend we were pleased to wind down with ‘Minima’ scoring ‘The Seashell And The Clergyman’, the black and white film was scored delicately and slowly leaving a soft impression on the eyes of the many that relaxed in awe.
Words: Thom Buttery (Prymedia)
