Adam Guzman: Thesis Blog

These images are from the show Notation.

Oskar Fischinger

Karin Dreijer Andersson’s theatrical persona is a great inspiration. She is known to wear masks on stage to downplay the relevance of appearance. In an interview with Pitchfork, she stated:

“We think it’s important to let the music stand for itself more than focusing on the artist or the person who is behind it. Music has the potential and the capability to create something much bigger… it has the capability to be completely free, to do anything. And I think you limit that idea when you put yourself in front of it, in a way.”

I missed a chance to see her at Pop Montreal, but I get another chance tomorrow night at the Henry Fonda. I heard the stage production is amazing. I can’t wait.

Lucky Dragons live show combines atmospheric meditative songs with live audience interaction. The performance looks and sounds a bit like a pow wow, but once you participate it becomes a whole new experience. The live show has a different feel to their recordings. The live show feels more like a family is contributing to the energy of the songs, whereas the records focus on the music and the atmospheric experience of listening. Sarah Rara said that the band’s live performances are created with the idea that they should “generate equal power-sharing situations between members of the audience and ourselves.” This technique was described as “radical” as it was said to “encourage connections between show-goers over the standard-issue connection between a band and their creation and the audience’s emotions”If you ever get a chance to see them live, go!

Interesting project concept going on at If You Could: Collaborate.

Switching the traditional role of a sleeve designer and a musician, whereby the designer interprets visually the music of an artist. This proposal aims to switch the role. The designer (Build) will produce a series of images that the musician (Flying Lotus) will react to and interpret into music to accompany the images. The images will be projected in the gallery space with the accompanying music played alongside.

Damn son. Phoenix has an excellent new video for the song 1901. The director of the video has managed to use the projector as a light source-and the end effect is highly original. The emphasis becomes the stature of each band member. If I could describe this video in one word, it would be vertical. The video technique accentuates the length of each body. Great concept.

Daft Punk

Bodysong- soundtrack by jonny greenwood

David Byrne interviewing himself. The video clip that captured my young mind. This is my starting point. Why? Because the movie Stop Making Sense makes the most sense to me. Byrne states:

“I wanted my head to look smaller, and the easiest way to do that was to make my body look bigger. Because music is very physical, and often the body understands it before the head.”

Is he speaking of synesthesia? David is a very smart man. His words are vague enough for me to grasp onto. The body does understand music before the head, because it is a physical activity. It is only cerebral after it is physical. When you see a live show, the words become secondary. The performance is something you can sing along with after you have become familiar with the songs. Even if the lyrics are perfectly audible and digestible at a live show, the first thing you respond to is the tempo, the rhythm, the pulse of the music in your chest.

If he is correct, what influence can it have for a designer? I chose to investigate this question. I make things for a living- posters, websites, typefaces, and ideas. The logical first step would be to create projects focused on live performances. The iterations thereafter will lead me to my future.