Datamoshing: Ye and Chairlift.

The internet has been going apeshit about "datamoshing" since the Chairlift video dropped and even more so with Kanye following suit in less than a week, so it seems almost appropriate that the best way for me to even blog about the damn thing is to get all meta and quote my own Twitter post:

Over two videos in just as many weeks, datamoshing got big and got played. Seems like Ye really reduces the shelf life of non-music shit.

The awkwardly named technique is essentially forced digital compression artifacting and has been around for a few years. The two videos just happen to be attached to two of last year's biggest alt-music acts, which can account for the exaggerated cyber response.

As for my take, I'm not one to hate on dudes for taking avant garde techniques and applying them to commercial work as that's practically been my bread and butter. I do, however, dislike how the effect was pretty much an arbitrary stylistic choice on both videos (Ye's obviously the one that succeeds in using it and overusing it in one fell swoop). To be honest, I'm not sure what song, commercial concept, or narrative could even justify the technique's intentional use, but I'm pretty sure these two songs aren't the ones to do so. And if you want to know, I actually like Chairlift's video more than the Kanye one, despite me being on dude's nuts and him taking the technique to its logical end.

You can watch the videos and read a little more about datamoshing after the jump.



KANYE WEST "Welcome To Heartbreak" Directed by Nabil from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.


Chairlift - "Evident Utensil" Music Video from Data Mosher on Vimeo.

Additional Reading:
A short rundown on the history of datamoshing.
motionographer.com: A more in-depth article about the making of Kanye's video.

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Flying Lotus: "Infinitum"

I caught FlyLo and the rest of the Brainfeeder crew a couple of months ago and I remember dudes talking about how this was the future. I don't disagree, but this new clip adds the argument that dude has his hand on the past and present as well-or maybe his chest like that Donnie Darko dude. Daniel Garcia directed this nice and surreal clip. Oh yeah, the track is nice, too.

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Fever Ray

When I Grow Up from Fever Ray on Vimeo.

I've been meaning to listen to the Fever Ray album for a week now and thought it would be a good idea to go through it now that it's all rainy and miserable in Southern California. What a terrible idea. All I want to do now is stay in bed all day with my cat as life passes by outside my window. Admittedly, this is my daily routine, but now that it comes with a terribly awesome soundtrack, it makes me realize how sad and boring I really am. Anyway, the Martin de Thurah-helmed video, "When I Grow Up", just dropped and it's as moody and weird as I expected. If The Knife had tried to do the same thing, I'm sure it would have ended up more like a cover of "Monster Mash" except with white chicks doing body rolls in the background, so thank God that it's for a Fever Ray track instead.

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Skeleton Boy

Friendly Fires 'Skeleton Boy' by Clemens Habicht from Nexus Productions on Vimeo.

If you know me at all, you should know by now how much I love Friendly Fires. They're three British dudes who I will stand behind, regardless of whatever football club they have allegiance to-that's saying a lot. Anyway, those blokes recently finished their video for "Skeleton Boy" and boy, is it a doozy. The track is actually is one that I skip on a regular basis, not because it's terrible, but it's been placed in the middle of two of my favorite songs. But seriously, this is one of those videos that makes the song sound better. Remember when that type of video used to come out regularly? I can't be the only one that does.

Bonus video of Friendly Fires' cover of Frankie Knuckles' "I Need Your Love" after the jump. Dudes cover house songs, whowouldathunkit?

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"Magic Man" by The Aliens

Fabian Unternahrer, the dude honored with my inaugural Image Of The Week and overall super cool guy, referred me to this reverse music video directed by John Maclean and Christian McKenzie for The Aliens. To be honest, this completely flew under my radar, so I'm glad that Fabian put me on. The video feels like an amalgam of Jonze, Gondry, and Patrick Daughters, which is a good thing. And the music is handled by former members of the Beta Band, so you know it's on point. Good stuff. On a side note: I was ready to declare a moratorium on the whole reverse video thing after Jaron Albertin's early Jeff Wall-esque take on Metric's "Empty". After this clip, though, maybe we should end it on a high note and put this particular horse to pasture.

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