The burning undercurrent of pure mischief that runs throughout Portraits Of An American Family is what drew me to Marilyn Manson in the first place, and is subsequently desperately lacking in the rest of Manson’s discography. Although I count Antichrist Superstar amongst my favourite albums, there’s nothing quite like the fun and vibrant youthfulness heard in Portraits.
I had a really difficult time choosing between posting Dope Hat and Lunchbox, but ultimately the film clip for Dope Hat really sums up what I love about Portraits-era Manson.
Chicanery will always make you happy…
But we all know the hat is wearing me!
Rediscovering the quirky and experimental Icelandic beauty, Björk.
Hyperballad is one of my all-time favourite Björk tracks from her 1995 album, Post. A mix of a sweet (yet highly structured) melody and insidiously haunting lyrics, the accompanying film-clip was again directed by music video powerhouse Michel Gondry.
Never one to produce things ordinarily, the entire Hyperballad video and all the effects were shot on a single 400 ft roll of film, by multiple exposure and frame-accurate backwinding of the film strip. The graphics were shot as a series of secondary exposures using a TV monitor, and the flashing lights were created with an LED strip board, also exposed on the same piece of film. Extraordinarily, there was no post production or editing at all on this video, except the colour correction transfer to video. This was at the insistence, and under the technical direction of Gondry.
Described in 2007 by The New York Observer as “Still weird after all these years”, it’s a beautiful marriage for such a genre-transcendent musician who’s famously eccentric style and commitment to her artistry is reflected in that of Gondry.
…
I’m back at my cliff
Still throwing things off
I listen to the sounds they make
On their way down
I follow with my eyes ’til they crash
Imagine what my body would sound like
Slamming against those rocks
.
When it lands
Will my eyes
Be closed or open?
A comparison of one of my favourite Nine Inch Nails tracks; The Becoming, from the studio album The Downward Spiral and again from the remix album Still. I think I developed a better appreciation for The Downward Spiral version after I heard The Becoming on Still.
Which version of The Becoming do you like best?
I’m generally uninterested in remix albums but after copious enthusiastic recommendations I purchased Still and it really blew me away. Not a true remix album; it was produced as an accompaniment to the live album and DVD set And All That Could Have Been.
Maybe it was because the first time I listened to it properly it was on my iPod, at well past midnight in a deathly quiet hostel room halfway around the world – but I realised that sometimes it’s what you don’t hear that makes more of an impact that what you do. Subdued and deconstructed (just how I like my clothes) with only the barest essentials left behind; the guts that remain reveal the most powerful elements of this emotionally wrenching track, naked and beautiful.
Along with similarly deconstructed tracks Something I Can Never Have and The Fragile as well as unreleased tracks such as Adrift And At Peace; Still is a stunning aural experience.
Maynard is one of my favourite vocalists; his smooth, resonant voice commands the same power and strength live as it does on his albums. I am very rarely not completely captivated by his honeyed tone, brought to silence wherever I am to stop and listen; aurally seduced by his sound.
Seeing this posted in Australian INfront‘s forums the other day reminded me of how much this song affected me the first time I heard it all those years ago. It’s still one of my favourite songs of all time and such a hauntingly beautiful video.
Later I saw that Queen Michelle had posted The Beautiful People on Kingdom Of Style and it all just seemed to mesh beautifully.
The self-indulgent chronicle of fashion, art, graphic design inspirations, and personal style of a 20-something Melbourne-based jewellery designer and online retailer. More...
