What do we think of this? I watched the DVD a couple nights ago. Previously I'd only listened to the CD and already thought it was great musically - a real progression from his old stuff, working the minimalism into shorter sections with more drama, narrative, and purpose in the whole; using denser, darker, more dissonant harmonies; and of course, all the voices, both sung and sampled, in all their electronic fuckery all over the whole thing. But the DVD really adds another dimension. In one way it could maybe be limiting in that the sounds are sort of fixed in their meaning by the social/political commentary of the images. At the same time, the visuals are often just dazzling and are, even just aesthetically, a perfect complement to the music so that after watching I didn't see how they could even be separated. The way the talking heads in the last sections are spliced and layered the same way that the interview samples are treated sonically was particularly great. Another standout moment was the treatment of the film of Bikini islanders in the second part - when the photographs were stopped and then degenerated was really impressive. And it does force you to at least consider the issues that are raised, though I do tend to prefer my art a little less didactic. It's made me want to at least find out more about the Bikini nuclear tests and the Hindenburg zeppelin. Ultimately, this is a grand statement regardless of what opinion one has about its message. It's riding at my #3 album of 2003 so far.
― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 22:24 (twenty-one years ago)