The Seed

The Gallery / Litter / Live Shows

2009-06-04T19:28:00.001-04:00

Announcement: The opening of the embryoroom gallery.
Visit it here.

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Litter to Society, multi-media release, is now available world wide via iTunes.
Digital record / Long Form Motion Picture.

Buy it on iTunes here.

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Del Marquis and Embryoroom are performing the superfraiche show, at June, 10, 2009 at Canal Room, 285 W. Broadway and Canal, NYC. Buy tickets here.

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Spinner says, "Scissor Sisters Guitarist Steps Out for 'Society'"

Del Marquis is best known as the oft-suspender-wearing guitarist in the Scissor Sisters, but with his main band not quite ready to release a third album, he's been busying himself putting together four multi-form EPs.

"Everybody, right now, if they're smart, kind of has to re-imagine the way their music is perceived, the way it's bought and the way you disseminate it," he told Spinner about the series, which has his original music, remixes from friends Embryoroom and an episodic video element called "intersodes."

The darkly-tinged series, inspired by urban life, started in December 2008 with the 'Hothouse EP,' had a follow-up in March with the 'Character Assassination EP' and the third installment -- 'Litter to Society' -- the largest in the series, is due this month. And it turns out, 'Litter,' which features guest including Vula and Sharlene from Basement Jaxx, just might be the heaviest of Marquis' material.

"The title song, 'Litter to Society,' is kind of about an internal struggle... deciding between; Do I want to end it all? Do I want to press the red button? Or can I find something redeeming in life that will make me want to continue to live and be a part of society? It's kind of a question mark at the end of the song what my decision is and so we built upon that theme," Marquis said. "The release is really about urban decay and anxiety. It finishes with the idea of redemption and there is a sense of hope."

While he expects there could be a live date or two at Long Island City's P.S.1. over the summer, Marquis confirmed his main project -- the Scissor Sisters -- are hard at work on album number three.

"We've written a lot of songs. That's all I can say," he says. "I don't want to speak out of turn, but I would hope that we have an album out by the end of the year."
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Unreality Shouts' Gerard McGarry writes,

New Del Marquis music video - Litter To Society

Del Marquis, lead guitarist for the Scissor Sisters has been a busy fella, releasing a stream of new music lately away from the band that made him famous. His latest is a tune called Litter To Society, which has a fantastically large sound including funk influences, brass and a pounding rhythm as well.

Condemned To Rock And Roll describe the tune thusly:

This song is raw with funk and scratchy grooves, and its refrain of ‘child inside’ acts like a dream-like wake-up call to the id, inciting debauched freedom rather than reflecting the innocence of childhood.

From my admittedly limited knowledge of Scissor Sisters, this tune seems to be a complete departure from their sound, so fans of Marquis' work with the band might be a little fazed by Litter To Society. This is darker, funkier, full of social commentary and intriguing imagery. And I love the guitar work on this: clean, crisp and funky.

On the video:

Litter To Society is the title track and first single off Marquis’ newly released album. Directed by Embryoroom, the video flashes a constant barrage of black-and-white images across the screen as Marquis walks through different cityscapes. The internal struggle of an artist attempting to define himself in a world of distractions is evident through the scenes portrayed.

Hope that's enough information for y'all - the video's below for your audio-visual pleasure, and more of Del's work can be heard on his MySpace page."

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Aundergraund's Italian interview with Del Marquis. (pages 24-27)

Click for PDF (7.7 MB)

Not Only the Chords of the Scissor Sisters

DEL MARQUIS

Interview by Andrea Dasso

Sometimes, because of the images they project, or because of critics who judge on appearances only, some bands are quickly branded “plastic”, of scarce artistic substance, without anyone going to find out what kind of musicians comprise them.

Let’s take the Scissor Sisters, labeled a gay band somewhere in between glam rock, Elton John, and ABBA. In reality, the band is comprised of single elements of artistic valor – from mixers to songwriters and instrumentalists.

Between the 4 members of the band, one of those that remain the most obscure is surely guitarist Del Marquis (born Derek Gruen, 8/31/1977). In reality Del distinguishes himself not only with his elegant wardrobe on stage but with his guitar talent. In fact, he has his own website, delmarquis.com, and recently launched 2 solo EPs, Hothouse, in December 2008, Character Assassination last March, and he is about to launch the next two of his first solo project, 'Litter to Society' and 'Runaround’, showing himself to be a versatile and dedicated artist in multimedia (he was the producer of an electronic music DVD and he collaborated with interesting producers on the clips for his singles).

Acclaimed for his interesting solo project also on the influential site Popjustice, for the release of his second EP – Character Assassination – we had a chance to chat with Del.

Well Del, let’s start by talking about your new solo project: Why did you decide to do not an album, but a series of digital EPs? And in terms of sound, what are the main differences between that of your project and that of the Scissor Sisters?

--The concept of the EPs was to group the songs according to similar themes and styles. In collaboration with the team of video artists at Embryoroom, we tried to create “chapters” as opposed to an entire album. This is the most modern and relevant thing about the project. Every EP will have its hidden versions that are without a doubt more modern interpretations of the songs, drawing from them.

What artists inspired your EPs? I read somewhere that the sound of your first solo EP, for example, has a touch of Level42 and Tears for Fears…

--As far as the production, there are a few key influences. Tears for Fears in ‘Songs from the Big Chair’, Chaka and Rufus in their 'Masterjam’, Peter Gabriel with 'Peter Gabriel (Melt)' and Frankie Goes to Hollywood and their 'Welcome to the Pleasuredome’. The songs were born like a homemade project, a disc made on the computer, in many ways on par with the current trend. But it seemed like something without soul, and I wanted something hotter, mixing digital and analog sounds. I felt that the best of this was done in the early 80s when the two technologies were fusing for the first time, and so I focused on that for the sound of my project.

Can you tell us something more about the significance of the EP’s title “Character Assassination” and its songs? What did you want to say to your fans with these songs and what kind of stories did you want to tell?

--The title Character Assassination derives from a review of Kuvaputki. An impactful piece, but not really an intelligent review. I saw the same thing with the Scissor Sisters, and the same thing has happened with my music. Reviewing music is a business but it’s not interesting. I believe that the more an individual expresses himself, the more the public loves to criticize and destroy him. It started this way, but it seemed too easy to give all of this credit to a critic so I created a parallel story in which CA is a real person. It’s terrible to realize that how easy it is to have your own identity destroyed and all of the needles pulled out: we don’t live in a real word, but in a fake world made of projections. This is one of the deepest EPs: the ideas behind the songs run from suicide, to an assassin friend and to his victims. In decided contrast with Hothouse.

On your last album you worked with others like Vula and Sharlene from Basement Jaxx and Joan Wasser, who would you like to have guest star on your next work? Besides that, have you already planned the release of a new EP, and if so will it be available on iTunes worldwide?

--The songs have already been recorded, so there won’t be too many surprises (Tupac? Just kidding…). The next EP will be called ‘Litter to Society’, and in terms of theme it will be dark, but with more of a funky, blue-eyed soul sound. The songs are and will be available worldwide on iTunes.

What song from your solo project is your favorite? Mine is Hothouse for example.

--Mine is ‘Litter to Society”, it’s my epic song. It is a more than definitive declaration.

You also took part in the release of a couple of video clips, Chamber of Aversion and Character Assassination: can you tell us more about the release of these and what you wanted to represent with them?

--I think it would be better to talk about those with the guys from Embryroom who made them.

Embryoroom so far has made a couple of “intersodes” (sort of like an episodes in a TV series, but made for the web), two music videos based on the respective intersodes (The Third Rail & Hothouse; Chamber of Aversion & Character Assassination). When the various intersodes are completed, they will make a sort of film called Hazmazk which will revolve around a theme of “abduction phenomena”. This phenomenon, sometimes attributed to aliens, follows a series of events that happened and those who lived these experiences. It’s a mystery who or what controls them. The film connects with the dark tones of the music and the dark tone of the last 8 years. when people’s entire reality has seemed to have been “abducted”.

Let’s talk about your experience with the Scissor Sisters. How did you pick your stage name?

--Del is the diminutive of Derek in the UK. A newspaper called me that and it stuck on me. Marquis? It’s regal and pretentious, a perfect name for the stage.

How are you involved in the work of the band? Different websites say that most of the work in the studio is done by Jake and Baby Daddy. What is your role in the creation of songs or in choosing what type of sound an album or song will have?

--Jake and Baby Daddy are our principal songwriters and they are very good at what they do. I contribute in the studio and on stage and I think that what I can add in live performance is equally important.

On stage you’re always very elegant, well dressed, with sober tastes, very distant from the garish and flamboyant styles of Ana and Jake. Is this a calculated strategy, or is your stage dress your free choice? You seem like a guy who’s very aware of glamour and is in tune with fashion trends, do you have a favorite designer for your wardrobe on stage and in promo photos?

--I always capture images that interest me. Some designers help me with my image in various moments and guide me as to which direction I should move my style. Gaultier,

Ray Petri, Miguel Adrover. It would be unjust if I didn’t mention Prince, he has an enormous influence. Dandyism, Skins, it’s all mixed into his style.

With your band, you traveled a lot on the last tour, what was the funniest thing that happened to you?

--Getting stuck in an elevator before a concert (the opening sequence on our last DVD).

How did you feel after the great success of the Scissor Sisters’ last album? Did you ever imagine such success when you responded to the band’s ad and began your adventure?

--I had no idea. I fulfilled one of my fantasies, not bad…not bad at all.

Recently a compilation album benefiting the charity Warchild was made which contains a Scissor Sisters cover of Roxy Music’s song, Do The Strand. Can you tell us more about this project?

--I believe that the original singers (in this case Roxy Music) chose us for that song. It was fun and it made it possible for our fans to have something while we finish the album.

By the way, can you tell us something about the new Scissor Sisters album?

--Unfortunately no! Sorry.

Some questions from the Italian fans:

Giangiacomo asks:

What does Del Marquis do when he leaves the eccentric world of the Scissor Sisters and is suddenly Derek Gruen again? And, this is a more personal question, what do you think of the first months of Barack Obama’s presidency: are you satisfied with his work? And how did you experience the period before his election? Are you proud to be an American?

--When I’m not on stage, I garden, ride my bike, drink coffee, a lot of coffee. I find things that move me. I believe that the last elections helped me find pride in being American and an identity (although I think the long trips with the band were the first steps to that in a sense). And even if it were another republican, I would still be proud, because of the extraordinary people I know who make a difference every day and are American.

Now Sergio asks you:

The Scissor Sisters have always had success with “collector-type” fans, making singles in various formats, vinyls, DVDs, and now you’ve decided to make only digital EPs. Why did you decide to produce your music this way instead of in the traditional ways? And could this signal a new trend with the Scissor Sisters themselves, with more digital releases and less physical albums?

--Physical CDs are dying, if they’re not already dead. You will see that the digital downloads comprise most of the market, with limited editions in box sets (physical releases) like those of NIN and U2 which are made only for a wealthy clientele. A group without a big and fanatic following will just do limited editions in vinyl in addition to the downloads. The idea of the album could die or be substituted by other formats. The consumers don’t like to wait too long or to focus too long on the same subject. There’s more freedom with the EPs, or with shorter albums. More freedom for the artist.

Let’s close the interview with two questions from fans: Giangiacomo asks if you could give Ana a kiss for him, and Sergio would like to know if Baby Daddy is single and if you could give him his cell phone number sometime.

--I always give a kiss to Ana, and yes, I believe Baby Daddy is single, and if he gives it to me, I’ll gladly give him Sergio’s cell number.

xDel

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Dutch magazine soundslike covers the release,

LIVE SHOW / TV / SCREENINGS /NEW RELEASE

2009-05-09T20:01:00.007-04:00

NEW RELEASE

Litter to Society, the latest collaboration from Del Marquis and Embryoroom, is slated for a May 26th release. Buy it on iTunes.

Condemned to Rock and Roll says,

"It’s been quite some time since the last Scissor Sisters album, and admittedly, they weren’t top of my mind for the past year or so. I was also completely unaware that their high-trousered lead guitarist, Del Marquis, was involved in several solo outings, including his latest collaboration with Embryoroom, a multimedia group headed by writer/director/producer Edward Quist and Michael Wargula. This album, called Litter to Society, will release digitally on May 26 via delmarquis.com and comes on the heels of two recent projects in the same series entitled Hot House and Character Assassination, respectively. Interspersed with regular instrumental interludes and featuring “shadow” tracks, which are meant to represent an ulterior personality of the work, Litter to Society is a continuation of a larger narrative; this work, along with the preceding other two, come alongside a video element, which follows Marquis as the character, Viz, “who has been abducted by a mysterious force and taken into a world where he is seemingly ‘dissected’ emotionally and psychologically, therefore forced to confront his fears.” Marquis describes the theme for Litter to Society as “an account of depravity in modern life, told through songs about urban and social decay. Within each moment, there is hope, the ‘child inside’ and the possibility of redemption.” Treading a Blake-like dichotomy of innocence and experience, Marquis and Embryoroom take this romantic notion and give it a sci-fi, existential gloss.

In some ways this record is bright and shiny with the biggest, 80s-style production, flouncing about in bolshy excesses; then at other times, it is highly subdued and the brashness is tempered either into a subconscious humming or a glistening renewal. The record opens with the title track, which begins with a chorus of soulful female vocals. Rather than mere icy electro, this song is raw with funk and scratchy grooves, and its refrain of “child inside” acts like a dream-like wake-up call to the id, inciting debauched freedom rather than reflecting the innocence of childhood. Marquis’s vocals leap from seductive, low tones to higher, soul-inflected cadences (reminding me a bit of George Michael in places), revealing the struggle between gritty experience and wispy purity; however, this dialogue ends while the last minute features pared back instrumentation and old-style crooning. There is then a rather brief instrumental interlude called Backroom, which sounds like the rough hum of laser bars on an electronic cage, pulsing to a tribal rhythm and surreptitious approach. The suspense lifts to display the first “shadow” of the piece: Litter to Society Shadow, a darker re-imagining of the first track. This time, the track features liberal use of vocoder and the brass section is replaced by angular shades of synths and drum machines. There is a more mechanistic, industrial feel that recalls Depeche Mode, and rather than explosions of sonic colour, the new version, filled with distortion, moves like a re-animated automaton sparking with a network of cold, blue lightning. Freewheeling hedonism seems to be replaced with a pervasive economy of movement and rigid, clinical enjoyment.

Another instrumental interlude appears as AKL Shadow brings the high-gloss synth-funk back with bass and brass. Instead of the tension of Backroom, this track feels lighter and freer, and it reaches its climax in the following song, Any Kind of Love, a strutting, preening piece backed by a full, soulful chorus of female backing vocals. As horns wail and synths squeal, it feels like the room is awash in a mardi gras of flavours and influences, and all inhibitions are drowned out by the sheer size of the sound. The other, colder side of the album reappears with Bug and its use of cleaner, stuttery beats. A vocoder surges like a misfiring circuit beneath the clicking rhythm until the last quarter takes a melodic turn, sending light haloes of sound puffing into the air like laconic smoke rings. Entitled Backroom II, the next track does, indeed, act as a sequel for Backroom with its sonic slices and whistles sounding like the whetting of some neon blade or an ensuing duel in the dark. The brief, weaker reprise of “child inside” precedes the metallic battle sounds as though the bacchanalian party is becoming a distant dream. The rapidly dissolving reverie continues to the last minute of the song as a nearly monotone voice declares, “there is only time and space and the gap between them.” The album concludes with I Believe In You, a surprisingly vulnerable ballad of acoustic guitar and piano with a tender vocal performance from Marquis. The dirty female chorus is replaced by angelic voices as the narrator appears to re-discover himself and find the latent spring of self-worth. In its wide-eyed, earnest prettiness, its contrast with the slick excesses and the mechanical conflict of the earlier songs feels like the dispelling of a swarm of black butterflies.

While I no doubt enjoy the styles of music Litter to Society explores (this kind of soulful synthpop is right up my alley), what truly grabs me about it is how it is attached to a much larger concept, which has obviously been carefully crafted and encompasses multimedia elements. Using massive production and a brilliant mixture of the earthy and glacial, Marquis takes on some fascinating existential and moral quandaries while telling a bildungsroman for the postmodern paranoid. I’m now very curious to explore the earlier installments of this series and look forward to seeing how the fourth and final installment unfolds."

LITTER TO SOCIETY PRESS RELEASE from Musebox,

"A formally trained furniture designer, Marquis had no intention of becoming a musician. “I practiced a trade and loved to build things, that is one of the main reasons I started playing guitar, it is such a beautiful object.

Things didn’t go as planned and Del joined the fledgling nightclub act, Scissor Sisters. “In NYC, September 11th left so many people in a state of confusion; what you thought was your future path, was very much uncertain. I think those events allowed me to take a risk, and see what might happen with music.”

As lead guitarist in Scissor Sisters, Marquis has seen two world tours culminating in three sold out shows at London’s O2 arena. Scissor Sisters have sold in excess of 4 million albums worldwide.

Marquis felt it was necessary to make music of his own after so much time touring and recording as a band. “I had an idea to do a pop album, but paired with darker themes than what felt comfortable on a SS album. I wanted the music to be melodic and the production to be big, in that I referenced 80’s production, and the records that most successfully incorporated the dawn of digital gear with analogue techniques.”

Marquis settled on the concept of a multi-media project that would roll out in smaller doses all leading toward a large, complete vision. Working this way allows the project to evolve and take spontaneous turns en route to the finish.

The releases aren’t all retro synths and British homage; Embryoroom multimedia group concepted another side to the project.

Together, Embryoroom and Marquis worked on the idea of the ‘Shadow,’ an ulterior personality of the work. “We wanted to show a darker side to pop music, how the same song can be reinterpreted to represent a different style and emotion.” These versions are called ‘Shadow tracks” and are featured as separate tracks in each installment.

The final element of the project is an episodic Science Fiction video, entitled ‘Hazmazk,’ this visual narrative (often starring Marquis as Viz, a character subjected to examination and abduction) is filled with striking motifs and dark content.

Says Marquis, “Its important to have strong visuals as an identity beyond the sound, and although we didn’t necessarily want to create music videos as the sole representation for the project People don’t absorb things in two or three dimensions anymore, its 5.1 sound verses a stereo mix. I feel the project is unlike anything that is currently available commercially, especially given that it is DIY to the core.

Following the first two well-received installments – Hothouse, released in December and March’s Character Assassination, Del is gearing up for the May 19th release of Litter To Society. The 9-track work continues his experimentation in blending emotional themes and a forward-thinking vision with a classic synth-soul-pop palette that recalls pioneers of the sound such as The Human League and Tears for Fears merging with more experimental instrumentals.

“Litter To Society is the most intense thematic release of the series,” says Del. “It would be impossible to divorce one element from the other, i.e. the visuals, the songs, the interludes; each element works together to tell a story.”

“It is an account of depravity in modern life, told through songs about urban and social decay. Within each moment, there is hope, the ‘child inside’ and the possibility of redemption.”

See Del Marquis.com's Litter to Society page.

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THE THIRD RAIL CHARTS

The Third Rail reaches number 7 in SciFi/Horror on Amazon on Demand and number 61 over all in digital download.

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MASTERING AT UNIVERSAL

Del and Embryoroom mastering Litter to Society at Universal Mastering Studios.

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CHARACTER ASSASSINATION

Character Assassination had its national network debut on the Viacom networks Easter Sunday.
See some of Del's interview on IDFLD here, and on Logo's site here where he hosted NewNowNext PopLab.

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Pop Matters premiered the video for Character Assassination, by Embryoroom. See it here.
or see it in High Quality here.
It is also available from iTunes here.
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POPJUSTICE covers the release of Character Assassination.

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LIVE SHOW AT THE ENVOY GALLERY

Del Marquis and Embryoroom performed a live set at the Envoy Gallery to a warm reception.
Visit their site here.

From left to right, Michael Wargula, Del Marquis, and Edward Quist.

See more.

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RELEASE OF CHARACTER ASSASSINATION

Embryoroom releases "Character Assassination EP"

Character Assassination is the second release in a series from Scissor Sister guitarist, Del Marquis. The EP was released on March 3rd by Embryoroom.

The first in the series, the Hothouse EP, was released in December 2008. Character Assassination showcases another side to Marquis’ talents and offers a greatly different collection of songs from the Hothouse EP.

The themes of the songs on Character Assassination reflect the music’s diversity, and Marquis delves into such off-the-beaten-track subjects as the thin line between happiness and despair (Character Assassination), the thoughts of a murderer and their victim in a nightclub (Raise The Level) and the fragile state of the human ego (Harmony Park).

The EP features a host of impressive guests, with Vula and Sharlene from Basement Jaxx on Raise The Level and Joan Wasser (otherwise known as Joan As Police Woman) on Untitled.

Also included are two ‘Shadow’ tracks by Embryoroom and Marquis. These tracks re-envision the idea of the remix as complete reinterpretations of the tracks Character Assassination and Raise The Level. From production to instrumentation, the Shadows present a darker and decidedly less pop approach to the songs.

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CHAMBER OF AVERSION

As before, Character Assassination will be released alongside the latest installment of digital motion ‘Intersodes’ which will come in an episodic form with each EP.

The second Intersode, Chamber of Aversion, picks up where we first left Viz, the character played by Marquis. In the midst of his abduction, we follow Viz through a dark world where he is examined physically and electronically, emotionally and psychologically.

The second Intersode, The Chamber of Aversion, was released in conjunction with Del's second EP, and is available on iTunes in a ten minute edit, available here.

The Intersodes are descibed as such,
"--In nearly all modern cultures the "abduction phenomenon" has been reported. Abductees or "experiencers" have varied, many, and often far flung explanations of what is being done to them or by whom. While the true nature of these events remain a mystery and scientifically unconfirmed, the anecdotal evidence of the phenomenon is overwhelming.

These experiences share some or all the following phases.

Capture.His journey is marked by distinct episodes of his abduction.
Examination He is taken from earthly surroundings to other worldly environs
Conference He is subject to scientific and medical procedures.
Tour He is spoken to by non-human entities, and shown around his place of captivity.
Loss of Time He has missing time, and is returned.
Theophany While unsure if this experience is malign or rewarding, he is closer and at one with the universe.

Here we follow VIZ, in the midst of his experience. Abducted by non humans, experimented on and brain washed, Viz continues his dark journey in the bowels of mysterious place that seems to have no beginning or end. He is examined physically and electronically, emotionally and psychologically. His strange captors speak. Though the language is his, he is only bewildered by the conference.
His heart beats madly, an is once again pushed to the brink of life and death."

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KUVAPUTKI SCREENINGS

An excerpt of Kuvaputki was screened at the Ikon Eastside, Birmingham. UK.

Kuvaputki was also shown at the Kunsthalle Wien in Vienna.

Pop Melody / Dark Imagery / Del Marquis and Embryoroom

2008-11-06T20:01:00.001-05:00

Embryoroom releases Digital Motion short Hothouse Shadow with Scissor Sister gone solo, Del Marquis.

Del and Embryoroom have created a series of digital motion shorts to be released in episodic form. The video project has a sci-fi edge that compliments the pop sheen of his solo EPs.

In the first video Del plays a character named 'Viz," shackled as his train speeds towards an unknown destination. Why he a prisoner and of whom remains a mystery. Viz passes in and out of consciousness, as waking and dreaming are a blur. His memory is manipulated and his identity scanned by a figure in the darkness. As Viz is identified and his visions absorbed, he seemingly becomes an image of his own fear.

Available exclusively at embryoroom.com and delmarquis.com.

Produced and directed by Edward Quist

Edited by Michael Wargula

Released October 31st, 2008

From Skope Magazine:

From Arjanwrites.com

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VIDEO OF KUVAPUTKI'S ITALIAN PREMIERE
AT THE MILAN FILM FESTIVAL
with an appearance by Edward Quist and Michael Wargula

Milan Film Festival

Edward Quist

Michael Wargula

Article from The Times Online:
SMALL WORLD

From his computer in Hopewell Township, Michael Wargula edited a movie that’s making a splash in Europe.

Wargula flew to Milan last Monday for the Italian premiere of “Kuvaputki,” an abstract film inspired by the music of Finnish techno duo Pan Sonic.

Visit www.nme.com — the Web site for esteemed British music magazine NME — to see a five-minute, black-and-white clip from “Kuvaputki.”

The movie hypnotizes and slams your senses with sci-fi imagery focused on the theme of a cathode ray tube, as found inside a TV or computer. Ghostly, almost subliminal visions of Pan Sonic sometimes appear, trapped inside a cathode ray tube (which in Finnish is “Kuvaputki.”)

I know, I know: It’s not exactly a boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl plot.

“While we were editing the film we were inspired by the unique atmosphere of Beaver County, especially the sinister atmosphere of the post-industrial, post-steel age and the remains of the steel works,” said Wargula, who edited the film for Brooklyn director Edward Quist.

No U.S. screenings are scheduled, though the DVD is available through Amazon.com.

The Italian Report

2008-09-14T23:31:00.004-04:00

The view from behind the mask reveals more than the eye can see.

Some sequences of the Hazmazk Anthology where shot over a three week period in Italy at various sites that house ancient Etruscan and Roman ruins. Much of the focus was on statues and in particular, a two thousand year old wall that bares the scars of time.

click for video

Available only from the Embryoroom Shop to coincide with The Italian Report, a triptych of 3 limited edition prints and an exclusive video download.

Click for details.
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Kuvaputki's Italian premiere will be at
The Milan Film Festival
on the 19th of September, 2008 at 10:45PM inside the Sempoine park and in the event of rain it will be screened on Friday the 19th at the
"Scatola Magica" room in the Teatro Strehler.

From the Milan Film Festival,

Kuvaputki, by Edward Quist, belongs to a different genre again, so essential and hypnotic that it seems to go back to the origins of filmmaking: the bare, pure graphic representation of the steady beat of music.

Kuvaputki, Finnish for 'cathode ray tube', started as a documentary and evolved into a brand-new kind of a music film. Menacing and hypnotic, ranging from intensely minimal, to sensory assaulting, abstractions are sometimes interrupted by visions of the duo trapped in the vacuum of the cathode ray tube.

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KUVAPUTKI REVIEWS REVIEWS FROM ITALY

Dagheisha writes,

I don't think I'm mistaken when I say that probably not even the shy Vainio and Ilpo Väisänen believed that they could achieve results like these by producing a DVD. In this era of technological stasis, it is still possible to satisfy any visual demand. Moreover, products like these have surpassed themselves time and again, becoming increasingly important players in the music industry. Nonetheless, Edward Quist has managed to create a real jewel of "counter-animation." In Finnish, "Kuvaputki" means "cathode ray tube". Sure enough, the American artist has allowed the New York performance of the two Finnish industrial engineers' Round the World Tour to be sucked into a black hole of an imaginary emotional cathode.It's roughly 40 minutes in which Pan Sonic's essence is rendered with the utmost drama, and the music seems to be the only way out of a slow and inexorable path towards absolute nothingness. The visual experimentation is extreme and magnificent, and hopefully this effort will become a point of reference over the next few months for other, similar publications.-- review by Divine

Article in Italian.

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Rapporto Confidenziale has a review of Kuvaputki and Hazmazk at the Sonar Festival on page 62. Click below.

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Nick Maritte has posted images from the Sonar Festival screening on Flickr, as well as Pan Sonic performing live at the event.

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NME has picked up on a lo-fi clip from Kuvaputki and has it posted in it's video section.

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Nebeklam, a Czech site, features the review of Kuvaputki from "boomkat."

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E-djs says,

The American artist Edward Quist is the person behind the direction of first audiovisual release of Finnish Pan Sonic. In collaboration with Derek Gruen of Scissor Sisters, culled from the peculiar sound experiments of Finnish duo it undertakes the visualization of the “incessant” low frequencies of Mika Vainio and Ilpo Väisänen. The idea of Kuvaputki was the creation of a documentary that would present peculiar live appearances of Pan Sonic. “The undertaking proved not to be an easy affair,” says Quist. “The sound of Pan Sonic has a very intense natural presence, the world of images that is presented in the DVD began to emerge through this aspect” adds the American director. “The idea was developed as a complete graphic synchronization with the live sound of Pan Sonic. From there the film developed further. The final result resembles more of a audiovisual narrative, which the characters, through the multiple stages of cathodic process have life, and live in the screen” explains Quist. “In substance we could say that we accomplished visual remix of a Pan Sonic concert”. This process is really impressive as anyone who watches the DVD will realize. The black and white film unites exceptionally with the sound world of the Finns capturing the spectator. While Kuvaputki is a high quality effort, it would not be an exaggeration for it to be characterized as a real work of art.

Article in Greek.

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IDFLD, writes of Hazmazk,

"BEWARE: THE VIDEO IS VERY SCARY - I ALMOST COULDNT WATCH IT."

-from the Scissor Sisters fansite.

Archive of post

Stay tuned for more.

Kuvaputki Premieres at the Sonar Festival 08 Becomes Bestseller +HAZMAZK

2008-06-19T21:54:00.011-04:00

Kuvaputki will premiere at the Sonar festival,
Friday 20th. 03:10pm

Saturday 21st. 12:00am,
screening one angle of the DVD, as well a mysterious announcement and preview of the forthcoming Hazmazk Anthology.

Sonar writes,

“Cathode rays are streams of electrons observed in vacuum tubes, i.e. evacuated glass tubes that are equipped with at least two electrodes, a cathode (negative electrode) and an anode (positive electrode) in a configuration known as a diode. When the cathode is heated, it emits radiation, which travels to the anode. If the inner glass walls behind the anode are coated with a phosphorescent material the incident electrons induce a glow” (quoted from Wikipedia).
Pan Sonic’s first-ever DVD release is the result of a collaboration between the Finnish duo and US digital artist Edward Quist, who produced complex cathode ray images to accompany Ilpo Väisänen and Mika Vainio's abstract electronic sound world.

The surprising simplicity and elegance of the black and white images is a perfect fit for Pan Sonic’s angular rhythms and abrasive frequencies. Co-produced by Scissor Sister’s Derek Gruen (aka Del Marquis), the initial idea of producing a documentary on Pan Sonic's live shows culminated in this abstract audiovisual tour de force."

Pan Sonic’s first-ever DVD release is the result of a collaboration between the Finnish duo and US digital artist Edward Quist, who produced complex cathode ray images to accompany Ilpo Väisänen and Mika Vainio's abstract electronic sound world.

Kuvaputki (40 min)
Dir: Edward Quist. Música: Pan Sonic. Editor: Michael Wargula.

Hazmazk
Dir: Edward Quist. Music: Del Marquis & Edward Quist. Editor: Michael Wargula.

Sonar's Multimedia Activities Program
The Museum of Moving Image's Calendar

Coinciding with the screening Embryoroom has a special offer.

Only 33 exist.

BUY IT NOW

http://buy.kuvaputki.com

Kuvaputki acheived number 1 in multiple categories at amazon.co.uk, amazon.fr and charted number 2 on amazon.de and 13 on amazon.com

Click for images.

Released worldwide by

Kuvaputki is now available stateside

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Target

Amazon.com

Circuit City

UK Rental

Tesco

sofacinema.co.uk

LOVEFiLM

VARIOUS REVIEWS

Downtown Music Gallery writes,

PANSONIC - Kuvaputki (Cathode Ray Tube) [DVD] (Blast First DVD09; UK) Region 0 NTSC. "I remembering seeing Pan Sonic back in 99' in Washington, DC with some amazing visuals (for back then) utilizing sound waves projected onto a small class room size movie screen. The 'immediacy' and sheer bare bones aesthetics appealed to me and allowed this listener to be fully pulled into the world of Pan Sonic. Now post-itunes era, these visual accompaniments by Edward Quist stream close to what the major conglomerates have regurgitated, but more so to fuck with and less to assimilate, much akin to Ilpo & Mika's choice for a band name. Their music continues in the thematic direction of pushing the boundaries of pulses and noise; and as you go deeper into the DVD you get less generic visual manipulation, and more visual noise! Visually triggering a soft spot in my memory bank of when I used to listen to music in the dark while staring at a strobe light. There is even some footage of Pan Sonic live in New York 1/24/00, where you see (a grainy video of) Ilpo & Mika up close knob-twiddling, which is located in the extras section. Too bad they didn't include a live section of the gig I witnessed. Epileptics beware! For those yearning for creative electronic music that straddles the line between recognizably hypnotic and absurd abrasions. The dvd also has an option for surround sound (for those who have that luxury). RECOMMENDED!" -Chuck Bettis/DMG

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Reviews From France,

Trax Magazine writes,

Sound and light. A really long time ago, well before the aesthetic plagiarisms of a certain Carsten Nicolai, Pan( a )sonic accompanied its brutal analogical explorations with the simplest visual device: a prehistoric electric oscillator reacting in real time to the diverse forms and the frequencies generated by the magic machines. A decade later, this DVD assembles a performance recorded in New York in 1999 with the strange black and white stroboscopic convolution of the artist Edward Quist, with the apparition, here and there, of the mute faces of the duo. More than a meanly illustrated live show, here is one true multimedia proposition, like a digital update of "In the Shadow of the Sun" by Derek Jarman and with Throbbing Gristle.

Article in French

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"Pan Sonic with a first DVD entitled "Kuvaputki" and produced by the American Edward Quist. This rich audio-visual documentary retraces the 1999-2000 Round The World Tour. The concerts are treated , visually speaking, in an experimental and unusual way, but this illustrates well the Finnish duo's electronic abstractions.

Article in French

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D-side Magazine writes,

In the experimental field, this live DVD has to offer a real innovative device, in order to compensate the absence of visual performance. In Pan Sonic's case, the experience had been attempted. . .with the help of the American filmmaker Edward Quist, [in Kuvaputki.]
Manipulating the cathode ray tube (which is what Kuvaputki means), Quist produces black and white abstractions, that respond to Finnish duo's music, especially composed of re-invented titles and fragments from A. Austere, of course, . . . as a real Pan Sonic book , this DVD proposes an experience that is minimal as well as hypnotic, sometimes interrupted by Mika Vainio's fugitive visions and Ilpo Vaisanen, absorbed on their machines like mechanical specters.
Like coming from a far away world that we could capture only from deficient antennas, Kuvaputki visions, from their hazardous legibility, makes them more precious.

Article in French

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Positive Rage writes,

"As the title of this DVD indicates it, it uses a very particular language that is between experimental cathodic performance on the borders of contemporary art and raw and minimal electronic performance. The American visual artist Edward Quist meets the Finnish musical duo and collaborate around a set performed in 1999. The cold and hypnotic buckles of the pair become the generator of very special artistic creation. In black and white, the oscillating forms succeed one another, evolve, build themselves and disintegrate under the influence of beats and frequencies. The atmosphere is closed, stifling and disturbing (it is not for the claustrophobic and those who are photo elileptic!) Difficult to maintain your attention in these conditions, unless you already have screens instead of eyes. The experimental Electro-Industrial, forbids emotion just like the free waveforms of Quist..."

Article in French

Stay tuned for more.

KUVAPUTKI / CATHODE RAY TUBE/ SET RELEASED 3/31/08

2008-04-02T23:25:00.015-04:00

The DVD is finally out in most of western Europe and the United Kingdom. With limited availability in Asia. Still no word on a Pan American release date. Stay tuned.

Look for it at

blast first petite shop
Rough Trade
Cargo Records
Amazon DE
Norman Records
Juno
Ear Rational USA
Rhythm Online
HMV Japan
Boomkat
CDGO Portugal
Tower Japan
Amazon Japan

Some reviews....

BOOMKAT writes, "American digital artist Edward Quist hooked up with the mighty Pan Sonic for this, their first ever DVD release, developing accompanying imagery for the duo’s monumental experiments in synthesis.
The main feature is the forty-minute audiovisual album dating back to 1999, combining Quist’s cathode ray visions with Pan Sonic’s uncompromising electronic sound world.
The first thing you’ll notice is just how well the two elements fit together: the black and white abstraction of the film ties into the extremes of the music - it’s at once grounded in principals of self-restriction and minimalism but always encroaches on overwhelming the viewer/listener.

In fact, sufferers of photo sensitive epilepsy will need to steer clear: in its more frantic moments the strobing can be fairly terrorising, even hypnotic.
Amongst the flashes of raw electricity and grainy waveforms you might find yourself surprised by the emergence of actual live performance footage from Vainio and Vaisanen, whose furtive knob turning looks positively surgical, in a setting that’s somewhere between CCTV and a phantom broadcast from some distant, Hebridean outpost with a faulty transmitter.

The music is predictably wonderful, revisiting the advanced sound designs of a time around Pansonic’s album, A.
The combined effect of the viewing and listening experience might be compared to an analogue approximation of Ryoji Ikeda’s Formula DVD, albeit with wraith-like human shapes occasionally rising from the tangled circuitry, reminding you that this is in fact a tour documentary at heart.
Highly recommended."

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EARPLUG MAGAZINE WRITES Directed by Edward Quist and co-produced by Scissor Sisters’ Derek Gruen (aka Del Marquis), Kuvaputki began as a documentary about Pan Sonic’s famously immersive live shows.

As a result, "a number of motion graphics were developed that would sync with the live documented sound and performance," says Quist. "From there, the idea evolved much further to include a kind of purely audio-visual narrative that included characters and suggests [the] inner life [that] goes on in a TV, as living energy. The various stages of the cathode process visually unfold." That process plays out across three tracks shot between New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Finland, each accessible in real-time as a discrete viewing angle. The structure of the three simultaneous angles — which spin live footage into ghostly projections — is such that images are layered "so that one might be adding, reducing, or revealing elements of the layers"