semiconductor

Worlds In Flux : A DVD Of Short Films, Art-Works, Music Video And Live Cinema Documentation

Here's something a little different for Fat Cat - 'Worlds in Flux' is a DVD collection of audio-visual goodness from the acclaimed duo of Ruth Jarman and Joseph Gerhardt better known as Semiconductor. Since 1999 they have been wowing audiences with their marriage of experimental visuals and jaw dropping electronic audio which led to performances at the Warp Records Nesh nights in London and numerous worldwide appearances. Recently they were picked up by none other than NASA for 'artists in residence' posting at the Space Sciences Laboratory in California and the work which has arisen from this makes the centrepiece of the compilation. Called 'Brilliant Noise' the work is made from actual footage of the sun's surface and is a truly breathtaking experience, both grand in scale and beautifully intimate; but it doesn't stop with the visuals, Fat Cat commissioned a whole hosts of artists to record 'alternate soundtracks' to this piece. We have Max Richter, Our Brother the Native, Christian Vogel, Goodiepal (under the Gaeoujiparl moniker), Ensemble and more all providing what they consider to be the perfect soundtrack to this remarkable visual experience. As if this wasn't enough though, there's a collection of Semiconductor's music videos (for Mum, QT and Double Adaptor) and a wealth of short films and live cinema performances. The duo's deft hand at computer animation is showcased in most of the work, but I think their most interesting moments are when they take a step back and move towards more simplistic, architectural ideas, such as the gorgeous 'The Sound of Microclimates'. A jam packed DVD from one of the audio-visual world's most intriguing acts - a must see.