At
first the internet and music videos have had a tenuous relationship
with one another. The ability to watch anything whenever you want
made TV channels like MTV and VH1, where viewers were given music
videos on the provider's schedule, irrelevant. In response music
videos began popping up around the internet, but even though the
medium changed the videos did not. Just recently bands like Arcade Fire began
incorporating technology available in computers and used it to create videos
that can only be experienced on the internet.
Every
video Arcade Fire creates pushes the idea of how people view music
videos on the internet further than anyone else. Arcade Fire videos
meld simple interactive elements from video games with aesthetics of
music videos into experiences that are neither
video-game-music-videos, or music-video-video-games. The latest
audio visual experiences from the band arguably fall into the
nebulous “internet art” category.
More
on specific videos after the jump. Speakers/Headphones, and HTML 5/Flash compatibility required.
Unlike
most of Arcade Fire's videos where the interaction affects what you
see on the screen, the primary interaction with Black Mirror affects
the sound. The viewer chooses which tracks within the song to listen
to. Want to listen to only the drums and the vocals? Done. Strings
alone? Done. Pressing the first six number keys toggles each sound
on and off. While changing the sounds may only appeal to those with
an inner producer. The video itself, which is full of homages to
German Expressionist movies, is well worth watching too.
The
haunting title track from Neon Bible started the trend of
incorporating interactive elements that affects the visuals. The
video simply shows the face of lead singer Win Butler against a dark
background with both of his hands laid bare. Clicking on or around
the hands changes their actions. At first, for example, the hands
toss an apple from one to the next, as the song progresses the
options change. Compared to some of Arcade Fire's later videos the
interaction in Neon Bible is fairly light, but it undoubtedly laid
the foundation for future Arcade Fire videos.
Even
without the interactivity, Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) is
an awesome music video. The cinematography emulates lomographic
cameras, creating a ethereal, retro look that evokes a nostalgic
feeling. All the backdrops in the video reflect the decaying sprawl
devouring our country which perfectly reflects the content and mood
of the song. Where Sprawl II really shines is the interaction with
the dancers in the video. The speed of your motions translates into
how energetic the dancers move around the screen. Stand completely
still and the dancers fall in an eerie loop that somehow always stays
on beat. Move frantically in front of the camera and the dancers'
movement match your tempo.
If
the prior videos don't change how you think of music videos on the
internet, The Wilderness Downtown will. The video (video is almost
an inadequate word to describe it) takes the idea of using your
internet browser as screen and flips it on its head. The Wilderness
Downtown draws on the distinct features of the internet and
incorporates those elements into a “video” that is unique for
every viewer. The video opens, moves, and closes browser windows in
time with the progression of the song. I'm afraid to say too much
more for fear of taking the magic away from experiencing it.
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