Off The Beaten Track

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Pioneering UK-based audio-visual duo Hexstatic (aka Stuart Warren-Hill and Robin Brunson) first turned heads with their innovative videos for Coldcut’s ‘Atomic Moog 2000’ and ‘Timber’ introducing a sampladelic fusion that took the template laid down by the likes of arch A/V pranksters Emergency Broadcast Network and Lucky People Center a few steps further alongside cutting-edge beats. Working on these first videos would mark the beginning of a long-running collaborative relationship that Hexstatic would have with Coldcut’s Matt Black and Johnathon More, which also featured them providing visuals milked to Coldcut’s sounds during an extensive world tour that saw them in Australia back in 1999.

While the ever-present bonus DVD disc is a commonplace occurrence now, Hexstatic’s debut album ‘Rewind’ (released through now-defunct Ninja Tune sublabel Ntone in 2000), saw them way ahead of the visual curve, with an additional ‘Video’ CDROM containing enhanced video components for each of the album tracks included alongside the customary audio CD. Now, four years later, Hexstatic’s brand-new second album ‘Master View’ shows them taking the approach further alongside quantum leaps in technology, with a companion DVD presenting the tracks in 3D, no less (complete with funky glasses). ITM’s evilchris caught up with Hexstatic’s Stuart Warren-Hill to find out about making videos in 3D, working with Coldcut and just how music leads the visuals (and vice versa).

ITM: What influences / events led you to become interested in working with A/V technology, in particular as an accompanying visual element to musical performance / DJs? How did you first start working with Coldcut / Ninja Tunes on their visual elements for live shows / music videos?

SWH: I had been doing club visuals since the late eighties and was always interested in electronic music. I was a founder member of the Big Chill, in charge of visuals. It was very important that the visuals were as important as the music. I met Matt Black (of Coldcut) at the first Big Chill. I had seen him on TV talking about how computer art equals contemporary art. He had an already established multimedia company; Hex Media with Robert Pepperel. I started working in the Hex studio and began VJing at their club Stealth at the Blue Note and various parties. Then I started experimenting with cutting up video to make musical sequences. The first video I made was for Coldcut’s ‘Atomic Moog 2000’ and then the ‘Natural Rhythms’ trilogy. The third part of this was the award winning ‘Timber’. I met Robin at the Channel 5 launch party where we both worked on the visuals. He also began to work on Coldcut’s ‘Let Us Play’ album and did those classic Coldcut 3D characters used on the cover. We worked together on the ‘Beats and Pieces’ video too. After the ‘Let Us Play’ album was released and with the success of the single ‘Timber’, we decided to go forward as Hexstatic and create a fully audiovisual album ‘Rewind’ (released in 2000 through Ninja Tune).

ITM: Like your first album 'Rewind', 'Master View' comes with a visual section containing a video for every album track, but whereas the previous album included a CDROM with videos, the new album takes advantage of DVD technology. Was this a technology that simply wasn't previously feasible / ie. in its fledgling stages when you were making 'Rewind'? DVD seems a format especially suited to an outfit like Hexstatic, where the sounds and visuals combine to tell the full story - is this a standard format that you have planned for future releases?

SWH: We always wanted ‘Rewind’ to be a DVD release, but it was very expensive at that time. Now we regret it, but it was released on DVD in Japan as part of the Gas book series. We plan to re-release ‘Rewind’ on DVD in the near future...we hope.

ITM: Were you responsible for the concepts, design and production of all of the videos included on the DVD, or did you work with other production studios / teams?

SWH: We had two videos made by other companies. We wanted Flash movies so they could be distributed on the internet, so we approached Weeble and Cheeky Beef to do some animation. They did a great job for us. But to be honest I would have liked to do all the videos ourselves and all in 3D but I think we would have had to spend another two years working on them. We did pretty much everything else on the DVD - it’s very much DIY.

ITM: Upon first listening to 'Master View', one of my first impressions was that it sounded more 'musical' (if you don't mind that expression), with the barrage of samples featured on 'Rewind' tracks such as 'Deadly Media' replaced with more
melody and a sense of groove. Was this a conscious aim when writing / recording 'Master View'?

SWH: I think this album is more music led than ‘Rewind’, so more tracks lead the visuals. But ‘Pulse’ for instance was made with the visual coming first and then creating music to fit the visual. We always experiment - there is no fixed way to do audiovisual.

ITM: One thing I noticed upon watching the DVD for the first time was that many of the tracks that don't immediately seem conceptual become more obviously so upon watching the videos, such as the videogames / Pong FX rhythm in 'Extra Life' and the toy catalogue theme of 'Toys Are Us.' Obviously your audio tracks only provide half the experience, with the visuals being a greater attempt to put them into context?

SWH: As a rule all of our music is accompanied by visuals. We feel that it is a good thing that the music stands up for itself but prefer people to watch and listen as it makes sense. It’s funny when people like our music and then they come to enjoy it far more when they see the videos.

ITM: I also felt that 'Perfect Bird' in some ways was like a further exploration into some of the themes examined in your 'Timber' video for Coldcut, with contrasting images of caged and wild exotic birds replacing the images of clearfelling - was this a conscious decision?

SWH: I'm really glad you spotted that as I'm sure that some people may not see the hidden meanings sometime evoked in our videos, but yes the ‘Perfect Bird’ video is funny at first but the birds and parrots I filmed in Brazil were in a bird sanctuary only two miles from the amazing waterfalls and rainforest that also appear in the video. You couldn’t help feeling a little sad for the birds who were kept in enclosures for human enjoyment.

ITM: How did the link-up with New Flesh MC Juice Aleem come about for album track / video 'Distorted Minds'? The video is one of the most striking I've seen this year, especially the pictorial representations of Juice's lyrical flow that tumble from his mouth - any plans for this to be a future single?

SWH: We knew Juice and had been on tour with him before. Robin contacted him because he wanted a rap for a track he had been working on. It’s a real stream of consciousness and Robin had the idea of a video where we had an image for every word he says. I filmed Juice in the lift where my studio is, I shot him in 3D. Then we got images off the internet that had relevance to what he was saying. There are heroes, enemies, as many distorted personalities we could think of, and some silly jokes too. We all had input into what pictures were selected. It took time to do and it is my favourite video on the DVD.

ITM: I'm not sure I've had the chance to don ye olde red-blue 3D glasses since I was 16 and saw Nightmare On Elm St 6: How did the decision to create 3D versions come about? Are they difficult to create?

SWH: We wanted to push what we do further in some way. 3D was a natural step and fun also. We had to make two versions of the videos and you have to create the 3D videos in a certain way that takes time. I think we are crazy for doing this but glad we did. I think it’s a possible stepping stone towards exciting possibilities in regards to 3D technology used in IMAX, TV and clubbing environments.

ITM: I understand you've also released a number of bootleg A/V releases under the 'Exactshit' moniker - what do these involve?

SWH: Basically these are cut up fave tracks with video that we have used in our shows over the years. We wanted to put out a white label video bootleg DVD of a collection of these videos and sell them at our shows. Because it’s pretty illegal we decided to use a different name for this. Exactshit is an anagram of Hexstatic.

ITM: How would you describe the live show that you're about to take on tour through the UK / Europe - any surprises in store? Any plans to visit us in Australia soon?

SWH: We have remixed the tracks so they are much more dance floor drum and bass etc. We’re also showing some of the older stuff from ‘Rewind’ and of course the AV bootleg dance floor fillers. The shows are going great. We love playing in Australia and can’t wait to tour there soon. Hopefully mid 2005! Let’s hope.

Hexstatic’s ‘Master View’ combined CD / DVD album is available locally now through Ninja Tune and Inertia Distribution. For more information, check out http://www.ninjatune.net and http://www.hexstatic.tv.

In The Mix Reported on Tuesday, Nov 16, 2004

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