The Not So Trashy

One of my recent obsessions has led me to further believe that I was born in the wrong era: Jazz.

Yes, big band jazz, suave stentorian singers, syncopated drum beats, gleeful trumpets and playful pianos. I’m talking about the 30’s, 40’s. There’s just something so joyous and laid back about the sound that urges me to don a flowery knee-length dress and grab a swing dance partner. It’s uber American. :3

Even though I’ve always admired those improvisers who can jam out to an insane tune that was conceived out of thin air (see: Art Tatum), I’ve never really thought I had the ability to replicate their free and nonchalant sound. When I improvise by myself, I feel kind of dumb, because I usually find myself playing something that I’ve picked up somewhere else. I’m classically trained; I have the mentality that I must experience official instruction before I venture into any musical unknown.

I did jam with my piano trio a year ago and THAT WAS REALLY FUN, but I haven’t found anyone since then who was willing to release their self consciousness and musical imagination with me and just… play.

Electroma

In a nutshell, Electroma is a 2007 movie centered on 2 robots who attempt to humanize themselves. Ironically, Daft Punk produced it but the duo didn’t play any part in the acting or movie soundtrack, even though the main characters were 2 robots who donned the same outfits that DP wears in concerts.

Anyways, it’s a little difficult to describe the, er, scope of the movie, because you probably haven’t watched anything quite like it before. It’s similar to one of those films you’d see in modern art exhibitions; abstract, broodingly/disturbingly impressionable, and ambiguous. Electroma would seem like nonsense for the first half, but it’s one of those films where you’ll sit wtf-ing for the majority and finally get run over with a lorry of shocking realizations and finally, satisfaction (see: Nothing But the Truth- highly recommended).

The entire movie is very, very slow and often tedious- some scenes take much longer than they should, and you’re tempted to fast forward (which I did). I highly recommend watching this while multi-tasking. However, it’s the monotonous areas of the film that gives it kind of an edge, and a uniqueness that is usually only present in artsy films.

I highly recommend Electroma, because it forces you to view it differently than just a movie..

Yeah this is all really ambiguous… you’ll know what I mean after you’ve watched it.

Download Electroma here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-433357417541455147#