8 Tracks: Of ’80s Public Access Television Broadcasts With Palmbomen Ii

 
Music

Having initially been drip fed throughout 2017 as a four part 12" EP series, Memories of Cindy – the stunning new project from Dutch-born producer Palmbomen II aka Kai Hugo – has now been released in full as a 2xCD package via Beats In Space.

The record is themed around public access TV broadcasts from the '80s, so that's the basis for the surreal, late night wormhole of an 8 Tracks selection. "There are so many public access television fragments online," Hugo explains, "but also a lot I cannot find anymore. Here are some moments that inspired me in editing, for composition of a shot, for fonts used in advertisements, for building sets etc."


Memories of Cindy is out now via Beats In Space and you can buy it here.

Don't You Want To Save Our Planet?

This clip was in my moodboard for my ‘Memories of Cindy’ videos. Also the guy could be a character in my world. I love the shots made in this clip. The plants and the one closeup fading into the other. This is almost directly how I would make a music video. “Don’t you want to save our planet? Because it would be good of us?”

  • Don't You Want To Save Our Planet?

    This clip was in my moodboard for my ‘Memories of Cindy’ videos. Also the guy could be a character in my world. I love the shots made in this clip. The plants and the one closeup fading into the other. This is almost directly how I would make a music video. “Don’t you want to save our planet? Because it would be good of us?”

  • Ten Forward Crank Calls

    Prank calls are part of public access television too. This is a program based around Star Trek and the hosts seem very ready for taking any insults while answering the calls. But it’s too easy to laugh about this. I like the enthusiasm of making these kind of outfits and creating such a set. It feels very DIY but in a good way. This is how enthusiasts make TV programs instead of how professionals make TV programs. I get very inspired by these kind of things.

  • Public Access Commercial From 1990

    This looks like fun. I can almost not image this is real but it is. These kind of things are dark and funny at the same time. I think my world of Carmel Vista has that too, it’s in a way my own utopian society but it has dystopian sides too. This was an inspiration for a darker side. Lots of darker things are in the commercials.

  • Vern Fonk Insurance Wishes You Merry Christmas

    Not sure if these are public access television commercials per se. I don’t even know actually if the format allows commercials. But these follow the same standards. It seems made for a very local market and they are made very spontaneous and fun. Some could be directly from a Tim & Eric show. Here are a couple I found. This one is Vern Fonk and he’s kind of a legend and has a whole collection of low budget videos that are funny.

  • Crazy Gideon Commercial

    This one has some straight Tommy Wiseau acting.

  • Eggroll Performs No Satisfaction, 1987

    There’s a lot of music on public access television. A lot of programs show local talent and it seems a lot of times there’s a lot of playback going on in these things. The title of the program seems to be The Models & Entertainers Network Program and I love the set where the ladies are sitting in that are presenting the show. The colors here, the plants. But the editing is just crazy. The editor just went all out with effects and cuts. It’s quite fun.

  • Tickle The Ivories

    It seems there are a lot of religious programs on public access television too, I guess because it was an easy way to spread any message. I really like just the concept, the shot, watching and laughing in the camera and playing piano. Entertaining people in such a pure and direct form. Also the name is so gentle, ‘Tickle The Ivories’.

  • Henrietta And Merna Cant Sing - Go Tell It On The Mountain

    This is such a classic. I guess a lot of tragedy in here, and anger. But also look at the shots. Shots of flowers. Background. Fades etc. I like how Henrietta is holding the mic.

  • Manhattan Cable - World Of Wonder 1991

    This actually explains the concept of Public Access Television very well. And has a lot of clips that are great. That motivational speaker in the beginning for example is good. I like these kind of characters.

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