Premiere: Arp – Pulsars E Quasars

Music

We've managed to get our hands on the premiere of Arp's new music video for his psychedelic and melodic single 'Pulsars e Quasars'. Shot only on Super 8 by Paul Clipson, the visual accompaniment to this already ear-pleasing piece will surely help to soothe your brain after a long day in the office;

'Pulsars e Quasars' is due out on Sept 22nd. Order here from Mexican Summer.

LISTEN

Arp - Pulsars E Quasars [Official Video]

We managed to get a few words from the man himself on how the collaboration came about:

“Unlike a lot of video makers these days, Paul hasn’t particularly cared to make a video before. Though sound/music is very important to his films – he recently made a feature-length film in collaboration with Grouper, for example – he’s simply, and adamantly, an experimental filmmaker. He doesn’t use a digital camera – he works in Super 8 and 16mm film. And though his work is incredibly inviting, he likes challenging the viewer a bit.

We’ve worked together before, usually when he’s asked me to do live scores to his films and they’ve tended to be longform drone pieces, usually with analog synths. But this time, I asked him if he’d be up for doing something different: a video! I played him the song. He liked it. We talked about imagery, the quality of film – he used Super 8. Then he made it. That was it!

The result was interesting – as collaborating usually is! It’s funny because I’ve always felt the song had an Autumnal quality. More cobblestone than beach. But Paul puts us on the beach, just before fall, when summer is still present, a time we have a hard time realizing is still here because we know what comes next. The opening section, with the phased guitar and the beach scene, even feels rather surf–y!

Paul does his editing in-camera, as he shoots. It’s very of the moment in that way – essentially the opposite of digital post-production. It can be overwhelming at first. Just a lot of bright movement, going by at hyper speed. But the quality of the film has a softness to it, like a lens into a dream. It’s sort of like walking down stairs. If you start thinking about what you’re doing, you might trip. You sort of have to trust yourself, remember that you’ve done this before and you’ll be fine, which in this case means leaning back and letting the images whirl by.

My favourite section centres on the bridge, beginning around 2:45. The imagery shifts entirely and the double and triple–exposures are just stunning.”

Arp - Pulsars E Quasars [Official Video]

We managed to get a few words from the man himself on how the collaboration came about:

“Unlike a lot of video makers these days, Paul hasn’t particularly cared to make a video before. Though sound/music is very important to his films – he recently made a feature-length film in collaboration with Grouper, for example – he’s simply, and adamantly, an experimental filmmaker. He doesn’t use a digital camera – he works in Super 8 and 16mm film. And though his work is incredibly inviting, he likes challenging the viewer a bit.

We’ve worked together before, usually when he’s asked me to do live scores to his films and they’ve tended to be longform drone pieces, usually with analog synths. But this time, I asked him if he’d be up for doing something different: a video! I played him the song. He liked it. We talked about imagery, the quality of film – he used Super 8. Then he made it. That was it!

The result was interesting – as collaborating usually is! It’s funny because I’ve always felt the song had an Autumnal quality. More cobblestone than beach. But Paul puts us on the beach, just before fall, when summer is still present, a time we have a hard time realizing is still here because we know what comes next. The opening section, with the phased guitar and the beach scene, even feels rather surf–y!

Paul does his editing in-camera, as he shoots. It’s very of the moment in that way – essentially the opposite of digital post-production. It can be overwhelming at first. Just a lot of bright movement, going by at hyper speed. But the quality of the film has a softness to it, like a lens into a dream. It’s sort of like walking down stairs. If you start thinking about what you’re doing, you might trip. You sort of have to trust yourself, remember that you’ve done this before and you’ll be fine, which in this case means leaning back and letting the images whirl by.

My favourite section centres on the bridge, beginning around 2:45. The imagery shifts entirely and the double and triple–exposures are just stunning.”