Half-Year Round Up 2013

I've been too busy to notice how time flew by...

In November I shot a clip for a new song of my friend Kaya. It actually depicts the way from my Berlin home to the area around Rheinsberg, where I grew up in the countryside outside of Berlin, so it features a lot of places I have known since I can remember.



In February I edited two research-heavy image film loops for Radio Fritz (rbb). One to be used around the 20th anniversary of the station and one to be used as sideshow entertainment at Fritz presentations.



Researching the material involved a couple of night sessions alone in the TV archive of rbb in Potsdam and going through the VJ archives at Fritz itself. The quality of resolution of the footage varied quite a lot, but I think the Fritz spirit comes across.



In April Stefan Fähler directed a promo clip at Con Men for Berlin event series Gegen as part of their "Gegen Innocence" party. I only provided location, set up and VHS transfer but his work turned out so nice, also thanks to the flowers provided by Mark Colle and the performance of Claudia Kent from the Crime Video "This Party Blows", that I feel it cannot get enough exposure.



Speaking of Crime. The show featuring the visuals mentioned below has travelled on a tour around Europe and have even made it to NYC. Here's a little one shot take of them performing "Other Kids Lives" at Berlin's Südblock that I shot some months ago, that you might like if you like them. Which you should, because they are great.



Last, but certainly not least I have been doing something for the first time. Doing presentations at a conference, the radiofestival "Vmeste - Radio" in Moscow talking about my work as a morning host and reporter at Radio Fritz.

© Pawel Kartaev

I really have to thank Natalia Vlasova and Ekaterina Solomina from the foundation for independent radio broadcasting (FNR) for the invitation to this event at the end of May. Those were really some great days in the russian capital with a lot of new friends and many interesting points of view on the profession we share. 

August recap, belated I know 2012

What is it about August? It happened again. Weird.

This time I've been shooting a short piece on Berlin music duo Anne Haight. This bit was produced as an introductory film to their performance at the New Music Award 2012, given out anually to the most promising newcomer with nominations coming from all of the young public radio stations of Germany, including Fritz, whom they were nominated by.



They showed up with a range of weird instruments including a kalimba and a sansula as is the custom when they play a stage. They played a 15 minute set. They didn't win but should have. Whatever, I'm quite sure they'll find a growing devoted audience in no time, since they're not only talented, but also very charming and fun to be around.

The clip has been used for promotion leading up to the event, was shown at the intial award ceremony at Admiralspalast Berlin on September 9 and was subsequently broadcast on nationwide digital TV channel EinsFestival (ARD) and regional TV station MDR as part of their coverage of the show.

In 30 years we're gonna look back at this and...

...not see our ridiculous haircuts, the by then painfully outdated clothes, gestures that don't relate to comtemporary life anymore, won't have to explain why we briefly dated that person and above all: we won't wonder what blur of a band that is on stage.

We'll have this:

We can get this out of the shelf and wholeheartedly say: I might 
not be in the picture, but this is where I was, that is what I
loved and "here, have a look! this is what it felt like!" All the 
bands and places and situations that we saw with our own eyes or 
for some stupid reason missed out on. We'll reach in the inside of 
the cover and put on the music compilation that came with it.




And then we can skip to the credits of the book and prove we 
knew back then that we would want to have this in 30 years. 

This is an emotional pension plan, so skip a payment and pump 
some money in this beauty to make it happen! First step: klick on
the picture below!*



*text applies only to you if you have enjoyed alternative rock 
music nightlife in Berlin between 2006 and 2011 thanks to 
Deerhunter, Sonic Youth, Lower Dens, Tortoise, Future Islands,
Stephen Malkmus, Les Savy Fav, R.E.M., Mudhoney, Times 
New Viking, Sea And Cake, Kurt Vile, Dinosaur Jr., Bear in 
Heaven, Lambchop, Dirty Projectors, Calexico, Fleet Foxes, 
Caribou, Mogwai, Deerhoof, Chris Corsano and more or if you 
wish to give that impression, even if only in 30 years. 

One look at the past, one look to the future

One look at the past: At the very end of his successful tour, Marsimoto gave his fans a special treat on April 14, playing to a hundred of them at Fritz' studios. Everybody was supposed to wear green, which colorblind me failed at, of course.

For those not in the know, Marsimoto is the alter ego of German rap star Marteria. And whereas last August Marteria pondered on the eternal question, if the beat or the rhyme was there first, Marsi comes clean on all things green. 

I could describe how great that intimate gig was, but the little piece I shot should be able to get that across by itself. 

One look to the future: In a month that seems to be filled with people I shot before, I worked with the guys from Essenz on the teaser to their new album "Mundus Numen". It's quite a simple little bit and more about a sonic preview than flashy images, but because of that well worth checking out.

August recap, belated I know

    
I've been shooting some shorts for Radio Fritz in August.

On August 1, The Subways dropped by for interviews and this one ended up being a sideshow attraction at the 2011 New Music Award.

Although they are the nicest people, I'm always tongue tied around them, which is awful, because they're really nice and I always come across like an idiot and I wish I wouldn't, because they are totally sweet... Oh well, you get the point...




Two days later on August 3, I visited the preperations for the 2011 artbase, held at an abandoned tuberculosis clinic in the woods outside of Berlin. It was a great afternoon, taking a stroll through the ruins covered by the work of artists like 44 Flavors, Just and Alias, to name but a few....

You should definitely check it out if you get the chance, the exhibit is beautiful and permanent. There is the plan to turn the whole area into a kids academy. Go here to find out, what exactly that could mean...




Finally on August 29, I shot this little piece with German hip hop artist Marteria on the roof of the Admiralspalast in Berlin. After the 5 minute shoot, we nearly killed Marten's buddy Christoph who crashed with a makeshift staircase we made him walk down. Sorry...

The clip previewed Radio Fritz' own music festival "Die Neuen Deutschpoeten" showcasing only current German language music by the likes of Clueso, Bosse and many more... Marteria performed there in front of 13.000 people a few days later. After that, he was all over the tabloids, albeit for other reasons....

Madeleine Bloom "Live at the Watertower" out October 15

On May 27, Madeleine Bloom was invited to the Watertower in Bernau, on the outkirts of Berlin. Only one concert is held there every year and the center stage of the tiny venue has been graced with legends like Tangerine Dream in the past.

A sold out event, a beautiful location and Madeleine made for a real memorable evening. I did my best to capture some of the magic with a 3 camera set up, despite having strained my wrist the evening before, pogo dancing with RP Kahl at the "Bedways" premiere at Volksbühne and thus wearing a bracer. I know, timing is everything...

Madeleine will release "Live at the Watertower" on October 15, featuring an audio part of 11 songs & 3 bonus songs from her Ivory Tower plus 4 exclusive videos of the songs "In Unison", "Zero Tolerance", "The Tide" & "A Little" from the gig edited by me. 50% of the proceeds go directly to a charity in Berlin that helps underprivileged children, so it's a win-win situation for everyone!

Madeleine edited another song that is not part of the "Live at the Watertower" download as a teaser. Here it is:

Orchestre Miniature in the Park presenté: Letztes Jahr im Sommer Outtake #2 "Hot Summer Nights"

I know, it's a low down dirty shame this one is not included in the film. But it's one of my three favourites, so you get it upfront as a kind of outtake/teaser and it isn't entirely lost.

Originally an unbelievably hysterical number by theatrical rock burger Meat Loaf, the Orchestre Miniature in the Park made this one completely their own.

Wait until each one of them exclaims "You took the words right out of my mouth!" and watch the crowd go all clip-clap with the band. Sorry again to the rugged lady in the front, I stepped on her a couple of times but she was so into the music, she didn't mind at all.

A sure-fire hit at every OMP concert and thus a must in the completion of appetizers leading up to the premiere of "Letztes Jahr im Sommer".

Orchestre Miniature in the Park presenté: Letztes Jahr im Sommer Teaser #1: "Le lundi au soleil"

A scene taken straight out of "Letztes Jahr im Sommer". Glockenspiel vituoso Sylvain Mazas brought up the idea of doing a take on this french classic song about what a waste beautiful mondays are. You can see him doing the dance that made the original artist Claude François famous, or was it the other way around, maybe?

Upon previewing the scene to several members of OMP it drew such great responses, that we decided this had to play a part in the promotion of the movie. Judge for yourself and if you can, be our guest at the premiere. Details two posts below.

Orchestre Miniature in the Park presenté: Letztes Jahr im Sommer Outtake #1 "Ca Plane Pour Moi"

Another clip from Paris 2009. This happened after some gig on the way home, when spirits were still high. Every night there was quite a hullabaloo on the trains we took as evidenced in many scenes of "Letztes Jahr im Sommer". This beautifully chaotic redition of Plastic Betrand's immortal anthem however did not make the final cut.

Orchestre Miniature in the Park presenté: Letztes Jahr im Sommer - Trailer #1

Last year in August, I accompanied the "Orchestre Miniature in the Park" on their 5 day tour through Paris. I had heard of them since I'm long time friends with their member Friedemann. They play only songs with the words summer or sun in the title and they only use kids instruments.

It turned out to be quite a task to try and capture 18 people with one camera. But it's done now. Above you find the trailer and if you can make it, OMP and I would be very happy to welcome you on June 3, 2010 in Berlin, when the film will be shown at Kino Babylon at 8:15 p.m. After the screening the band will play a concert, so it's even a 2 for 1 deal!