PASSION – MOVEMENT III
2020-2021 · Music Video + Live A/V · 16mm transfered to digital
Passion is a three movement work by Vessel for strings, voice and electronics, inspired by the writing of Clarise Lispector.
This film, by Pedro Maia, follows the path of a new life-form, a pilgrim on its journey to be free from the darkness. This experimental short film, translates Vessel’s composition into a visual journey between light and shadow, exploring the space between joy and pain, stability and instability and the idea of constant transformation. Is dissolution the way to redemption?
Music Credits – Producer, Electronics Seb Gainsborough Co-producer, Violin & Viola Rakhi Singh Vocals, Text Declan Pleydell, Huw Thomas Vocals Alice Zawadzki Scream Olivia Chaney ‘cello Ashok Klouda, Sarah Macmahon Bass Christine Sticher Mixed & Mastered Heba Kadry Developed at Somerset House Studios Film Credits – Featuring Erwin Werder & Tatiana Makrinova Film Pedro Maia Art Direction Phil Hoffmann Cinematography Masaya Kato Sculpture Sabrina Machado Casting ALTER / Jose Maria Tatiana Outfit HYDRA Film Lab LaborBerlin Film Scanning Korn Manufaktur Supported by Goete Institut
“Passion” Limited Edition Booklet
This limited edition book, designed and laid out by Sara Westermann centres around articulating the narrative of Vessel’s EP “Passion” utilising film stills from my companion film for Vessel ‘Movement III’ (if the telephone rings I’ll be saved).
These images sit alongside the movement’s lyrics, drawn from “The Passion According to GH” by Clarice Lispecto and re-assembled by Huw Thomas and Declan Pleydell to form the lyrical content.
The piece explores the mental health of the artist, not in such a way as to dwell on the negative but more specifically describing “an unwell mind that, whether or not it’s a good idea, is prodding around in a wound in the hope of feeling something transcendental, or more realistically, just feeling less bad”. The images themselves, taken from the manipulated 16mm from Maia’s film, tell of a visual journey between light and shadow, exploring the space between joy and pain, stability and instability and the idea of constant transformation.
The ambition behind this book is to create a more environmentally sound artefact to celebrate Paplu’s release of Vessel’s “Passion” than a standard vinyl release. Paplu will look towards ways to lessen their impact on the environment by looking to vinyl alternatives where there may be other options.
Concept, Design & Layout: Sara Westermann / Westermann Studio
16mm scans courtesy of Pedro Maia
Label: Paplu – Catalogue Number: Paplu002B
SOLD OUT
https://paplu.bandcamp.com/merch/passion-limited-book-edition-digital-dl
Edition of 50 – Signed & Numbered
Booklet Specifications
Size: 170x250mm
Finishing: Stapled & Trimmed
Pages: 40
Printing: Digital
Paper: 55gsm Sustainably Sourced Improved Newsprint
Printed by: Newspaper Club
All proceeds from this will go to Mind, an UK mental health charity
QUEEN OF THE GOLDEN DOGS
2020-2018 · Music Video + Live A/V · 16mm transfered to digital
PAPLU (LOVE THAT MOVES THE SUN) · MUSIC VIDEO · 2018
Pedro Maia’s video for Vessel’s “Paplu (Love That Moves the Sun)” draws inspiration from two works of art: On the one hand, the painting “Les Feuilles Mortes” by Remedios Varo serves as a visual starting point, while Clarice Lispector’s book“The Passion According to G.H”, written as a monologous introspection by a woman experiencing an existential crisis after crushing a cockroach, provides broader conceptual clues. “Paplu” follows an abstract, archetypical woman who is exploring the concept of constant transformation, both in herself and in the reality around her that occurs as a result of the internal process. The transformations represent multiple alter egos that all look differently at the same reality and the conflict between rational thought and human emotions. In her world, there are no rules, so whatever she imagines actually comes into existence. Landscapes, emotions, actions, and sensations are all fluid and change without warning and without necessarily making sense. Through this oblique and abstract narrative, Maia’s work explores the space between joy and pain. The video translates Vessel’s compositions “Paplu (Love That Moves the Sun)” and “Queen of Golden Dogs” into a visually idiosyncratic world, exploring ideas of excess, with echoes of something that is at the same time messy, glorious, thrilling, terrifying, and bigger than us, built up to a point where it becomes almost too much to bear. Maia wanted to create a space that looks at the Queen (symbolising Vessel, or part of him) and her world from new perspectives, being human, animal, or matter.
Shot over the course of four days between the north and south of Portugal on Kodak Super 16mm film, this work intends to be a bright and colourful music video in the form of an experimental short film. Just as in Maia’s previous work, analogue film and film manipulation take an important part in the creative process, feeding both aesthetic expression and the narrative. In this digital era, in which images are constantly and abusively being fed to us, “Paplu” pushes the viewer to a point of exhaustion through an overload of imagery and fast-paced editing. Maia’s specific interest in the material and physical elements of the analogue medium, which usually lie hidden within the image, highlight beauty in qualities that might otherwise be considered errors or flaws.
“Paplu” is the first part of the visual presentation of Vessel’s new LP “Queen of Golden Dogs”, which with added footage will conclude in a live A/V show jointly performed by Maia and Vessel.
Director Pedro Maia Music Vessel “Paplu (Love That Moves The Sun)” taken from the album Queen Of Golden Dogs Cinematographer Jorge Quintela Performer Olivia McGregor Bodybuilder Cristiana Rodrigues Producer Raquel da Silva Outfit/ Stylist AGF HYDRA Camera Assistant Pedro Bastos Box Construction Pedro Dourado, Ricardo Ramos Sculptures José Rodrigues Editor/Film Manipulation Pedro Maia Film Lab Andec Berlin Film Scan Korn Manufaktur Berlin Film Stock Kodak Vision 3
Thanks to Bando à Parte, Curtas Vila do Conde, Rodrigo Delgado – Videocine, CAAA Guimarães, Teatro Ribeiro Conceição Lamego, Fundação José Rodrigues, Pedreira Monte d ́el Rey, Rota do Mármore do Anticlinal de Estremoz, Dreamgym Póvoa de Varzim, Higher Studio London. And Rodrigo Areias, Cristiana Pereira (Kodak), Reiner Meyer, Patrick Mendes, André Gil Mata, Sousa Pereira, Isabel Maia, Sandra Rodrigues, Francelino Gomes, Miguel Perdigão, Ondina Araújo, Bruno Maia, José Branco, Sérgio Fonseca, Joana Silva, Afonso Lima and Patrick Hanrahan
QUEEN OF THE GOLDEN DOGS – LIVE AV
Live at Club To Club 2018 / Photo: Andrea Macchia
Live at Frue Festival Japan 2019 Club To Club 2018 / Video: Kensuke Kurasawa
Live at Club To Club 2018
Live at ID Festival Portugal 2018
LIVE QUEEN OF GOLDEN DOGS
Mutek Mexico MX 11/2019
Save Festival Moscow RU 11/2019
Mira Festival Barcelona SP 11/2019
Frue Festival Kakegawa Japan 11/2019
Curto Circuito Film Festival Santiago Compostela SP 10/2019
Volumens Festival Valencia SP 10/2019
Trauma Berlin DE 09/2019
Flow Festival Helsinki FI 08/2019
Visions Festival FR 08/2019
Walk Talk Azores PT 07/2019
100% Psych Madrid 05/2019
Jetztmusik Festival Mannheim DE 04/2019
Le Nuits Botanique Brussels BE 04/2019
ID Festival Estoril PT 03/2019
Rewire X Korzo The Hague NL 02/2019
Macau Milan IT 12/2018
Club To Club Torino IT 11/2018
TORNO-ME ELES E NÃO EU (FOR REMEDIOS) · MUSIC VIDEO · 2019
Following the release of Pedro Maia’s first visual accompaniment for QoGD ‘Paplu (Love That Moves The Sun), Vessel and Maia set out on a year of touring to support the LP. Across the year, Maia’s visual world, accompanying Vessel’s live show morphed and contorted as the set became second nature, organically finding it’s natural place.
As a sort-of celebration for the duo of a year in close proximity, travelling the world, this new video for “Torno-me eles e não eu”, the opening track to the QoGD live set was born.
The video follows explores the love story between the Queen and her shadow and draws inspiration from Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa’s ‘I don’t know how many souls I have changed’, a work exploring the battle between fate and free will.
Shot in Portugal on Super 16mm, Torno is the last piece of the puzzle within QoGD’s visual world sitting alongside the live show and ‘Paplu’. Maia translates Vessel’s 2018 album “Queen of Golden Dogs” into a visually idiosyncratic world, exploring ideas of excess, with echoes of something that is at the same time messy, glorious, thrilling, terrifying, and bigger than us, built up to a point where it becomes almost too much to bear.
PUNISH, HONEY
2017-2014 · Super 8 transfered to HD · Music Video + live A/V
DROWNED IN WATER AND LIGHT · MUSIC VIDEO
“Drowned in Water and Light” directed by Pedro Maia draws inspiration from “Punish Honey”’s universe and attempts to accentuate the feeling of distress and asphyxia of the music. Fully shot in Black & White Super 8 film with further optical and chemical manipulations of the film material, this work delves into the feeling of suffocation as well as self-deprecation. An extended version, with additional footage made by visual artist Harry Wright, is being presented on selected shows as a live A/V set.
“Drowned in Water and Light” by Vessel
take from Punish, Honey (Tri Angle, 2014)
Directed by Pedro Maia
Assisted by Rita Lino
With Lara Wehrs, Clarisse Destailleur
Film process by Andec Filmtechnik Berlin
Film scan by Korn Manufaktur Berlin
Thanks to Patrick Hanrahan; Unsound Festival
Premiere at Pitchfork – 03.02.2015
PUNISH, HONEY – LIVE AV
Live premiere at Unsound Festival 2014
Vessel live visual work is done in collaboration with the filmmaker Pedro Maia, with an additional footage by the visual artist Harry Wright, and is inspired by the music and the visual universe of Vessel’s last album “Punish Honey” and is being presented on selected shows.
LIVE PUNISH HONEY
GNRation Braga PT – 14.01.2017
Zé dos Bois Lisbon PT – 13.01.2017
Sonica Festival Ljubljana SL – 30.09.2016
Ars Electronica Linz Austria – 09.09.2016
Veranos de la Villa Madrid – 12.08.2016
Real Deal Festival Vienna – 16.06.2016
Mira Festival Berlin – 11.06.2016
Unsound Adelaide Australia – 27.02.2016
Revolver upstairs Melbourne – 26.02.2016
PAF Festival Olomouc – 05.12.2015
Unit Tokyo – 28.11.2015
Semibreve Festival Braga – 31.10.2015
Red Bull Music Academy 2015 Paris – 28.10.2015
Lunchmeat Festival Prague – 23.10.2015
Festival Marsatac Marseille – 25.09.2015
Elektricity Festival Reims – 24.09.2015
Rich Mix London – 02.07.2015
Sonar Festival Barcelona – 19.06.2015
Tri Angle 5 years New York – 15.05.2015
Doornroosje Nijmegan – 09.05.2015
Sonar Festival Copenhagen – 13.03.2015
Sonic Acts Festival Amsterdam – 26.02.2015
Caixa Forum Barcelona – 30.01.2015
Unsound Festival Krakow – 16.10.2014