Creative Times have just published a fantastic feature entitled 'New Sounds and Vision' - the ever-increasingly symbiotic relationship between music and video. (Thanks Dan, Love&Disaster, for bringing it to my attention!) Actually I'm really pleased that the article features three new music enterprises that Vision+Media have come across, in various guises, throughout the year.
Love&Disaster's 10" Gatefold LP, released last year, reached an incredible level of national and even international press coverage, and has propelled the artists involved (Dutch Uncles, Airship, Jo Rose, Delphic, and by proxy, Everything Everything) as well as the label itself, into the lime-light (Love&Disaster recently featured as Huw Stephen's label of the week). Dan is currently working on The New Mancunian, which will act as a really well produced, what's on/ telly channel for the Manchester music scene.
The Source, which is a new initiative due to launch this year, will see bands paying a nominal fee (£10) to send a video of themselves to the website. This website will then, a la X-Factor, allow for an online 'vote for your favourite' before the 'winning' bands are selected to play various high profile gigs. One of the founding fathers of the project, Ben, was previously here at Vision+Media head office, working on Northern Net, so we're hoping for some juicy scoops from him...
MCR Scene Wipe are another really fascinating example of innovative and forward thinking music initiative, really really great to watch. Bands playing in Manchester are chosen by the guerrilla duo of Toby and Sam, who then record the band playing in unusual locations (and often more exciting locations than the actual gig they're here to play) - including Lissie's performance underneath a T-Rex skeleton at the Manchester Museum.
MCR Scene Wipe filmed a gig in one of our project co-ordinator's kitchen, one random Sunday...
Anyway, the Creative Times article very lucidly links these three initiatives together, focusing on the powerful relationship between music and the moving image. It's well worth a read.