Response 6

In Charlemagne Palestine’s video called, Island Song, I felt two different emotions. One being that the humming of the motor and the singing of Palestine was comforting and relaxing. To me, it almost sounded like a native groups chanting. But the other emotion was just the opposite. The sense of urgency and desire to leave the island was established through the words, “I gotta get outta here.” It made it seem like there was something wrong with the island, even though in the video the island life seemed tranquil and calm. I found it interesting that Palestine mixed and harmonized the sounds he made with the sound of the motorcycle when it went over different terrain. The end of the video made me feel sad. The scene of the ocean and the waves crashing on the rocks ended the thought of being able to leave. He can’t leave; he is trapped on an island. The boat horn vibrating in the background, almost as a tease, you are stuck and the boat is leaving.

Walking in an exaggerated manner around the perimeter of a square, by Pinch Neck, was harder for me to understand. Before the actual video, there was a smaller clip. It showed a neck of a man, lower lips and hands. He distorted he mouth, lips, and neck by puling and pushing certain parts with his fingers. I wondered if it was painful. In the actual video is showed him walking the perimeter of a square in a studio. What I found interesting was the stuff that was left in the background of the studio, such as a mirror, and a stool. I was not sure if that had to do with the general understanding of the video. When he walked, he moved very slowly, picking up each foot with a deliberate movement. When he set he foot down he would rotate his hips to create a more dramatic effect. At times, at least to me, it almost looked like he was walking up a slight slop. This may also have to do with the camera angle. He would walk forwards and backwards. This video may have had to do with taking a regular activity and making it a form of expression.

Pinch Neck second video called, Stamping in the Studio, is very different from the previous video. In the previous video he walked in an exaggerated manner, but it was silent and slow. In Stamping in the Studio, he moves more quickly and uses the noise of his stamping feet to make a rhythm. The direction he walked in was random, but the rhythm of his feet sounds the same, almost like beating drums or a dance. The camera angle is set at a high position and when watching the screen it is upside down. It is an interesting angle and it adds dimension to the video.