Nervous Heartbeat: a homemade pop video

[imomus]

Back in February I offered you the first taste of the forthcoming Momus album Ocky Milk in the form of Frilly Military: a homemade pop video. Today I'm delighted to offer you another -- my own video for the song "Nervous Heartbeat". Click the picture to watch it on YouTube.



The song's lyrics are based on Japanese onomatopoeia, the colourful Japanese phrases which express something like an emotion by copying its "sound" -- even if it doesn't technically have one. (What's the sound of a painful condition? Zuki zuki. A glittering spakle? Why, pika pika of course!). You could see the song as an ultra-emotional way of learning a language.

The video shows a sequence of people I happened to meet in New York in April. I asked them to look sad, but the atmosphere of the song is perhaps best described as sensual, full of mono no aware (the "sigh-ness" of things) and natsukashii, nostalgia, or the longing for that which has never been. Nostalgia for an absent person, perhaps, or one you haven't met yet.

Speaking of love and couples, the article you helped me with last week, The Kinsey of Clicking, is now up on Wired News. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Comments

[imomus.livejournal.com]

A pirate never reveals his samples, sir! 'Tis an old superstition; to utter their names might bring the Chinese session musicians of 1952 back from their peaceful rest, demanding Hell Bank Notes.

[reggie-c-king.livejournal.com]

I trust it is only in the UK that performance rights last only fifty years before passing into the public domain. Until Sir Cliff has his way.

I Am Not Superstitious!!

[zzberlin.livejournal.com]

<< A pirate never reveals his samples, sir! 'Tis an old superstition; to utter their names might bring the Chinese session musicians of 1952 back from their peaceful rest, demanding Hell Bank Notes. >>

To Hell with superstitions, Psshaw!

The best artists reveal their influences openly because they appreciate connecting with their audience in that way. As in, "hey, I heard that bit too in Led Zeppelin!"

Then this insight and connection inspires further creativity on the part of the original listener. S/he wants to make something different from yours. And s/he becomes inspired and does so. Then you have something utterly new, that you created, in a way.

Viral art is the only way to change the world. MOMUS, you stand in its way by guarding your thought processes so closely.

Or maybe you were teasing and I'm being waay too serious.