Exploring stream of thought, improvisation and mixed media collaboration.
Producer and lyricist Medicin (Liam Chatwin) has teamed up with artist VES (Vesna Parchet) and filmmaker PowLoba (Paula Palazon) to experiment with the idea of jamming remotely utilizing a series of different art forms.
Taking advantage of a circular, spacious recording studio built by a team of artists and musicians in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Medicin started miking up the whole studio space during jam sessions in order to record, sample and loop moments of accidental magic as a base for inspiration.
The musician-producer interaction of sampling live during a jam and bouncing back to the musicians to overdub was a breakthrough for Medicin. After the session he would take all the material to arrange it and mix it with added elements and fx.
Coming from a background of more formulaic dance music, improvisation has been a way of breaking barriers to unlock creativity. Despite this, he still aims to write pieces of music to be enjoyed in some type of recognisable form.
While Medicin‘s E.p’s are inspired hugely by Dub Reggae, with Fx chains of spring reverb, tape delay, phasers and bass, there is a big variety of influences in his music and “fusion” is the key.
“Recording music is like taking pictures. If you let the subject know you’re doing it and focus on it you can lose the beauty and magic of the moment. Therefore a lengthier recording session is important to allow the musicians to forget the microphone is even there”
These techniques and practices evolved from Medicin’s work with kids in a democratic free school in Spain.
After hitting a brick wall and becoming disillusioned with music and the industry, he took the opportunity to spend time in Spain where, taking only minimal equipment that could run off one solar panel and one battery, he set up a micro studio in a straw bale shack on the edge of a mountain.
The lack of equipment (and children’s lack of attention span) led Medicin to embrace imperfection and the beauty of accidents. Some amazing things were and still are being achieved working with the kids of the area.
Medicin has worked as an studio engineer in the past, specialising in vocal recording. He has discovered and recorded many artists in HipHop, grime, Reggae and more. Again, the lack of choice due to the remoteness of the studio led him to voice his own songs.
The way he wrote the lyrics is similar to the way he composed. He would not write to the music or write in the studio but ,instead, he would choose a spot to sit and, observing the surroundings, he would write whatever came to mind.
Sometimes the observations linked back to memories, sometimes to a more dreamlike stream of imagery. In so many cases serendipity prevailed and the words fitted the piece, often without the need for any edits.
The “Mixed media Collaboration” process:
When a piece of music is finished and bounced down is sent to VES (Vesna Parchet), with no further treatment. She will then choose the medium and whatever she sketches, paints or splices will run.
VES’s ability to paint in a flow state shows in her work. Ranging from huge murals, calligraphy, collage, Acrylic on canvas to charcoal on paper, her work sucks you into a vortex of human and animal form, infinity and twisted psychedelia. Her catalogue is vast and her credentials made her a perfect fit for this experiment.
VES, either taking inspiration from the sound or the lyrics, translates this into a series of paintings, collage or sketches. These will then be sent to filmmaker PowLoba.
An important rule in this project is for no-one in the chain to demand or coax the artist before or after them. Ideas and inspirations can be shared of course, but this is not VES and PowLoba doing a music video for Medicin. This is a shared experience and outlet of creativity. No one calls the shots, it’s the sound and vision that inspire the other.
Pow (Paula Palazon), now with sound and visuals will edit, animate and sculpt the pieces into a final landscape.
Paula uses digital and organic effects, playing with lighting and post production to create unique and colourful photography and moving images.
Music videos, promo and short films are her ballpark and the freedom to run with the elements allured her to take part in the project.
Paula‘s final edits can emerge as a cosmic meditation or a full-scale bombardment of colour and geometry and whatever shape the final sculpture took is the way it stays.
This project aimed to be (and so far has been) catharsis for all involved.
With people being so secluded at present, it is important to keep inspiring and motivating each other whichever way possible. The Medicin project is doing just that, it is being a Medicine.
Still ongoing, the up-and-coming collabs will use different structures: Music-Art-Film, Art-Music-Film and so on.
Medicin, Pow and Ves’ other projects:
Here’s a little show-reel of Paula “Pow” Palazon’s videos.
Check it all out at paulapalazon.com
These are just a few examples of Vesna’s fantastic work.
See more at vesnaparchet.com
..and last but not least is the man himself, amazingly talented and all-round fantastic human being Liam aka Medicin aka Dafoe. Here is him on the mic of “Los Cosmics”
Watch this space
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
