For some time Tim and I have been interested in recording soundscapes. Last summer, during the cicada craze, Tim went out and managed to record some cicada-scapes. I’m sure Bernie Krause could have recorded a cicada humping a grain of sand, but by our amateur-soundscaping standards, I thought the cicada sounds that Tim captured were pretty fabulous. My favorite moments would be when a cicada hit the microphone, or a plane could be heard flying overhead, fading in and then out of the cicada summer-haze. We’ve not posted any of these soundscapes, but if for some reason there is a great internet-outcry to hear them, we’ll post them. Then you too can slobber in an ecstasy of sound as cicadas hit microphones at minute fifteen.
The eventual plan was to put an EP that would be part soundscape and then part cicada-electronica. The electronica end of the plan never became a reality, as it was contingent upon a lot of time and most likely outside help. So the recordings sat.
Eventually however, video artist and photographer Meggie Miao (who also happens to be Tim’s girlfriend) approached us and asked us to record a song about cicadas that she could use in conjunction with some footage of cicadas she had shot. So Tim and I went away and wrote a cicada song, though not the song we envisioned. It did however use the cicada-scapes. So part of the original plan was implemented.
The resulting video, thanks to Meggie’s excellent writing and directing, looks absolutely spectacular. And who knows, perhaps there will be an electronic cicada song yet…
The video is available here in .mov format and the song is available here as an mp3. Quicktime might be required to view the video.
Hey little Lucy do you hear that sound?
Do you know what it is?
I'll give you a hint, the shells are in my lawn,
And the husks are in my trees.
It's cicadas.
It's cicadas.
It's cicadas.
Hey little Lucy with your hot pants on,
Do you wanna take a ride with me.
To see a movie about monster bugs,
And make sweet love to the buzz.
Of cicadas.
Of cicadas.
Of cicadas.
And if we make sweet sweet love,
Then maybe we'll get hitched.
Even if the American empire falls,
Man that's a bitch.
But I'll still make love to you.
Yes, oh I will rise,
Seventeen years later, just like cicadas, my Lucy.
Cicadas.
(yelling)
Hmmm…
The Video: There were points of ingenius. For example the girl dancing in front of the flag made me think. Damn… this is truly rocking in the USA. All day long I see these stupid multi-million dollar videos with their bling, smoke, and bong resin, and what makes me get my rock on? A chick dancing in front of the flag. Does that make me a patriot? No. I just love it when a sillouhette is dancing in front of a flag will some grade A serious scientifically based rocking is going on. Secondly, Those fucking cicadas are really annoying, but with all the transitions I was diggin’ it. I loved the opening and ending. Too many crazy transitions at times, but all together refreshing and worth seeing more than once.
The Music: Fucking rockous.
The singer: fucking loud. In his loudness he found a rock solid middle that I call mediocre. Damn it, its that cpelled right? Seriously, I dug it. I find myself now screaming CICADA!!!!
The bass line: Solid. I have heard this type of playing before. It sounds very familiar. It’s a vintage sound. Part funk, Part animal. A burly animal.
Seriously, guys you should be proud the video was very original and artistic. Sincerely, (for lack of a better name) mouth
Mouth,
Thanks for the really nice comments. Tim and a I were happy with the song and the video that Meggie did, and we are even happier that someone else dug the final product.
And the burly bass – Tim is a burly animal. I think that is his secret to concocting rollicking bass lines.
Currently he (Tim) and I are putting on the finishing touches on a song that Meggie is going to be shooting another video for. Hopefully it should be up sometime in March (though I’m sure other activity will be happening daily on Protozoic – I’m already predicting a small war revolving around the movie “The Last Unicorn”).
Loki
Loki, I look forward to the video and Tim’s bass. I can almost hear the thumping…. Shit!! cat’s in the Dryer Gotta Go!!!
Is this a new movie?
Relatively. It was shot sometime in late 04′. Maybe in November if I recall correctly.