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For the second time in as many albums, Wales's favourite sons have
released a DVD version of their pop opus alongside a
conventional audio-only compact disc. As was the case with 2001's
Rings Around the World, Phantom Power is wall-to-wall pop perfection. With his feet on
the ground and his head in the stars, singer-songwriter Gruff Rhys once
again offers a dynamic set of genre-defying songs that shine brightly and
refuse to burn out.
It seems fair to suggest there are terribly few artists in contemporary
pop music -- and I quite pointedly classify SFA as "pop" artists -- willing
to be as adventurous (and as visionary) as SFA. Phantom Power
is full of spirit and resolutely playful, but never once fails to be
absolutely artful. Simple pop structures fluidly morph into epic
compositions that highlight the risks SFA take from moment to moment. The DVD
serves as a perfect outlet, underscoring the album's epic qualities and accenting its playfulness by way of a visual interface that relies
almost exclusively on bold animations.
Phantom Power is markedly different from its predecessor in one very
distinct way. Rather than concerning themselves with creating a feast for
the eyes that matches the aural excess of the DVD's awe-inspiring Dolby 5.1
surround sound mix, the Super Furries made a conscious
decision to commission visual accompaniment that bears a closer resemblance
to screen-savers than conventional music videos. Concerned that the visual
element of Rings Around the World often distracted
from the art and effort involved in the surround mix, SFA have toned things
down. Who can blame them? The argument concerning the dominance of a
soundtrack over its visual corollary is one that has beleaguered film since
the birth of cinema. If certifiable geniuses like Andre Bazin (film
theorist) and Stan Brakhage (filmmaker and theorist) failed to work out the
dilemma during the course of their fruitful lives, Gruff and company
certainly shouldn't feel compelled to take a crack at it. So, instead, the
visual tracks for Phantom Power take the form of cleverly designed
(and never static) images that both echo and contrast the album's themes
and moods. There are, however, between-song animations from
Peter Fowler and Neil McFarland, which are breathtaking (and often hilarious) -- really vivid, graphic design-y stuff that is properly
contextualized by way of an online appendix.
For those who don't trust themselves with even such a simple visual
distraction, there is an alternate option to have a Pete Fowler-designed
wallpaper animation displayed for the duration of the disc. The movement of
the animation over the course of this feature is nearly imperceptible:
enormous changes in the visual environment are
evident when you jump from track to track, but are otherwise invisible to the unattentive eye. In terms of
sheer ingenuity, there is more to applaud here than any collection of music
videos could hope to offer.
As was the case with Rings Around the World, the Phantom
Power DVD includes a remixed version of the entire album. This time out,
usual suspect Sean O'Hagan ("Valet Parking") is joined by the likes of
Fourtet ("The Piccolo Snare") and Wauvenfold ("Sex, War & Robots") -- among
many others -- for a series of downright masterful
re-interpretations of SFA's material. The remixes work together fluidly and
maintain the spirit and imagination of the original Super Furries
compositions. Altogether separate visuals accompany the remixes; in each
case still photography is the medium of choice. My only complaint about
the disc relates to the remix section: there is no "play all" feature, and
this makes it difficult to experience the alternate tracks without
interruption.
Finally, perhaps speaking to the group's dry wit and unease with American
blockbuster-ism, the DVD includes a commentary track from Phantom Power's
"executive producer". (Hint: look in the CD album credits for his name and
you won't find one.) The comments are self-serving, hyperbolic and often
denigrate the work produced by the band. He speaks of the band
members as close friends one moment and then explains how it was, in fact,
his ideas that steered Phantom Power towards greatness and "away from
the cut-out bins where it was destined". If you share the Super Furries' sense of humor, this is great stuff.
One last thing: if you
search really hard -- and I mean really hard -- there is an easter
egg here that must be seen.
-- Mike Baker
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