Welcome to the only official site for People Like Us and Vicki Bennett
We’re pleased to let you know that we’ll be back on the air on Xmasss Day broadcasting a 3-hour radio fill-in for Ken on WFMU
Listen in live and join us on the live comments board here:
wfmu.org/playlists/shows/147296
People Like Us now have an additional official website, for handling t-shirts, tote bags, greeting cards, postcards, prints and mugs. We’re continuing to use the same supplier but this time directly, so this change allows us to offer the same high-quality organic cotton t-shirts but at significantly lower prices.
Additionally, we have a brand-new t-shirt and tote bag design featuring a sneak peek of artwork from our upcoming CD, called “Copia”, set to release in May 2024.
Explore this and more at https://people-like-us.teemill.com/.
People Like Us – The Library of Babel (2024)
Performances:
4 December 2024 – Reihe, Cologne
11 November 2024 – Screening (not performance) of The Library of Babel
17 October 2024 – Star and Shadow Cinema, Newcastle with Gwilly Edmondez and Jorge Boehringer
13 September 2024 – Vostell Museum Malpartida, Caceres, Spain
13 July 2024 – Con-struct Festival, London
10 May 2024 – Flatpack Festival, Birmingham Black Box Theatre
28 October 2023 : Cafe OTO, London as part of a 3-Day People Like Us Artist Residency – in progress performance
14 November 2023 : CineCity at Attenborough Centre, Brighton – in progress performance
17 January 2024 : The Wire Magazine takeover of IKLECTIK, London
30 March 2024 : Colchester Arts Centre
10 May 2024 : Flatpack Festival, Birmingham Black Box Theatre
13 July 2024 : Con-struct Festival, London
First there is experience.
Then we attach a story to it.
The Library of Babel is a vast library of words. Some combine to make stories of consequence, others are nonsensical.
The library is complete.
Yet searching it is futile.
Using dense collage and splintered narrative, “The Library of Babel” is a new audio-visual performance by People Like Us, a journey through cinema and sound where the actors are set adrift from their story, left with pure experience.
The title is inspired by a 1941 Jorge Luis Borges short story, exploring themes related to the complex interplay of infinity, knowledge, and the cosmic fabric, presented through the metaphor of a vast, seemingly infinite library. In the story, the librarians are isolated, focussed on an almost religious or existential quest, struggling to find meaningful texts amidst an overwhelming number of nonsensical or irrelevant books. The library itself has no goals or intentions; a canvas onto which searchers project their quests for meaning. The narrative delves into the angst and crises of those that explore its depths, raising questions about our ability to manage, navigate, and find meaning from vast amounts of information.
In this new work by People Like Us, traditional storytelling gets a modern twist through the amalgamation of audio-visual collage and intricate editing techniques. The digital narrative reconfigures, decomposes, redirects, and recombines images with sounds that are often already ingrained in audience’s collective consciousness due to their prior associations within the selected materials. Initially, they sail on a journey of previous associations and memories. However, the extensive fusion of source materials evolve them into a unified whole, severing past affiliations and pioneering uncharted territory that transcends memory to become a singular, immersive experience. Rather than adhering to a linear progression of events, the thematic narrative unfolds in layered complexities, offering a fragmented but coherent tale achieved through a blend of various sources and an ‘exquisite corpse’ approach.
Using collage as a medium democratises the content, making it resonant not just for aficionados of art, film, or music, but for a broad cross-section of the community. The technique is a universal entry point that appeals to both young and old, presenting elements that can communicate varied messages about film, music, culture, or society. Alternatively, the collage can stand alone as an extraordinary experience devoid of an overt narrative. Indeed, the aim is to use storytelling as a tool to transcend the preconceived notions and internal stories that audiences may bring with them.
The Library of Babel is an incredible work. Beautiful and dreamlike as ever but I particularly enjoyed the pace of this one as well – it felt like there was a bit more breathing space which allowed me to appreciate it all the more. And because there were fewer references that I instantly recognised (maybe I just don’t watch enough films!) I found myself intellectualising it less, (ie thinking about the original texts and the juxtapositions between them) and enjoying the images in and of themselves instead … Gone, Gone Beyond was amazing and certainly psychedelic – blew me away as an experience – but Babel felt more emotionally affecting and yes definitely immersive … I felt the same way about the music as the visuals, with less familiar reference points to digest it felt more about the immediate experience and less about semiotics – Tom Mugridge, November 2023
We’ve moved as much of our shop as we can over to bandcamp – which not only sells digital but also merchandise (CDs, records, cassettes). The link below is still managed by us as well as any necessary visits to the post office, it’s just a lot easier to use than going through our website, and gets us more random traffic too 🙂 https://peoplelikeus-vickibennett.bandcamp.com/
Taste the Moment!
On Miracle Nutrition with Hearty White on WFMU: Featuring People Like Us, Gwilly Edmondez and more! Listen here (the show is one hour long) https://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/146346
People Like Us will return to play in Cologne on 4 December 2024
Info here: https://www.reihe-m.de/?p=5512
https://cas.illinois.edu/node/2915
Introduction by special guest Hearty White
Inspired by a 1941 Jorge Luis Borges short story, The Library of Babel (2024) explores themes related to the complex interplay of infinity, knowledge, and the cosmic fabric, presented through the metaphor of a vast, seemingly infinite library. In the story, the librarians are isolated, focused on an almost religious or existential quest, struggling to find meaningful texts amidst an overwhelming number of nonsensical or irrelevant books. The library itself has no goals or intentions; a canvas onto which searchers project their quests for meaning. The narrative delves into the angst and crises of those that explore its depths, raising questions about our ability to manage, navigate, and find meaning from vast amounts of information. In her film inspired by the story, artist Vicki Bennett relies on an amalgamation of audio-visual collage and intricate editing techniques to reconfigure, decompose, redirect, and recombine images with sounds that are often already ingrained in audience’s collective consciousness. Rather than adhering to a linear progression of events, her thematic narrative unfolds in layered complexities, offering a fragmented but coherent tale achieved through a blend of various sources and an ‘exquisite corpse’ approach.
The screening will be followed by a discussion with Bennett and White on their independent and collaborative creative journeys in seeking meaning, social connection, and joy through the mediums of radio, video, and performance.
Hosted by: College of Fine & Applied Arts. Thanks to Kevin Hamilton.
In conjunction with: Department of Media & Cinema Studies, Department of Musicology, Department of Philosophy, Department of Psychology, Illinois Public Media, School of Art + Design, Spurlock Museum, University Library
Star and Shadow Cinema, Newcastle, UK
15 October 2024 https://www.starandshadow.org.uk/
People Like Us perform The Library of Babel
People Like Us & Gwilly Edmondez perform Chart Sweep
Core of the Coalman screening Elegy For The Sherbet Fleet
Heads up, we’ll take over the Star and Shadow Cinema in Newcastle with the above performances and screening.
“Mise en Abyme” by Vicki Bennett (October 2024)
Museu de Aveiro/Santa Joana, Avenida de Santa Joana, 3810-329 Aveiro, Portugal
2-20 October 2024 https://www.aveiro2024.pt/en/
In this widescreen, multi-speakered spatial cinema installation created for Aveiro 2024, Vicki Bennett (People Like Us) delves into the existential depths of human experience, using dense collage and a recursive narrative to explore the intricate dance between dualism and interconnectivity. Entitled “Mise en Abyme,” the installation thrusts viewers into a realm where actors are liberated from the confines of their scripted existence, navigating a sea of pure, unmediated sensation. Traditional storytelling is reimagined, employing a fusion of audio-visual collage and sophisticated editing techniques to dismantle and reassemble digital narratives, creating a tapestry woven from images and sounds that resonate deeply within the collective unconscious through their historical associations. The thematic narrative, unbound by linear constraints, unfolds through a series of layered complexities, offering a fragmented yet coherent tale forged from a myriad of sources and the innovative ‘exquisite corpse’ technique.
“Mise en Abyme” aims to use storytelling as a vessel to navigate beyond preconceived notions and internal narratives, inviting audiences into a space where the boundaries between self and other, between individual and collective experience, begin to blur.
The Artistic Technique
Vicki Bennett creates a sophisticated blend of audio-visual collage, layering historical and contemporary images and sounds to create a rich, immersive experience. The recursive narrative structure allows for a non-linear exploration of themes. The use of the ‘exquisite corpse’ technique further enhances this experience, as disparate elements are juxtaposed and interwoven, creating a seamless yet complex narrative tapestry. This method not only highlights the beauty of randomness but also demonstrates the interconnectedness of seemingly unrelated elements.
Friday 13th September 2024 PEOPLE LIKE US perform The Library of Babel at Vostell Museum Malpartida, Caceres, Spain – the Fluxus museum!
Looking forward to this! https://www.cndm.mcu.es/node/23330
Update: THE THE is No.1 in the UK vinyl singles chart! So that means we just made a video with Tim Pope for a No.1 single 🙂
We’ve just completed editing the new single from the upcoming THE THE album, Ensoulment—the third single from this album, set to release in September. All three singles have been edited by us, with each one directed by Tim Pope. It’s been great fun – hope you get to catch them on tour.
We just worked on the video for the second The The single in the last month, “Linoleum Smooth To The Stockinged Foot”.
The new music video for ‘Linoleum Smooth To The Stockinged Foot’ was made in conjunction with long-time collaborators: directed by Tim Pope with editing and VFX by Vicki Bennett (People Like Us) and Peter Knight, with Anya Krasnikova as Director of Photography.
The lyrics for this song – which touch upon the nascent bio-security state – were written from Matt Johnson’s hospital bed, under the influence of morphine whilst recovering from a life-saving operation. As fate would have it, Johnson’s weeks in hospital had nothing to do with Covid, but occurred at precisely the time Covid reached crisis proportions, making for an even more surreal ordeal. The discordant interplay between horns and fiddle is redolent of Johnson’s hallucinogenic, surreal experience, which he tried to emulate by asking the musicians to improvise over the track, without hearing the other’s contribution, as he manipulated the sounds in real time.
‘Linoleum Smooth To The Stockinged Foot’ is unique in that it does not feature any of the core band members apart from Johnson on vocals, guitar and bass, plus guest musicians Sonya Cullingford on fiddle, Terry Edwards on horns, Gillian Glover providing backing vocals, and hand claps from percussionist Danny Cummings. Co-produced by Matt Johnson and Warne Livesey. Ensoulment will be released on 6th Sept (Cinéola / earMUSIC) and can be pre-ordered here: https://thethe.lnk.to/EnsoulmentPR Ensouled world tour dates can be found here: https://www.thethe.com/tour-dates/
Join us on Wednesday, 26th June 2024 from 9-Noon (NY time), artist and WFMU DJ Vicki Bennett, aka People Like Us, appears live on Ken’s show on WFMU. She’ll discuss her new album, COPIA, being a WFMU DJ, and presenting her latest audiovisual performance, The Library of Babel. You can watch the performance on Ken’s playlist page and through the WFMU front page.
Listen and watch at WFMU.org
Very nice review of COPIA In Igloo Magazine. Many thanks!
People Like Us will perform The Library of Babel at CON-STRUCT mini-festival
13 July 2024 | £12/£8 (concessions) | Pre-booking essential (limited capacity)
TICKETS confrontrecordings.bandcamp.com/merch/con-struct-ticket
RACHEL MUSSON / OLIE BRICE / WILL GLASER / PEOPLE LIKE US / ANIA PSENITSNIKOVA / DAVID TOOP / KHABAT ABAS / PHIL DURRANT / BILL THOMPSON / CATH ROBERTS / MARK WASTELL
King Alfred Phoenix. Ivy Wood, North End Road, London NW11 7HY
Supported by The Wire: Adventures In Modern Music