People Like Us will return to play in Cologne on 4 December 2024
Info here: https://www.reihe-m.de/?p=5512
The Library of Babel in Cologne
The Library of Babel screening and discussion
Monday 11 November, 6pm
Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum
600 South Gregory
Urbana
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
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
The Library of Babel / Chart Sweep in Newcastle
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 – new AV installation at Museu de Aveiro
“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.
The Library of Babel at Fluxus Museum Spain
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
The The – Some Days I Drink My Coffee By The Grave Of William Blake
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.
The The Linoleum Smooth video
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/
People Like Us Live on WFMU
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
Review of COPIA in Igloo Magazine
Very nice review of COPIA In Igloo Magazine. Many thanks!
People Like Us perform The Library of Babel at Con-struct Festival, London
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
Video for new The The single!
Great to see the long-awaited announcement of a new THE THE album. We made the video for the new THE THE single ‘Cognitive Dissident’ with Tim Pope 🙂
The new video for ‘Cognitive Dissident’ was made in conjunction with long-time collaborators: directed by Tim Pope with editing, VFX and projections by Vicki Bennett (People Like Us) and Peter Knight.
‘Cognitive Dissident’ (written by Matt Johnson and Barrie Cadogan) is the first single from Ensoulment, the first studio album from THE THE in a quarter century.
THE THE and Tim Pope have a long, shared history working on a variety of videos and projects, including The Comeback Special film of the concert at Royal Albert Hall in 2018, the legendary Infected The Movie in 1987 – the first ever long-form video album release – the Versus The World film of the concert at Royal Albert Hall in 1990, and From Dusk ‘Til Dawn in 1993, as well as many music videos over the years including ‘Pillar Box Red’, ‘The Beat(en) Generation’, ‘Kingdom of Rain’, ‘Gravitate To Me’ etc.
Vicki Bennett (People Like Us), acclaimed video collage artist, and Peter Knight (photographer) have also long been associated with THE THE having created the videos for ‘We Can’t Stop What’s Coming’ and the ‘Stolen Moments’ GlobalEyes remix by DJ Food as well as creating the kaleidoscopic, cinematic backdrop for The Comeback Special world tour.
“It’s always a pleasure to work with my dear friends, director Tim Pope, video collage artist Vicki Bennett, and photographer Peter Knight. Our times working together are not only very creative, but also full of joyful mischief.” – Matt Johnson
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/
