Metamatic Forums News and Announcements John Foxx news Press Release for the DNA Exhibition...

Below is the latest press release for the forthcoming DNA Exhibition at The Horse Hospital next month. This includes a partial interview with the renowned director Alex Proyas who met with John on set during the filming of his new film Knowing during John and Louis' tour of Australia last May.

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JOHN FOXX: DNA Exhibition, Horse Hospital, London on Monday the 27th of July, 2009.

If I could only make a movie as textured and evocative as John Foxx's music I would be a happy man, says Alex Proyas, the director of I, Robot, The Crow, Dark City and Knowing - this year's Number 1 Box Office hit in both the UK and the States.

Proyas is the first contributor to be announced for the forthcoming DNA Exhibition which celebrates John Foxx's influence on a wide selection of musicians, film-makers, visual artists, graphic designers and even Manga comics. The Australian director's film, GROPING, is one of a number of short films that will shown through the week-long event.

According to Proyas; The film I made at film school, inspired by John's music - really from a mainly stylistic and atmospheric perspective - is called GROPING. When it was shown at the Sydney Film Festival in the early 80's I used a section of lyrics from the early Ultravox track, Quiet Men in the programme... [i]"Waiting, we were waiting, as the traffic moved..." etc, which I found strangely fitting to the narrative... actually I almost called the film Waiting at one point. The film is about the brutal rape / murder of Kitty Genovese in NYC in the 60's but done in a very post-modern style.[/i]

John Foxx's Underpass is an absolutely seminal inspiration to me, he adds. While making Groping I actually heard Underpass for the very first time - remember it clearly - it was actually on my little bedside radio alarm very late one night - the only source of music I had in my share household room and I used to play an alternative music station here in Sydney while writing my scripts. This incredible piece of music came on and it captured me from the first riff - it seemed someone had made music from the sounds of the city traffic, that struck me immediately. I turned up the radio and listened enthralled and waited to hear who the artist was. The vocals seemed familiar but I didn't at first recognize them. When they announced John Foxx I was so excited as I obviously recognized him from Ultravox, the band I was so impressed with.

I think there's also definitely a link with John's music to my film Dark City (and probably to anything I make!). Dark City had its origins in an early script I wrote at film school at the time I was particularly enthralled by Ultravox's Systems of Romance . I imagined the opening titles would be underscored by Slow Motion. And Dislocation featured in a sequence where the detective hero is slipped a drug and has an hallucinogenic episode. So while Dark City was not specifically influenced I think the spirit of the early Ultravox and John's Metamatic album is definitely in there.

I think apart from his incredibly cinematic lyrics - John's music always conjured entire movies in my head when I listened to it - I think it is his mastery of atmosphere that has most stayed with me through the years. If I could only make a movie as textured and evocative as John's music I would be a happy man.

John Foxx, the man behind Ultravox's first three post-punk albums and his electro solo masterpiece Metamatic (described as visionary by the Klaxons), has provided new music for some of the new DNA pieces. This follows his contributions to a series of collaborative albums due for release this year - A Secret Life (with Steve Jansen and Steve D'Agostino), the debut album by Leftfield's Paul Daley and the critically acclaimed Mirrorball (with Robin Guthrie), which was described as a breathtakingly beautiful in the NME and by Q as featuring the best of both their recent works: Foxx's epic, sepulchral grandstanding and Guthrie's intricate, filmic soundscaping.

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Rob

Blimey!

High praise indeed! Aside from that, I'll have to get Dark City out now as I've not seen it since it came out!

It's one of my favourite SF films. Brilliant.

I'd always sub-consciously known there was a link.

I thought Shifting City was influenced by Dark City but it turns that its the other way round.

Dark City is a must have on Blu-Ray. Only watched it again the other month in its newly re-cut form.

Have to agree that Dark City is a good, stylish Sci-Fantasy film, one of my fav’s also, and sadly under-rated. I’m not so keen on any of the directors other films, and I cant really see any connection for me in Dark City and with how I perceive and internalise Johns music, but its great to learn that someone as high profile as Proyas has cited the influence of SOR and Metamatic on his creativity.

I remember seeing Groping in 1980. I don't recall hearing anything resembling the track Quiet Men.

However, the film itself is amazing. Made entirely in stop motion, I recall being wowed when I saw it. Hard to believe that it was made by someone not much older than 17, if this is correct.

I'd recommend seeing it to anyone who likes avantgarde films.

Below is the promo poster for the forthcoming DNA Exhibition...



Rob

Below are a couple of stills from the Alex Proyas film Groping which will be screened as part of the DNA Exhibition...





Rob

Below are a couple more stills from the Alex Proyas film Groping...





Rob

Looked around for Groping on the usual video channels and it seems impossible to find...

Anyway came across this other short by Proyas called Strange Residues youtube link .

Take a look at which section the guy heads for in the record shop at 2:18!

Some very Foxxian-type imagery going on there.

Made me think of THL's Black Hit of Space too..

Yeah, good luck with that. Saw it in '80. In '81 I was doing a film studies course. Couldn't get a copy from the AFI when we were doing avant-garde films. Haven't seen it since but have never forgotten it.

Quote:

Take a look at which section the guy heads for in the record shop at 2:18!

Some very Foxxian-type imagery going on there.

You have to be quick though.

New Music at the DNA Exhibition...

A brand new track - as yet Untitled - that John has been working on for the forthcoming DNA Exhibition has just been uploaded here .

The finished version will feature in one of the short films being created specifically for the event. We'll have more details about the DNA Programme soon, including screen times etc.

Rob

Cheers Rob,

Sounds Great

Great synth track. I want a copy!

Chris

Crikey! That's fantastic, Cheers Rob.

It's great to some new synth music from John. Long overdue.
Peter

Sounds like a Tiny Colour Movie - strong element of Kurfurstendamm in there at least

Thanks guys

Peter - are you forgetting Walk this way, or Adult Concerns? :p

That's what I thought too - definitely a TCM feel in there.

Hooray! New track! Now stop teasing us and let us 'ave it!

Good point Martin.

Peter

I know this is very much the new kind of track fans have been wanting.

That's a big assumption

we don't necessarily all want the same thing

Thanks Martin.

Better say, its a view expressed by all that stated their hopes for new music, to me.

Fair enough.

I'm just happy to hear new material from John, full stop, but the 'ambient' material to me seems a lot more personal and expressive.
And I'm also of the opinion that we have had LOADS of new material already this year which has barely had time to be recognised, let alone understood properly. The last three albums will keep me going for a year or two at least.

We are truly spoiled at the moment

It all moves in the same direction, after all, just by different means of transport.

Nice - yes, on first listen sounds very Tiny Colour Movies-y but no harm in that.

Amen, methinks that after a few quiet albums it's time for pounding drums and pulsating basses :p

And who might that be?

Not tellin' :p

Its fair to say John's always tried to make a balance between various musical directions. 'C.O.', and 'Shifting City' being a perfect example of that.

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Looking forward to the DNA Exibition.

Me too

Who else is planning to go to this, and when?

Could be a good chance to meet a few people and put faces to names

I was unable to get a pass to the Monday otherwise I'd be there.Rest of the time its on clashes with school holidays:(

Wish everybody who visit's the DNA exhibition a great time there, too bad I had other things planned before this came into view.
I'm off for a planned Poland trip for a week (including a front242 gig).

greetings,
fons

p.s. please, do make pictures/videos if possible!

Went to the Apple store yesterday and saw John perform. He did a grand job, with lots of dignity.

Anyone else there?

Met him afterwards and, as usual, had no idea what to say to him. Got a smashing picture of him and commented on his great Myspace picture. That embarressed him! I told him it give him a Brian Eno dignity - which indeed he was, as it where.

Where can I post the picture? I look forward to finally seeing the legendary tweed suit ad Dna.

I was there too - absolutely wonderful stuff . Lovely to hear Mark Gatiss's introduction, which was very touching indeed. I really wish I could make DNA, but I look forward to seeing the pictorial evidence of the legendary grey suit's appearance there ...I'm sure it's going to be a fascinating exhibition.

That's great! Can someone post a review for those of us who couldn't be there.
Try Image Shack . Its one of many free ones. You don't need to register to upload.

Below are some pictures from The Apple Store event...



Mark Gatiss, who introduced John...




John performing The Quiet Man...




John reading A Man Made of Shadows...




John taking questions from the audience...

Rob

Thank you very much for the wonderful photos, Rob!

I wish I had been there... Hope I can make it for one event this year.

Excellent photos. Thanks Rob.

I think next time, I will present John with a copy of the first Mr X comic, from Vortex in the 1990's. That and Neil Gaiman's work is very reasonant I think.

Anyone else seen these graphic novels?

Great pics Rob, especially the fourth one.

The new song now has a name (I won't spoil the surprise).

Thanks for the heads up Mike.