Movies Is Magic (Extended Version)

VINYL FORMAT. Frankfurt/Main-based conceptual media artist, composer, sound designer and photographer Sebastian Meissner continues his critically-acclaimed Movies Is Magic project with an extended version of the album, containing completely new tracks and alternate versions of several others, all of which are seeing vinyl for the first time. Retaining the qualities at the root of the project, Meissner brings it to new places with the vocal contributions of Ursula Maurer, Marta Collica and Hugo Race (of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds fame), respectively. Adding a bit of pop sensibility to densely-reworked arrangements completes the trajectory, complementing the soundtrack by exhibiting Klimek variations of downtempo and house music - variations which manage to feel like looming cinematic excursions that are still tethered to the ground by percussion progressions and the complex qualities of the voices that collaborated. Like an orchestra restructured in the digital domain, the remnants at the core of each piece lend themselves less to conservatory comparisons than filmic ones. Ambiences reside inside, but are never left untouched or undeveloped, subverting expectations and leaving trails of themselves long after each song ends. Large, picturesque settings produce emotionally compelling mini-narratives, while warm, open progressions balance with the multi-layered shadows that are expected from a Klimek album. A careful percussive phrase, the occasional menacing horn, a tentatively-sustained tone, or wrenching vocal murmur arrange these pieces between intersecting musical camps, while rustling backgrounds creep up to remind one where they stand. The material is the product of a variety of allegiances and alliances: from soundtracks to the range of electro-acoustic and electronic sensibilities that produce such works as these, the multiples of moods and directions all further the frame of the project and the Klimek sound. This vinyl package comes with a new front cover, a double sleeve, and includes an essay which was part of the original CD package (now arriving larger, on one side of the inner 12" sleeve). The essay, album and track titles take direct inspiration from Slavoj Zizek, whose analysis of cinema was a strong beginning point for the project.