The Ocean of Motion - Creative Artefact
Project Summary
Continuing on from the PDS Portfolio Component - Revisiting The Ocean of Motion LP Post-Production - which saw through the audio post-production & event showcasing of this LP soundtrack. Development has moved into more of a creatively considered artefact piece over the usual professionally oriented production approach. This counter-stance, providing a contextual alternative into the discourse between associated recommendations & considerations - has provided insight into how these two frames of references may be conjuncted.
The production has seen through the development from the PDS project LP, back into its original form as two conceptually linked track-sets - with a revised arrangement across the main title set and shared transitional elements & creative conceptualisations across the two separated sets. Aside from this, the final post-production for the visual component to The Ocean of Motion’s 10 track set is required for its whole completion as a creative artefact. Undertaking similar roles as carried out in the PDS Portfolio Component - The Basement Tapes - I have stepped into the additional role of video editor alongside wider AV production roles & responsibilities across the revised post-production process.
With creative considerations predominating decision making, the works of Suzan Pitt (1979), Keiichi Tanaami (1975), Alex Toth (1972), along with associative creative theories presented by Kai Wang (2017, 4.2) have been key in providing insight into considerations for this regard. Going into this project with creative considerations overriding professional recommendations, it is still in need of said recommendations. So to provide this angle of reference the following have been selected -
Practical Process Recommendations
[CCSMB15 (2015)] Identify development and repertoire opportunities for artists.
[SKSP33 (2019)] Supervise the post-production process.
[SKSP37 (2019)] Oversee the delivery of productions upon completion.
[SKSRACC5 (2024)] Work to a brief for radio and audio content.
[SKSPP24 (2017)] Mix recorded sound.
Following the PDS Portfolio Component outputs of the surround sound LP post-production & showcase of Revisiting The Ocean of Motion, the project has moved back into the direction of being two separate albums - as whilst merging the two tracklists had been a good method to showcase a large body of work, the distinction between the two is I feel more important conceptually to the two as a whole piece.
With “The Ocean of Motion” [LP1] being all original & instrumental works, and “Potions” [LP2] consisting of featured remixes. It is important to state LP2 “Potions” is a previously submitted piece of back-catalogue repertoire, being only presented in reference here. It is not a focal of this creative artefact but it is conceptually a component part of it as a broader creative project. Their inclusion here should be taken as reference to these both [LP1 / LP2] as unpublished works in development - to outline the whole of the creative artefact conceptually, which this developmental repertoire project is concerned with. The focal here is on this developmental repertoire iteration following on from PDS Project 4 - Revisiting The Ocean of Motion.
Going into the final post-production stage, the creative drive to bring it back into the concept of a tracklist set situated within another has overridden the aim in this project to adhere predominately to professional standards, and instead give way to creative pursuit. Refraining from completing it as initially conceptualised (being two), not only takes away a sense of depth which is key to it as a single piece, but also provides an opportunity to inquire into creative subject areas of music production and creative approach more generally.
With the change back to two track sets, undertaking the compositional design of the body of works has refocused on the track-ordering for LP1s visual accompaniment. To explain the concept - LP1 provides an environmentally instrumental space augmented with an accompanying visual composition of ephemera as a video collage. Within which then exists LP2, “Potions” - LP2 being a microcosm within the LP1 macrocosm - where whilst not exhibiting a visual element, does instead aim to focus the vocal elements.
Returning then to the audio’s post-production stages, the setlist for LP1 has been reduced from the Set 3 test pressing (See Appendix B - PDS E4) - being an hour in total duration - to roughly 40 minutes, with the removal of five tracks from the test pressing. These remaining tracks have been selected for their soundtrack / ambient qualities, for the purpose of instrumental accompaniment. Overarching rearrangement has also adapted the set’s composition to meander through the conceptualisation being creatively aimed for.
The final post-production task therefore for its completion - aside from set compositional development - was to produce the visual element LP1 accompanies. Looking then to produce this visual element, I had to make the decision on where to source footage for this purpose. In previous projects, I have creatively enjoyed a method of video collage which ties a symbolic narrative together with music into an interpretivist presentation of video accompaniment.
Examples of previous audiovisual repertoire of this nature being “Life on Mars? Piano Cover”, Sociodelic (2022) & “Gimme Shelter - Cover”, Sociodelic (2023). As may be noted in these two creative pieces and reflecting the dynamic nature of a session band of recording artists - there is an obfuscation around the identity of the individual musicians, being somewhat contrary to typical band-lineups but still in the vein of groups such as The Gorillaz - Sociodelic has on occasion presented as an animated & occulted four-figure lineup, being “The Imaginary Band”. This creative conceptualisation is a key visual component to the ideated visual arrangement for LP1s accompaniment - as the four-figure group set to explore the depths of The Ocean of Motion.
When considering the specific source for this video material - having in mind thematic styles and this component to account for. I’d weighed the appropriate use case of gathering existing animated footage for video collaging. Being the method previously explored and found to be both creatively versatile and polymorphically expressive - in illustrating a large breadth of subjectively meaningful symbolic narrative. I have therefore decided to stay true to this approach which I’ve previously used despite now being more aware of certain implications of fair-use on potential materials.
With that being said, all the source video material used has been gathered from open-source archival directories of CC BY licensed video, Creative Commons (2024) material, being used in line with non-commercial research and private study purposes as stated by Crown Copyright (2024). Consisting of works which culminate to present naturally produced artworks, with a shared visual aesthetic. These ephemera are intended to be presented in collage, with the additional rationale of exemplifying artists who despite their deep artistic outpouring, like any today - may yet be swallowed up by a foreboding tidal change of artificially generated material.
In continuation of the editor roles explored within the PDS production The Basement Tapes, this development into expanded creative exploration here ought to bring about a fruitful opportunity to creatively express and present themes & works of art & symbols. Whilst there are aspects present which go against the standard of professional practice in such scenarios, it is identifiably not entirely appropriate to apply rigorous standards of professional recommendations herein given this production’s purposes is predominantly to function as an art piece & creative artefact. Despite this, it retains relevance to the research subject of considering professional standards within audio production, with its counter-active stance providing a creatively driven primary case-study actively encouraging consideration against standard adherence.
Closing in on the line then between creative consideration & professional recommendation, this creative artefact aims to posit in such audio production contexts - where exactly is such a line drawn ?
On this point & regarding the field of art, Mednick (1962) presents Andre Breton’s distinction of a collage by Ernst as having a “marvelous capacity to grasp two mutually distant realities without going beyond the field of our experience and to draw a spark from the juxtaposition.”. With the collage approach to exploration of the works of Suzan Pitt (1979), Keiichi Tanaami (1975), Alex Toth (1972) - being the case studies at hand whose compositions also makeup the visual component’s ephemera. In aiming to visually distill this complex research question, an exhibit based research approach of deploying a standalone gallery exhibit as a research component has been undertaken to frame this discourse, as according to Eccles K. (2024).
As this approach is posited as inclusive, immediate and effective at revealing opaque concepts and mechanisms - the audiovisual elicitation could be better supported via this framing. With the artefact constituting the practice-based component - in designing this artefact’s presentation exhibitionally, design has called for a participant engagement component - being here in the form of the following presentation of primary & verbal expressions on their work & field. In becoming what Eccles denotes a participant-facing embodiment of elicitation mechanisms, the derived & responsive knowledge regarding practice may better illuminate reflection as stated by Candy L. (2021)
Mednick (1962) also outlines three indicated forms to this approach - Serendipity, similarity, and mediation. Being methods of bringing requisite associative elements together. On serendipity Mednick states - “the requisite associative elements may be evoked contiguous by the contiguous environmental appearance of stimuli which elicit these associative elements.” - reinforcing that this serendipitous approach to exploration can be creatively worthwhile for discovery of creatively orientated progressions.
Following the overarching action research framework, these resource materials have been gathered and studied along with being imbued practically into the creative visual piece. Culminating in an illustrative learning experience, this creative project has provided valuable insight to consider alongside the topic of professional standards, and their utilisation. Creatively within the realm of communicating associatively, through the inclusion of the following expressions it is aimed that through transference of imagery and ideas, inference to my own stance of personal creative pursuits may be articulated.
