Couple decades ago, there was idea: What if I jumped into minibus, on tour with Emil Beaulieau, Prurient and Jessica Rylan, and filmed as much as possible at the technology of that time, and eventually make tour DVD compilation release? Idea was good, since it was attempt to capture the new approach of american noise that has been flourishing some years and becoming quite different from the older tape culture and isolated hermits doing their tiny releases for mail-order based culture. There was a lot to see on this tour too. Sutcliffe Jugend doing comeback. Consumer Electronics starting to play some of his solo shows between frequent Whitehouse performances. Even the possibility that you - or if not YOU - but someone like Harbinger - could actually organize 2 weeks tour for a noise artists, all around UK and make it work out. Even before social media was there. Or perhaps, because social media wasn't there!
Well, returning home with dozens of tapes with random footage scattered in them, confusing messy notes on J-cards of miniDV tapes... And meet the reality that computers of that time could basically store about 1,5h of raw footage, that would consume entire hard drive, and be painfully slow to edit. Simple rendering processes taking over night to wait and it is easy to see how patience runs out. Year pass, and while technology gets better, it also suddenly not compatible with older gear. Meanwhile, people disappeared, moved one, that entire noise culture shifted, artists developed further, and material - even if good, seemed out of place.
However, mentioning someone who posted Jessica Rylan related post on social media, that I have bunch of unseen really good footage, that I am sort of embarrassed to been stashing for 20 years just because not really been into finding out what it would need to get them transferred to current day computers. Out of realizing it is really 20 years, and that it doesn't need more than just investing into piece of gear and doing it... so all I needed was approval for artist that she is ok with publishing material now. With approval for project, I was good to start, with approval of finished edit, it's good to be published. As said, material never intended to be "comprehensive artist documentary" looking back to history, but part of the bigger documentary to capture the flourishing energetic era that was happening in front of us.
It remains to be seen, if other footage finds its purpose.
Jessica Rylan (Can't)
She has not been active in the scene for many years, but made long lasting impact on people who heard the releases or seen the gigs. It is safe to say, there was nothing like it before and nothing like it has not come since.
Documentary consists short glimpse to moment in time when the "new wave of American noise" was at is peak. Summer 2005 marked era when several artists had been touring intensively, countless releases emerging on countless labels. Global interests for the new American approach. No Fun Fest had just proven to capture this wild era of new types of noise activities into globally noticed festival. Prurient had made himself known all around the American noise world with intense live shows and Hospital store was about to get opened. Emil Beaulieau was at peak of his live noise, playing almost 100 shows in one year and without actual intent, his hiatus extended into retirement from noise activity already since 2006. In this era, American artists became something could be seen around Europe for the first time. Emil Beaulieau, Prurient and Jessica Rylan, all three were first time in two weeks UK tour.
This era was something formerly unseen, but also largely disappeared or changed its shape over the years. Now 20 years later, some of the material from the UK tour is made public first time. Even if artists have retired, landscape of noise has shifted greatly, it is interesting to see glimpses of history and hear the artists in moment when it was actually happening. It was originally not intended to be historical footage, but casual discussion about things going on at the tour. Brief 20 minutes piece is put together by Special Interests and consist only formerly unseen live & interview footage from 2005.
https://youtu.be/Qeu9Yeh8rrs
