So why do motion visuals with music matter to me? I am a techno DJ and producer, why should visuality matter as much as the music itself? Well, as I am now 36 years of age and having had to seriously reassess my DJ lifestyle due to mental health problems in recent years, it has led me to become more experimentally creative with film as a form of meditative practice.

(Jones, 2016)

At times I struggle to write techno music, so instead of getting frustrated at my poor creative output, I do not force myself to continue. I simply pick up my camera and film something instead. Below are some currently unsigned tracks which I completed shortly before commencing my MSc. Some of these and others have been played by reputable DJs, including Dave Clarke on his White Noise radio show.

(Jones, 2017a)

(Jones, 2017b)

So why am I struggling to produce music to a decent quality as before? Why do I need to incorporate film? Am I not current, in demand and original enough for record labels? Previously I would take inspiration primarily from attending club events, music festivals, my own DJ gigs and recreating the magic of those moments back in the studio. However, without straying too far from the point, the need to avoid stimulating substances and sleep deprived nights meant avoiding the establishments that embrace their consumption and behavioral practice. My regularity of attending clubs and music events dropped from weekly to every six months. I needed another avenue of escape, with a creative, inspirational purpose.

(Jones, 2017c)

In filming abstract clips I always imagine the potential musical narrative in visual form, in similar vein as a soundtrack to a film. What story does the music tell? Can the visual element of film accentuate the reflective aspects or journey of the music? In connecting the two creative elements together, it has breathed fresh inspiration into producing music that perhaps I was struggling to be inspired by, from simply staring into my digital audio workstation (DAW).

(Jones, 2017d)

The same can be said for filming abstract clips in various outdoor settings. Whether I am mounting my GoPro camera to my car and driving down long country lanes, through tunnels under the runways at Heathrow Airport, the streets of Brighton or Berlin, these moments encourage me to imagine a potential soundtrack to the film I am taking. This process recovers me from the isolation of my studio while continuing to embrace an objectively creative perspective. My film work is by no means exceptional, but I would like to think it is increasing in merit since its inception. I have utilised it as a background display while DJing at my own events (see featured image), plus as the visual element to my music releases and monthly online radio show. In the recent absence of being able to express myself primarily as a DJ or witnessing my music productions being enjoyed by an audience, I am strongly favouring a duality of artistic expression with my work, both visually and aural in execution.

(Jones, 2017e)

But where does cymatics come in to all of this? Does it have relevance in music, performance entertainment or sound therapy, or is it merely a tangential diversion out of pure interest without plausibility in practice? This will no doubt become apparent as I get immersed in researching its conceptual merit and feasibility in music performance. To reflect on researching, at this time it seems that I am very much just expressing my interests, incentives and objectives in creative practice. I feel this is a process I need to embrace as the path to finding a specific focal point of research.

References:
Jones, C. (2016) ‘Sejon @ Gnosis, The Old Barn, Portsmouth – 22 July 2016’. [Online]. Available at: https://youtu.be/j2KgGZRiDMI [Accessed: 11 October 2017].
Jones, C. (2017a) ‘Sejon – Mystic Presence [Unsigned]’. [Online]. Available at: https://soundcloud.com/chris-jones/sejon-mystic-presence-3/s-1Djjo [Accessed: 06 December 2017].
Jones, C. (2017b) ‘Sejon – Mental Physics [Unsigned]’. [Online]. Available at: https://soundcloud.com/chris-jones/sejon-mental-physics-3/s-7wo4J [Accessed: 06 December 2017].
Jones, C. (2017c) ‘Sejon – Dreamers [FAUT020] Promo 2017’. [Online]. Available at: https://youtu.be/ZFi5bm2wYis [Accessed: 11 October 2017].
Jones, C. (2017d) ‘Sejon – Cadencia 080 | August 2017 (Short Visual Clip)’. [Online]. Available at: https://youtu.be/RDsMfETMRWc [Accessed: 11 October 2017].
Jones, C. (2017e) ‘Sejon – Cadencia 081 | September 2017 (Short Visual Clip)’. [Online]. Available at: https://youtu.be/75uj_Z_FxBY [Accessed: 11 October 2017].

#Reflection