I read recently that while the major record labels have been penalising mash-up artists, samplers and file-sharers for copyright infringement, they were in fact being sued by a number of artists for effectively pirating. Yep, that’s right, the big cats - Warner, Sony, EMI and Universal are facing a few billion in damages for copying thousands of tracks. This is mainly a result of labels using tracks they did have the rights to, but using these for compilations CDs, where rights didn’t apply.

And if producer Brett Gaylor isn’t aware of such information, I’m pretty sure he’ll be happy when he finds out. For those who haven’t managed to catch it yet, Gaylor’s film RIP! A Remix Manifesto is a frenzied collage of remix culture and its effects on art, economics and even pharmaceuticals.

Ultimately Gaylor poses the question, what actually makes a remix? Is it something re-edited and restructured, but identifiably the original expression of the artist(s) involved, OR, as a result of the remix, involved, a new original piece of work?

This is definitely the documentary to watch if you’re a tech-savvy musician as the film is particularly interested in covering the legal ‘grey area’ of remixing works. As a result it’s an enlightening contribution to the debate around fair use. Gaylor uses Girl Talk - one of the biggest remix artists around, as the protagonist in demonstrating his ideas of ‘free culture’.

RIP! has had a great reception in Gaylor’s Canadian home turf and in the United States with a clutch of awards from the likes of SXSW, Whistler Film Festival and the Doc/Fest. Gaylor has even encouraged viewers to participate in the movie by remixing it and uploading their efforts  in order to carry on the debate.

RIP! will soon be available to watch on documentary VOD channel joiningthedocs.tv. If you’d like the full cinematic experience you can catch it at London’s hmvcurzon, who will be hosting a screening event of Gaylor’s film on March 28th as part of the Doc Days strand. Ideas of copyright will be addressed beforehand with an intro on mash-up culture with London-based concept vjs The Light Surgeons.

TICKETS

RipRemix.com | OpenSourceCinema.org | Facebook Fan Page | Twitter

"None of the snow in this piece is simulated. I went out and show on the snowiest days of winter. The last scenes in the video were shot during a blizzard."

'Fire' is the work of Erik West. He's been labelled as a Renaissance Man. He wears many hats as a full time freelancer and does so with complete competence. Erik is a Broadcast Audio Engineer,  a two time Emmy Award winning Videographer and a Final Cut Editor with over 10 years experience.

'Fire' was shot on a Canon Powershot SD630 Point & Shoot. Additional footage was shot on a Sony EX1 by Jeff Thomas. Posted using Final Cut, Photoshop, Motion and Color.

Digital Guerilla Entertainment | Jimmy Edgar | Kathy Diamond | Disco Demolition Records

Gucci, Chris Cunningham, and perfume...seems an odd combination, what would happen if you took a measure of the macabre and mixed it with the essence of Gucci?

I’m going to assume that you are all aware of the global fashion house of Gucci.

What about this Cunningham fella’ eh? What do we see of Cunningham being delicate, his most notorious works are seen as nightmarish scenes of hell, totally fucked up...But once you get passed that, you start to appreciate what Cunningham has created.

Only then do you start working out these weird and twisted images, and suddenly finding them fascinating, questioning how he managed to create, capture and expose them. They mesmerise and fascinate you, exposing different environments and captivating mind sets.

With Cunningham’s seriously established reputation, his craftsmanship with video, no wonder Gucci approached him.

The ‘Flora’ campaign is a combination of talent, Richard Ruini (REM), Frida Giannini (Gucci Creative Director) and Chris Cunningham. They have managed to create a visual feast perfectly, complemented by model Abbey Lee encapsulated in an intoxicating field of pink flowers, beatuifully shot on location in Latvia during the summer of 2008,

Donna Summer swings in as the sun radiates and bathes the model in ecstasy. She pushes a wave of air which spirals around her and flows through her. She rises, and her dress explodes to form a kaleidoscopic image, chopping and twisting the fabric in perfect symmetry.

‘Hush’ is the feature debut from the multi talented, actor, writer and director Mark Tonderai (Pictured). This British film is a psychological thriller that explores the line between social responsibility and self-interest, and makes us question how far we would go to save the one we love. The film is part of collaboration between Warp X and Film 4, bringing fresh British talent to our eyes. The production has recently wrapped and is out now!

Hush has Mark Herbert producing, who has worked with Shane Meadows on This Is England, and Robin Gutch, who produced Touching The Void, as well as Tonderai's partner Zoe Stewart, with whom he founded Shona Productions.

Shot on location in Sheffield and the East Midlands, the film follows a young couple, Zakes (Will Ash) and Beth (Christine Bottomley) as they drive home along the M1, a familiar journey full of harshly lit service stations and instant coffee.

Out of nowhere a white truck narrowly avoids hitting them. As the couple's car is overtaken the tailgate lifts up to briefly reveal a terrified woman caged and bloodied in the back. Zakes immediately calls the police for help, with Beth fuming after Zakes casually ignores the event, they stop at a service station. Beth goes missing. Could she be the next victim?

Writer-director Mark Tonderai began his career writing, producing and presenting radio shows (Radio 1 & Kiss FM) he was on the brink of giving up filmmaking when he got his break with this stunning debut.

Tonderai, an adamant fan of Alfred Hitchcock used a simple formula to produce ‘Hush’. In an interview with Holly Grigg-Spall of Film 4, he said “I think you should keep it really simple. Hush is a love story, a coming-of-age story. I think now we cross-pollinate in films so much, mixing genres.”

To keep production costs at a reasonable level, Tonderai had to keep to a story that would adhere to this concept. The story concept seems simple, two people in a car with a rampaged truck driver, a few service stations, and a motorway location set at night time, sounds simple doesn’t it? Nope, this motorway is well-lit, you can see everything that’s going on, yet Tonderai still manages to draw incredible suspense from it.

Warp X has said that Hush, in the great tradition of horror movies, investigates today's culture and the fears and neuroses that can arise from it. In his interview with Film 4, Tonderai explains this deeper, reflecting on his personal life experiences.

“I think all good films ask something about human nature. That's how I like to write. I start with the fundamental question. I decide what I am asking. And for Hush it is, where is the line between social responsibility and self interest?”

“We live in a 'walk on by' culture. I began to think about this after a particular incident. I was on a bus, and a guy shouted 'nigger' at me. No one said anything to him. I got off the bus and confronted him, but everyone else kept schtum. I am interested in this hush. It was something I wanted to talk about. Another time, I was with my wife and we saw a girl crying in the street. I asked her if she needed any help and she told me to 'fuck off'. It got me thinking about when is it right to get involved?”

‘Hush’ is another brilliant British film, maybe I’m a patriot and slightly biased, but this is no Americana take on horror, this is a truly excellent film, and considering the two leads, Will Ash and Christine Botttomley, had to work 38 nights in a row with minimal sleep, without going mad, truly shows the pure superiority of this production, go and watch it now!

CLICK HERE FOR TRAILER

CLICK HERE FOR HUSH MYSPACE

CLICK HERE FOR BEHIND THE SCENES

CINEMA LISTINGS 

These two English brothers have worked as a creative unit since 1992. Their works, often of grusome content came to public attention in their two shows "Sensation" (1997) and "Apocalypse" (1999) at the Royal Academy.

Their works range from childlike paintings on paper, installations, sculpture, painting and of course video art. Their provocative and transgressive pieces depict disturbing images amended with phallic attributes and iconoclastic connotations. It is difficult to describe their work in one word, but these words usually come to my mind, violent, disturbing, funny, ironic, dirty, horrific, transgressive, surreal, absorbing and terrifying.

Despite this I find the Chapman brothers extremely interesting, mostly because of the time they put into their works, quite literally "Fucking Hell", i guess the guys at Airfix co. must be very happy!

Originally “Fucking Hell” (1999) was on show at the White Cube gallery in central London, it consisted of 9 glass cabinets arranged in a swastika formation. Inside the cabinets were tens of thousands of 2-inch high figures. Most figures were dressed in Nazi uniforms, performing the most egregious acts of cruelty.

“Fucking Hell” (1999) presented the viewer with a combination of historical, religious and mythical narratives. The effect of miniaturising these subjects, is truly amazing, the detail and the time spent on creating each box is a feat of engineering in itself. But what truly engages me are the truly harrowing simulations that are happening before my eyes. It makes me look closer and examine each figure, their look in their eyes, their contorted bodies surrounded in chaos and frenzy.

The original installation was lost in an east London fire, which destroyed much of Charles Saatchi's stored art collection. Who knows maybe this was an act of God ridding the world of these sadistic models….I doubt it though! Fortunantly here is a film of "Fucking Hell", played to Samuel Barbers, "Adagio For Strings" (1936).

CLICK HERE TO WATCH FUCKING HELL

"Jimmy Edgar is one of those artists you imagine doesn't like to sit still for more than a few minutes at a time. Besides fashioning dark, driving electronic music under his own name, he also heads up house- and funk-influenced project Her Bad Habit, serves as executive producer for X District, and is rumored to be one-half of electro duo Plus Device. Add to that his work as a fashion photographer (and the fact that he looks hotter in eyeliner than most women), and, well, it all makes him the type of guy you'd like to sit down and have a coffee with."

His latest project finds the Detroit native once again working with brooding beats and unsettling rhythms that hint at something sinister waiting just around the corner (or in the case of the track's video, something sensual). Fans of this one should also check the flipside, a remix by Hefty Records founder John Hughes. The single will be offered as a donation-only release this month, free to download, with 100% of the proceeds going back to the artist. A digital copy will be available via retailers in November." -XLR8R

Jimmy Edgar has released a new song called "Nothing is Better" with Moodgadget records. This new track is an ominous prequel that accompanies a video also directed by Jimmy. This is the first installment of all encompassing multimedia releases that will be exhibited online.

Press release from Moodgadget : "Jimmy Edgar's exclusive Moodgadget single "Nothing is Better" is both heavy and seductive; like a heart attack induced by sex. John Hughes' slow burning remix alluringly pulls you into his fantasy world more with each passing beat.

The title "Nothing is Better" is left open to interpretation by Jimmy. For example, it could mean "nothing else could be better" or, "nothing is definitely better than what we have here now." Listen and we think you'll agree, it doesn't get much better than this."

"Nothing is Better" video featured on XLR8R.com : "Jimmy Edgar is a dark, dark dude. Of course, we've always known that about the Detroit-area native, who's been making sinister beats for a number of years now and was once praised for being one of the few men to make wearing eyeliner look cool. His latest video, for the single "Nothing is Better," features the producer's bristly electronic beats and a very skinny young lady getting rather hot and bothered under a flashing red light. It's a visually stimulating watch, though anyone with epileptic tendencies should proceed with caution." -XLR8R

CLICK HERE TO WATCH "Nothing Is Better"