by Design

[MARV]

Not necessarily a collection of music videos per se, by Design is a wonderfully ambient collection of colored visual patterns set to soothing musical pieces for optimum subconscious luxe relaxation. Color is found all around us but this DVD underscores it's most basic emotional quality through a very basic and humble presentation of itself. Pure blocks, stripes and abstractions fade into one another not for centerpiece show but more as passive art slowly shifting on your television. It is thus no mistake that this production is made in association with Pantone, the industry wide color standard house we graphic designers use for the exacting needs of our business. These color "stories" are rendered by graphic designers at the cutting edge of their game: Irma Bloom, John Maeda and the real treat...Peter Saville, famous for his iconic Factory Records / Joy Division / New Order masterpieces and infamous for his work with Roxy Music, Ultravox, Peter Gabriel, Pulp and Suede. Among the tracks used for the auditory bit of the modern art is New Order's own stoic and etheral Elegia. The extended version whose original rendition can be found on 1985's Low Life is employed by Saville in a quietly devastating presentation of emotional bath. From by Design's accompanying booklet:

"Sound and visuals combined, the effect is a sort of 'audio glow' where the surrounding room is bathed in colored light and atmospheric noise. 'That's what these things should do', explains Saville. 'You should be able to be on the phone, looking out the window, having a shower, packing your suitcase, and there's something in the corner, gently shifting.'

'Merely an existence on the TV screen, in a hotel room anywhere, I don't want it to attract my attention. I don't want to watch it. I just like the idea of it [i]being[/i] there'.

- Peter Saville"

Wow. It's just *SO* Peter Saville [:p] But why not employ the television as frame for artwork? I have it playing on my fifty inch LCD screen and surround sound here in my studio and it is just magnificent. Definitely something of interest for the graphic designer, Joy Division / New Order fan or simple ambience seeker.

http://www.colorcalm.com/main.php

<a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/cetaceans/index.cfm">I dig whales.</a>