Videos and pictures from Rokolectiv 2008

These are videos and pictures from the third edition of Rokolectiv, a Romanian festival in Bucuresti/Bucharest for electronic music and related visual arts.

It took place at the 11th and 12th of April at the club Session, and on the closing Sunday the 13th at the National Museum of Contemporary Arts (MNAC).

This year's theme was Playground, and the artists were encouraged to "push their limits of their creativity and engage their playful energies".

Some of the artists are listed here:
* Underground Resistance (US)
* Mungolian Jet Set (NO)
* Jean-Jacques Perrey & David Chazam (FR)
* Daedelus (US)
* Elektrofant (NO)
* Khan of Finland (DE)
* DAT Politics (FR)

For much more information, go to the official website.

Below are 28 videos on YouTube - click on a video to open it in a separate window, and you can also click here to see a gallery of 32 pictures on Flickr.

DAT Politics




Underground Resistance (seven videos)
















Tom Wilson




Kalabrese presents The Rumpelorchestra






Mungolian Jet Set (three videos)








Elektrofant (three videos)








Khan of Finland




Daedelus




Jean-Jacques Perrey (nine videos)

Candy Says - Picture Of An Angel (from "Live Nude Girls")

"Live Nude Girls" is a nice little movie from 1995 about a group of women having a sleepover party, while constantly talking about relationships, life and sex. Lots of sex, I should add!

During this very sensual fantasy scene (see it below) with Olivia d'Abo and Lora Zane, a song is played that I was never able to find out what was - until now. Answer is coming up...

I finally had the bright idea of emailing the film's music supervisor Robin Urdang, and she told me it's "Picture Of An Angel", by the pretty unknown group Candy Says. It's available on their very rare album "Kaleidoscope" (1992).

Strangely enough it doesn't really resemble any other songs on the album, since it's the only ambient track like this there. Here you can listen to the whole track:

And I hope the band don't get angry with me, but since it's nearly impossible to find this album I took the liberty of sharing the full MP3 of the song. Here it is in 320 kb/s: link 1 or link 2. (Comment if the links go down.)

LYRICS

"I've been gone for days now

You didn't hear me leave

I had good intentions

But I was so naive

I was wrong

I want to be a lady

An angel for a day

I want to be forgiven

What more can I say

I was wrong

I could die tomorrow

Wouldn't that be sad

Another voice gone silent

In a world gone mad

I was wrong

I was wrong"


REVIEW IN LOUISVILLE MUSIC NEWS (MARCH 1993)

"Comparisons to other alternative groups abound about the Lexington, Ky-based pop rock poets Candy Says, ranging from 10,000 Maniacs to the Cure to the Sundays. Guitar-based rock trios featuring girl singers with feathery voices are hardly a new configuration and they usually serve to showcase either the female singer's vocals or the group's songwriting abilities or both.

Candy Says' second release, Kaleidoscope, bows to the form, with clean, precise arrangements that offer up Aleah X. Metzger's voice. Most of the time it works, though occasionally she seems to be a butterfly being chased by large felines, as the guitar-rooted melody lines edge toward snarling power-chords.

The rhythm section of Jay Baker on drums and Keith Coleman on bass is straight-ahead and generally right in the pocket. When that section is combined with R. R. Hornback's guitar, many of the tunes have a riff-driven pop groove. That sound goes a long way back past current alternative to a mid-Sixties feel, sometimes like Hendrix, sometimes even like early Fairport Convention but still Nineties smooth.

Ah, but to the point -- is there a radio tune on this project? Any hit songs?

"Upside Down" has a fine little guitar riff for an intro and the tune's musical structure fits solidly into the mold. Some of the most interesting lyrics on the album are found in this song.

"As She Fades" seems to the band's choice -- they throw in a little radio static and tuning at the beginning. Hornback's guitar part even feels like Fogerty in his Credence days.

The rest of the tunes are less individually memorable, although the overall sound and feel of the album has a certain stick-in-the-back-of-the-head quality. The lyrics are obscurely poetic but lack real punch. When there is a strong lyric, it doesn't match the music, so that there are no dynamite hooks.

Still, the project is a good effort by a band that clearly wants to be taken seriously (read major-label ready).

Kaleidoscope should earn them at least a look at their next project."

Written by Paul Moffett


P.S. Not surprisingly, the movie doesn't contain much nudity, which might be a bummer for those wanting to see Dana Delany and Kim Cattrall naked.

P.P.S. I will of course remove the download links if requested by the band or other copyright holders.