Re: [microsound] nissan foundsound commercial

["Christian Aeschliman" <ozwanderlust@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "ndk" <ndkent@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <microsound@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, December 06, 2002 4:41 PM
Subject: RE: [microsound] nissan foundsound commercial

> younger set, so its fresh and impassioned to the clueless too. (which
> reminds me of the lesser irony of the "priceless" credit card
> commercials with the electronica track by Jean Jacques Perrey that was
> recorded about a decade before the young credit card craving actors in
> the commercial were born)

Funny you mention that commercial because it included some really heavy
underground stuff here in Southern California.  I believe the song they used
in that one was the youthfully appropriate Fatboy Slim remix of EVA (the
Jean-Jacques Perrey song).  Additionally, that whole commercial was about
going to a full moon desert rave, which, BTW, are really badass here in
Southern California.  If the viewer of the commercial had never gone to one
before, they'd just think that it was a bunch of new techno hippyish kids
going out and having a good old youthful fun loving time.  To the initiated,
the commercial was a script for a party (getting together with some friends,
putting some cool clothes on, driving all the way out to the desert, rocking
out in front of a speaker in desert sand ... just like that really cute
blonde dreadlocked girl was in the commercial).  I didn't take offense after
watching that commercial at all ... I just thought "yaaay!!  someone out
there snuck this one in there"  or  "i wonder if i know the folks
responsible for putting that one together" or even just "yay, they're at a
desert party".  I didn't think "OMFG, I can't believe that my precious
underground scene that I've worked so hard to gain scene points in has been
exposed to the light, indeed, to the ignorant consumer masses!!!!
Globalism!!"

Same with the Nissan commercial.  First thing I thought was "rad, those guys
are rocking out ... I should try a themed project like that sometime".  It
was fucken inspiring.  I didn't feel threatened.  And it's not like that
kind of activity is new to mass media anyway ... any Americans remember that
show "The Heights" from the very early 90's?  It was on Fox ... like around
Parker Lewis times.  Anyway, the show was about a bunch of young cool people
that formed a band ... the show even spawned off a "hit song" that was like
#1 in the charts in real life ... it was called "How do you speak to an
angel" or something like that.  Anyway, there was like one or two singers,
the drummer, guitars and all that shit ... but what excited me the most was
the one guy who had sampling gear.  He would go around with his DAT and
microphone and record stuff like garbage trucks and everyday sounds.  Ok,
none of those sounds were on the "hit song" but ... it was cool that they
showed him doing that in the show!  I loved it!  All I could think about at
age 13/14 and on was how badass that was.  That he was manipulating sounds
in real life and possibly making music with them.  When I finally got my
things together (um, 10+ years later) and got recorded sounds from my MD
onto my computer (like tooth-drumming loops, sprinklers, glass cups lightly
bouncing off each other, etc.) I felt like I had achieved a dream of sorts.

So, I don't understand how so many people on here are being so fucking punk
rock and getting mad at that rad Nissan commercial.  As if the next snooty
experimental music show in your town is going to be sponsored by Nissan and
have a bunch of frat boys and candy ravers there.  There are probably all
kinds of people out there who are inspired by the musical production aspects
of that commercial.  This thing probably put some really cool seeds in lots
of people's heads.  It's a shame that so many avant garde/underground scene
people have so much trouble with simply and openly identifying that
something rules.

-Christian

>
> In the scheme of things cars sort of represent an image for the owner
> and are often pondered over for quite some time. The agencies that picth
> the adds know the importance in "investing" in the attention of the next
> car buying generation and it wins with older types worried about lost
> youth and prehaps the car can "recapture the feeling"
>
> The Nissan thing seemed to send the message, we are young, hip, creative
> and successful enough (by some means) to afford that house, car and home
> studio. This kind of music is the new rock and roll. To older people I'm
> sure they look like what they probably imagine those hip young people
> are doing and by them seeming to do something very clever, making
> sampled music with the car, so that car must be technically hip too. I
> guess the car company only loses from the adverse reaction to those
> making that kind of music, but who knows, maybe getting that car will be
> a career booster.
>
> nicholas d. kent
>
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