words: Marcos Leal (edited and freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Paulo Pacheco
In a downpour night in Guimarães, a sold out room listened to The Cinematic Orchestra. Born in 1999 within the nu-jazz and downtempo electronic aestetic, with a cinematic approach to compositions, as their name gives away, they presented Dziga Vertov’s, The Man With a Movie Camera (1929).
The soundtrack was created for Porto European Capital of Culture in 2001 originally presented to a, sold out Coliseu, in Porto. “Dear viewers. What you’re about to witness is an experiment”, appeared on the screen. It was what a, single man seated on stage, wrote on a typewriter, telling the audience what they were about to witness. On the center of the stage, a white frame, with a window to Vertov’s world and a camera that would project upon the big screen for all the audience to see as in a film theater.
With a “man with a movie camera” on stage commanding and coordinating the visual side of the performance, Cinematic Orchestra started with The Projectionist”, developing their music in perfect sincrony with the images being worked on stage, to complement the listening experience and arise near transe sensations. The progressive melodies that do not reach climax, leave the listener suspended and the geometric, caleidoscopic images join to hypnotize the viewer. It was really as announced at the beginning, an audio visual experience.
The concert did not finish without an encore. Ode to the Big Sea was the chosen track. This time the man with the movie camera targeted the audience that saw itself on the big screen while the camera lens run through the seats. It was funny to see people’s expressions and reactions that stood up to applaud a surprising performance.
Mondo Bizarre Magazine 