MixTape: Semiosis by Sacha Dzuba on 8/23/08

Sacha emailed me, texted me and called me many times during the creation of this mixtape to tell me how excited he was and how inspired. Unfortunately our conversations and emails were brief because I am not allowed to know any details of the mixes before the actual start of the show or the whole thing is shot and the mixer has to start over. Needless to say now that I've performed it, I can see why he was so excited.

I absolutely loved this show top to bottom. I am getting better each time I do this form and my work with Sacha and Houston in the booth broadened the range of the music within the work. Unfortunately the youtube videos you will see in this post do not do justice to the environment, energy or detailed facial expressions... so if you hear the audience bellow with laughter and you don't have any idea why, it was probably a "you had to be there" moment.

Here are Sacha's liner notes that I received once I was onstage (he made me read them to the audience before I began.)

JIM! READ THESE LINER NOTES!!!

**British Lecturer’s Professorial Voice**

Semiosis is any form of activity, conduct, or process that involves signs, including the production of meaning. Briefly – semiosis is sign process. Semiotics is the study of signs, including, but not limited to the following: “signs” from everyday life (road signs, billboards, etc.), “visual signs”, signs can also be drawings, paintings, and photographs, word, sounds, or “body language”. Umberto Eco states that “semiotics is concerned with everything that can be taken as a sign”. Semiotics involves the study not only of what we refer to as “signs” in everyday speech, but of anything which “stands for” something else. In a semiotic sense, signs take the form of words, images, sounds, gestures, and objects. Studying how meanings are made and how reality is represented not through signs that are isolated, but as part of semiotic “sign systems” (such as medium and genre).

Enough with intellectualisms…on with the show! Thanks to Daniel Chandler and Wikipedia

These liner notes will self-destruct in 2,103 seconds…

And here is the mix itself:

Harder Better Faster by Daft Punk
Momma Sed by Puscifer
Twentysomething by Jamie Cullum
The Devil by PJ Harvey
Destroy everything You Touch by Ladytron
Corpus Christi Carol (For Roy) by Jeff Buckley
I'm Afraid of Amercans by David Bowie
Utopia by Goldfrapp
All is Full of Love by Bjork
2 Hearts by Kylie Minogue

***CLICK THE READ MORE BUTTON FOR VIDEO AND COMMENTARY***




Track 1: Daft Punk's Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

Work It / Make It / Do It / Makes Us
Harder Better Faster Stronger

More Than / power / Our / Never
Ever After Work is Over

Work It Harder Make It Better
Do It Faster Makes Us stronger
More Than Ever Hour After
Our Work Is Never Over

This one got me right away. The beat was awesome and made me want to dance. My beginning activity of mixing drinks was based on my thinking that it was Work It, Make it, Do It, Mix it (not Makes Us as is the actual lyric.) This plus the disco lights they had going on around me told me I was in a bar or club making drinks. So I began to mix drinks, dance and be groovy while I continued to listen to the lyrics... More than, Power, Our, Never... and so I knew that he was powerless about something and that he was never able to overcome it. And so our story began. Josh (though he wishes he could name himself something sexy like "Umberto") is the bartender at The Sign in New York. I then began to make the drinks faster and stronger (more alcohol.) When the music died down we discovered that Josh has been robbed several times by the same thug in town. He has not been able to defend himself and he had gotten away with it. He confronts Johnny (later named in the show by the David Bowie song) with a broken vodka bottle. He isn't limber enough to get over the bar and wouldn't know how to defend himself if he did... and so this chapter ends.

Track 2: Momma Sed by Puscifer

wake up son of mine
momma got somethin' to tell you
changes come
life will have its way
with your pride, son
take it like a man
hang on son of mine

This one began with "Momma's got somethin to tell you." and so I began a "3 person" scene with Two parents and their son Roger. The parents have him cornered in the livingroom and are discussing what they found in the basement. They indicate that his behavior has changed and that he is getting dangerous. He is a reclusive dark child of 13 years of age. Socially akward and scared he accuses them of invading his privacy. Everything about him is uncomfortable from his expressions and posture to his belongings (hoodie which he keeps up at all times) and a "sharp" backpack. The scene ends when we find that Roger's teacher has called from the hospital.



Track 3: Twentysomething by Jamie Cullum

After years of expensive education,
a car full of books and anticipation,
I’m an expert on Shakespeare and that’s a hell of a lot
but the world don't need scholars as much as I thought.

Maybe I'll go travelling for a year,
finding myself or start a career.
I could work for the poor though I’m hungry for fame
we all seem so different but we're just the same.

Shakes is a dancer and is at an audition to be a part of the dance theatre of New York. He is sitting beside Roger in the waiting room who is there to take forced dance classes (Roger will later take classes from Shakes.) We discover that he loves dance and even though Roger confuses him with a woman he clarifies that this is definitely not the case. When I listened to the lyrics at the beginning of this track I thought the character was going to be snobbish and well educated but then I realized that it was the tempo and mood of the song that was giving me the character and he was actually dancing to this song for his audition.

Track 4: The Devil by PJ Harvey

As soon as I'm left alone
The devil wanders into my soul

Roger's mother is going down the stairs into the scary dark basement. Roger has removed all of the lightbulbs so she cannot find her way easily. Her husband cannot come down into the basement because he is allergic to the mold (but mostly he is scared what he will find down there.) After getting a flashlight and finding several disturbing items she eventually discovers what she was looking for. A giant box of pot!


Track 5: Destroy everything You Touch by Ladytron

Destroy everything you touch today
Destroy me this way
Anything that may desert you
So it cannot hurt you

You only have to look behind you
At who's undermined you
Destroy everything you touch today
Destroy me this way

The scene starts with an exhibition of very poorly executed karate like dance moves that would do absolutley no damage to an opponent unless you accidentally walked into the flailing. Josh (the bartender) is the one attempting to learn to dance in hopes of defending himself. Shakes (gay dancer) who has been teaching him to dance tells him that he has fallen in love with Josh but because he loves him he shows him one move that will help him deal with the robber who has been terrorizing his bar... the one thrust heart removal punch...

Track 6: Corpus Christi Carol (For Roy) by Jeff Buckley

He bear her off, he bear her down
He bear her into an orchard ground

Lu li lu lay lu li lu lay
The falcon hath bourne my mate away

This was a silent scene. The music stayed nice and loud the entire scene and no words were spoken. Roger and his parents are at dinner and they are both stoned out of their minds. They react to the food, each other and their own hands as Roger looks on in fear and disbelief.

Track 7: I'm Afraid of Amercans by David Bowie

Johnny’s in america, low-tech’s at the Wheel
No-one needs anyone, they don’t even
Just pretend
Johnny’s in america

I’m afraid of americans
I’m afraid of the world
I’m afraid I can’t help it
I’m afraid I can’t
Johnny’s in america

Johnny (the thug who has been terrorizing Josh's bar and stealing from him) has arrived to steal from Josh once again. After a conversation with his girlfriend on the phone he enters the bar and is confronted by Shakes who won't let him pass. Shakes tells him that he isn't going to let anyone hurt the man he loves and uses the Heart Removal Punch he showed Josh in the previous scene.

Track 8: Utopia by Goldfrapp

It's a strange day
No colours or shapes
No sound in my head
I forget who I am
When I'm with you
There's no reason
There's no sense

Rogers parents are both coming down from their high and are naked in bed. They are dealing with their strange encounter and are worried about who they are becoming. The father goes downstairs for a glass of water naked and accidentally encounters Roger who is embarrased.



Track 9: All is Full of Love by Bjork

You'll be given love
You'll be taken care of
You'll be given love
You have to trust it

Maybe not from the sources
You have poured yours
Maybe not from the directions
You are staring at

In a photocopy start to the previous scene Shakes and Josh are in bed together. Josh is discovering that he is Bisexual and actually has feelings for Shakes.



Track 10: 2 Hearts by Kylie Mingue

2 hearts are beating together

I'm in love,

I'm in love

Is this forever and ever?

I'm in love,

I'm in love"

In the lobby after dance class Roger meets a girl from his school who is also an outcast. They know each other a bit but were not very aware but the girl has followed him because she wants to be his girlfriend. Together they go to Josh's bar where they see Shakes and Josh working together behind the bar. Roger tries to sell Shakes some of his pot to have money to purchase something and is told by Josh "You can't sell pot in here... But I can!" and lights.