When approached to create visuals for musician Jon Hopkins' upcoming tour, Nexus Productions decided to take a more curatorial approach.
"We discussed the visuals with Jon and he had a clear idea of what he wanted," said studio co-founder Chris O'Reilly. "As he explained the process behind his music and his visual tastes I was thinking of the amazing San Francisco animator Vince Collins, who created some of the most mesmerizing and beautiful films in the late '70s and early '80s. It seemed a logical step to see if Vince himself was interested in being involved, and we were delighted when he gave us permission to remix a selection of his films for the tour."
The resulting remix, an amalgam of psychedelic colorful shapes and figures, is featured as part of Coldplay's current world tour, where Hopkins was invited to be their support. "Vince's animation and Jon's music worked together beyond what we could have imagined," O'Reilly added, "And we were really pleased that a whole new audience might be introduced to Vince's films through the music."
Collins made the films used in the remix between 1974 and 1982. That Hopkins is referred to as a "musical shapeshifter" indicates perhaps why the two worked together so well. Hopkins' two albums have seen him labeled by the likes of Brian Eno as an electronic innovator. As well as working with Coldplay as a principal music collaborator on their latest album, VIVA LA VIDA, he has also worked with artists including Herbie Hancock, David Holmes and King Creosote.
To date, the film has been played at Coldplay's Brixton Academy show as well as their Barcelona and New York Madison Square Garden shows. In addition to this, Hopkins will DJ for Coldplay on the July 14-30, 2008 leg of their world tour and festival dates including The Big Chill and Bestival.
See an excerpt of the work: http://www.nexusproductions.com/938/jonhopkins.html.
