A few weeks ago I mentioned a film entitled One More Song: Hooligan Disco. This 45 minutes long documentary was released in 2008 by Jean-Baptiste de Laubier, also known as Para One. Para One filmed his US tour with fellow artists Curses!, Surkin and DJ Orgasmic – all signed on the French label Institubes.
The film is a visual diary made in a way that is unapologetic, raw and real. We feel the energy from the parties, the excitement from both the artists and the crowd. We also see the exhaustion, worry and stress every day and every night. Whether it’s because the boys have to attend another barbecue and can’t rest, or because they got to the wrong hotel and can’t go to sleep, we feel how stressful life on the road can be. However, we do sense a strong bond and companionship among the main protagonists and other artists.
As I am writing, I have the movie playing in the background, to help me get back in my younger self. I was obsessing over the film because it showed me something that I really wanted. Today, I look at it and appreciate more the pauses and smaller shots that may or may not reference other works. I am thinking of the scene with toys in a corner store. The freight trains passing by. That particular shot reminded me of a Michel Gondry video for The Chemical Brothers. I like to believe that this wasn’t accidental nor a novelty.
The other reason why I couldn’t stop watching it was because of the music that was playing throughout the film. Most of it was club-oriented, which is something that I wanted to make myself. I used the movie as a way to find inspiration in making electronic music. However, most of the songs I wrote at the time were not good enough. I was still learning. My tracks were not mixed. They were barely demos. This is why I didn’t share them a lot. I didn’t feel comfortable with them. I didn’t think that they were good enough. Listening back to them occasionally, I realize that they were needed. I needed to make them that way so that I could learn.
I don’t think that I would be where I am if it weren’t for my passion for (electronic) music, nor for this movie. It is weird. It is fun. It brings back good memories. It kept me dreaming. It kept me inspired. I am thankful for those hundreds of hours that Para One taped and condensed in this 45 minutes film. I am also thankful for Institubes, for without them I wouldn’t be me.
Have a sound day.
✌🏾