Tall Tales premiers in cinemas for one night only
Three uber creative types walk into a bar. Except its 2020 and everyone is locked in their homes due to Covid. But that didn’t stop Radiohead frontman- Tom Yorke, electronic wizard- Mark Pritchard and Aussie visuals extraordinaire- Jonathan Zawada from collaborating. The result is something that will make you step back and go ‘woah,’ as it is full of so many obtuse angles.
“Tall Tales” is slated to be released as an album this Friday. But for one night only (on May 8) a 65-minute Avant garde film featuring all of the tracks will play in cinemas. Zawada is the man responsible for the videos, and he has previously worked with the likes of The Avalanches and Flume at Modular Records. This film will appeal to people who like their modern art mixed with lots of synths. It feels like there are a few nods here to New Order and artist, Peter Saville though in truth these gentlemen were probably drawing on the krautrock that influenced the Manchurians.
The audience are introduced to a dystopian world that is filled with both beauty and some sheer ugliness, thanks to our guide, an andromorphic bird on what seems like a video game island. The piece grapples with some intense subject matter including modern calamities and things like the trying space where technological advancements and human frailty interact. It is at times quite anxious and uncertain, no doubt a reflection of the emotions that were widespread in 2020 and those subsequent covid-filled years.
Yorke is no stranger to dabbling with writing electronic songs both in his solo and band projects. He met Pritchard when the latter was remixing a Radiohead track many years ago. The pair also worked together on a song for Pritchard’s solo record. “Tall Tales’ marks the pair’s album debut, in a collaboration that many people have viewed as long-overdue.
This whole record grapples with much experimentation as well as challenging soundscapes that shimmer. There are sounds that are borrowed from prog, dub, and synth pop. The visuals see CGI being married to AI in contrasting Technicolor results. There are questions over truth and artifice as we humans are becoming increasingly unsure where the AI begins and human’s artistic endeavors end.
“Tall Tales” is ultimately another highly creative work from Yorke. The result is something that is quite layered and obtuse, so it may not appeal to the masses in the audience. While there are no three minute slices of radio-friendly pop, it will force people to think about some things. At the end of the day, we are transported to a kind of shadowland where dark storytelling is the order of the day.
About the Author
Natalie Salvo Natalie is a Sydney-based writer and lover of all things music, food, photography comedy, art, theatre. You can find her digging in crates at good record stores.
Related Posts
The Accountant 2 – Film Review →
LUCASFILM’S THEATRICAL RELEASES AND DISNEY+ SERIES TAKE CENTRE STAGE AT STAR WARS CELEBRATION 2025 →
Drop – Film Review →
