By Ali Rahman & Sarah Taylor
2005

This video made effort to visually articulate the principal of phasing as explored by Steve Reich in his early tape experiments. Here, a single layer of video is shot, doubled, and overlayed upon itself. The second layer was then trimmed (ever so slightly), so upon repetition, it would fall out of phase with the first. The result is a weird, profoundly cute and oddly haunting visual of a dancer chasing herself through a corridor. Time seems to circle itself, orbit itself, but our dancer never tires, nor does she find what she is looking for.

By Ali Rahman
2005

In art school, one is generally expected to privilege symbolism over narrative, medium over message and circular over linear. In art school, the term “abstract” is often perverted not to mean “essential” but to mean “ephemeral”. This video was a reaction to a particularly frustrating art class. Rahman decided to buck convention and make a relatively convential video. It was originally projected on three-screens synched to a single soudtrack. The framing, editing and rapid-fire narrative all demonstrate Rahman’s comfort with the medium and with himself as subject. Even if the content seems a little
puerile now. Chalk it up to youthful indiscretion.

Not sure why I’m putting this up. Been sifting through the old files, and well, came upon this.

Edmund Lam, Heidi Donnelly, Rick Coluccio and myself, Ali Rahman comprised, arguably, A Vertical Mosaic’s best incarnation. During this late-mid-point in our career we were halfway between an electronic and acoustic band, halfway between pop and noise. There was strength in straddling dichotomies. This 10-minute opus oozes with drippy synths and cracks under jazzy drumming. I can’t remember what this song was called. Ed pretty much wrote the basic verses, asked me to come up with spacey poetic lyrics. I was listening to a lot of Built to Spill at the time so I remember my lyrics being a lot like “Randy Described Eternity“. Anyhow, still have a soft spot for this tune. It’s weird and long and bold in a way that was only really allowed in that post-rock era that had it’s crescendo sometime around 2002. Live footage shot by Sarah Taylor, grass footage shot by Ali Rahman. Editing by Ali Rahman.

Edmund and Heidi are presently in Hexes and Ohs.
Rick and Ali are current members of Flames!
Rick also plays with Amanda Mabro and has a solo project entitled Cozmos Quazar.

Excuse the self-indulgence and nostalgia folks. This is a blog after all.