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City of Sound is about cities, design, architecture, music, media, politics and more. Written by Dan Hill since 2001.

Franz Ferdinand remixed by El Lissitzky?

Written in

October 21, 2004

Dan Hill

Architecture, Film, Information Design, Music

Previously, on cityofsound’s Infographic Music Video series: Rokjsopp, Plaid, Legowelt and Pleix …

And now, Franz Ferdinand roar into view, with a fabulous Constructivist/Bauhaus-inspired promo for This Fire, of which MTV.com says:

“A mixture of constructivist graphics and the opening titles of Hitchcock’s Niagara. The idea is to mimic what happens in the opening frame of a comic–but absolutely not ‘American Dream’ stuff of the Batman and Superman cartoons. It’s as if the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. went to war in the ’50s and the soviets won and redesigned all the comics.”

Not a particularly good description. It’s a bit more pure El Lissitzky to be honest, crossed with a hefty early 80s aesthetic. Its fab. The tremor in his flick when frontman Alexander stamps his foot is hilarious. And rather great. I’m still not sure whether I’m a fan or not, but this I like.

MTV.com: Franz Ferdinand: This Fire video [PC/Windows Media, medium quality]
Domino Records: Franz Ferdinand: This Fire video [Real, quite small]
IFilm: Franz Ferdinand: This Fire video [Real, Quicktime, medium]
[via Tom – thanks!]

4 responses to “Franz Ferdinand remixed by El Lissitzky?”

andrew

October 21, 2004

Very nice indeed. But as an ex-art historian with a soft spot for Dada collage, I’m still partial to the “Take Me Out” video.

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Matt Jones

October 22, 2004

That video is sooo pushing the Hill buttons. Inlcuding the cameo by the Bauhaus institute at the start. Have you read Mark Millar’s “Red Son” – alternative ‘constructivist’ vision of Superman in the USSA described above.

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Dan

October 23, 2004

Nope – haven’t read that. Will chase it up – ta!

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peterme

October 24, 2004

Hitchock’s Niagara? Do they mean Vertigo? And Saul Bass’ titles for it? I suppose if you squint, you could see a similarity, but not much of one.
Though, I suppose I shouldn’t look to MTV for my art history.

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