Tuesday 13 March 2012

Robert Wyatt: Dondestan (Revisited) Interview


This is a wonderful mini-documentary featuring an interview with the English musician and songwriter Robert Wyatt, in which he discusses his album "Dondestan" and his decision to release a revised version of the project as "Dondestan (Revisited)." The brief film was/is included as an extra feature of the CD release of "Dondestan (Revisited)" in the late 1990s.
For fans of Robert Wyatt who are not acquainted with this album, this document serves as a charming and informative introduction to "Dondestan"'s aesthetic. Through its use of the album's music, the imagery of Alfreda Benge's photographs and paintings, and Wyatt's insightful and unpretentious commentary, the film evokes "Dondestan"'s spare, meditative and (deceptively) tranquil moods and atmospheres.
Those who are not acquainted with Robert Wyatt's music and songwriting, or have yet to explore his solo work, might find this film to be a helpful introduction to Wyatt as an artist—that is, as opposed to Wyatt as a biographical or sociological subject, to the latter two of which there is no shortage of introductions.
It offers insights into Wyatt's approach to songwriting, chord progressions, musical notation (specifically, his heterodox approach to it), record production (which he describes as "low-tech"), lyric-writing, collaboration, technology, musicianship, instrumental virtuosity (or lack there-of), composing as a process of "retrieval" and "simplification," album-sequencing, and what Wyatt calls "find[ing one's] own voice."

1 comment:

  1. Not sure why I missed it before...
    but it has nothing on his decision to release the revised version

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