CHRIS CUNNINGHAM THE WORK OF... DVD DIRECTORS LABEL, EMI RELEASE: DECEMBER 3, 2003 REVIEW: DECEMBER 17, 2003

The DVD revolution is fantastic. This time I'm not talking about the technical advantages. As the record labels finally realise the potential of the new medium we are floaded with interesting releases this winter from Depeche Mode, Rammstein, Moby, Nick Cave, Underworld, Erasure, Pet Shop Boys, Deine Lakaien and now the three Directors Label DVD:s with material from award winning and ground breaking directors Chris Cunningham, Michel Gondry and Spike Jonze. I have decided to look closer into the first two's releases.
The DVD:s not only offers videos but "making of-s", commercials, short films, video installations and 52 page books. While the Jonze and Gondry discs are double sided and packed to the brim with material, Cunningham's collection "just" gives us eight videos, the book, three commercials, a short film about the the stunningly cool Björk classic "All Is Full of Love" (my absolute favourite), two video installations with music from Aphex Twin and a "Bleeped Version" of Aphex Twin's funny, sunny and weird LA clip "Windowlicker" (why do I need a "bleeped" version without the "fuck"s and so on?).
Musically, Cunningham's DVD is perhaps the most interesting one for Release readers of the three. The videos range from the industrial low budget "Second Bad Vilbel" with Autechre to Madonna's beautiful gothic-goes-desert clip "Frozen". The morbid, scary "Come to Daddy" with Aphex Twin will haunt your dreams. Furthermore, we watch Portishead, Squarepusher and Leftfield. Cunningham's videos are wet dreams for industrial and electronica bands.

MIKAEL KAHRLE