~NICHOLAS STEINDORF, DARREN WILL, NICK STUMPF, & LUKE RATHBORNE . . . YULIA TOPCHIY

FILE UNDER: OEDIPUS the KING

PIX: from the one night screening of ‘Swollen Foot’, 2012 – a short animated video based on the classic ‘Oedipus the King’ Greek tragedy . . .
with original art by NICHOLAS STEINDORF, and original soundtrack/music & choir by DARREN WILL . . .
presented by CoWorker Projects at Entwine – FRI MARCH 1, 2013.


YULIA TOPCHIY of CoWorker Projects . . . seems to be achieving her goal of having the small lower west side ‘boite’, Entwine – become a dynamic night-time hub – for artists, filmmakers and musicians.


NICHOLAS STEINDORF, left, and DARREN WILL – have taken a somber classic narrative – and rendered it ‘contemporary’ and relevant, again.
way more than one could imagine at casual glance . . .
yes, the oracles . . . have spoken.


NICK STUMPF, singer & drummer for the hard-kickin’ Brooklyn band, FRENCH KICKS, did the hauntingly profound sound production for Darren Will’s original music on ‘Swollen Foot’.
yep, check: FRENCH KICKS


LUKE RATHBORNE did the sound mastering – for this indie project.
Luke Rathborne fronts the dynamic Brooklyn-based ensemble bearing his name.
DARREN WILL plays bass in the band.
yep, check: LUKE RATHBORNE

with a shout-out to ANDREW GUENTHER, and TIFFANY . . . who Luke relates is expecting his second child, a sibling for Easter Lily !!
you go, Guenther.


‘Swollen Foot’. Title & credits typeface design by KATE CERIGO . . .
truthfully, the venue – Entwine, though right-on, very intimate – for screening short video projects, was not so good for seriously listening to the music – it’s way too close-quartered, and the creative-type patrons on the very edge-of-whatever is new and happening in the city – are intensely animated and engrossed in sharing … verbally (!!) . . . but the solemness, seriousness and beauty of the ‘choir-sung’ sound track did seep through.
one day I’d love to hear it – in a ‘real’ sound-focused environment.

the choir – seems to be a who’s who – a virtual round-up, the motherlode of the new wave of raw musical talent trying to stake a place – in this city that never sleeps, or stops: right now.
Nicholas Steindorf and Darren Will bring us – performers:
~ MICHAEL IAN CUMMINGS: Voice
of the DEAD TREES, and SKATERS
~ JOE JUREWICZ: Voice
of DIRTY ON PURPOSE, and NECKBEARD TELECASTER
~ JON WILEY: Voice
of SPACECAMP
~ DEB OH: Voice
of DEB OH and the CAVALIERS
~ ANNA NORDEEN: Voice
solo/ANNA NORDEEN
~ JARED VAN FLEET: Voice
of VOXTROT, BEIRUT (!!) and Solo/JARED VAN FLEET
~ DARRELL DUMAS: Voice, Piano
of ARVEL, and solo/DARRELL DUMAS
~ DARREN WILL: Voice, guitars, bass, synth, drums
see @smileoutofhell/BROOKLYN


but, back to the video . . . animated images by NICHOLAS STEINDORF


so the story, behind ‘Swollen Foot’, goes . . .
that Nichloas Steindorf wrote a poem using words from the classic ancient tragedy, which he handed over to Darren Will, who set the new/ancient .. words to music, to be sung by a live choir in the Greek tradition-somewhat . . well, you know what I mean. and then Nicholas took that, the music – and set it back to an animated abstract pattern-based video format … imagery.
so, from text to music to abstract imagery … get it ?
from ancient Greece … to cutting edge NYC, the myth still resounds.


wikipedia has a pretty good take on .. ‘Oedipus the King’ . . . . the Athenian Tragedy written by SOPHOCLES, and first performed circa 429 BCE.


interestingly, HOMER’s ‘Odyssey’ contains the earliest account of the Oedipus myth .. the doomed young prince, destined to become King of Thebes, is destined to kill (unknowingly) his own father, and marry (unknowingly) his own mother – essentially the sins of the father (Laius) visit the son. and the Oracles really did speak, back in those days, but even then . . . obliquely.


apart from the obvious ‘drama’ . . . the play sends out a message about how in trying to avoid the prophecies, one does carry, or bring them about.
apparently at the end of the play, the chorus repeats: the ‘common’ Greek maxim: “that no man should be considered fortunate until he is dead.”

P.S.
File under: such is life, and ART even today,
ancient Greeks, move aside. . .
the whole project resonates … powerful.

I don’t know what our recently departed contributor, music reviewer, art maven, artist, and pal .. SIMON CERIGO, a proud Greek, who Nicholas Steindorf knew thru Kate . . . would have thought of that last line.
“no man should be considered fortunate until he is dead” ?
hey, new ghost: send us a definitive take on that, will you ?

R.I.P. . . . Simon.

PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH