Stuck in a Groove

What do Madonna, Massive Attack and Angela Merkel have in common? "Friedrich Nietzsche" might be Clemens Kogler´s answer to this question. With the aid of a tool called Phonovideo, which consists of a turntable, video mixers and pressed vinyl, he animates images of the individuals named above in realtime, while at the same time a male narrator´s voice goes through the effects of the Nietzschean idea of eternal return on the soundtrack.
This chain of images from (and about) record albums, and also the smooth waves of lounge music, evoke a hypnotic state. But that´s not what we want, suggests the voice: eternal return, samsara, the experience of sameness, again and again. It´s a vicious circle, as we can neither choose what´s repeated nor can we be sure that the endless repetition will make us happy.
But the turntable is not samsara, it´s more of a kaleidoscope, a reflection that presents a "best of" collection of famous records from the past 30 years and their cover artwork. This includes Nirvana´s Nevermind (how appropriate!), Michael Jackson´s Thriller, Björk´s Debut, and also Madonna´s True Blue and Massive Attack´s Blue Lines. Pop music as eternal sameness? The VJ/DJ as a shaman? He or she´s more likely the person who finds the ideal moment while "spinning" and "mixing" sounds and images, prolonging them — nearly — into infinity, until the next transition. To that extent their handiwork vouches for the mind behind the apparatus — and with good reason this realtime extravaganza ends with the artist´s palm extended into the picture, the title and credits written on it by hand.

(Claudia Slanar)


“Phonovideo“ is a VJ tool or visual instrument used to display animations in an analog way without the help of a computer. Stuck in a Groove is the first film made with this technique.

(Clemens Kogler)


This is the first film made with the self-developed phonovideo technique. A bastard of the phenakistoscope technique of the early 19th century and turntablism makes it possible to generate or mix these films live and without the help of a computer.

(Crossing Europe Catalog, 2010)

Orig. Title
Stuck in a Groove
Year
2010
Country
Austria
Duration
4 min
Director
Clemens Kogler
Category
Animation
Orig. Language
English
Downloads
Credits
Director
Clemens Kogler
Concept & Realization
Clemens Kogler
Music
Richard Eigner
Animation
Clemens Kogler
Available Formats
Digital File (prores, h264) (Distribution Copy)
DCP 2K flat (Distribution Copy)
Festivals (Selection)
2010
Linz - Crossing Europe Film Festival
2011
Fantoche - Animationsfilmfestival Baden
Wien - VIS Vienna Independent Shorts
Hamburg - Int. Kurzfilm-Festival & No Budget (Special Mention)
Zagreb - 25fps Film & Video Festival
Dallas - Video Festival
Belgrad - Balkanima Anim. Film Festival
Bukarest - anim'est animation film festival
Uppsala - Int. Short Film Festival
Kassel - Dokumentarfilm- & Videofest
Bristol - Encounters Short Film Festival
Edinburgh - International Film Festival
Sao Paulo / Rio de Janeiro - Anima Mundi Animation Film Festival
Oberhausen - Int. Kurzfilmtage
Lissabon - Indielisboa Int. Film and Videofestival
Dresden - Filmfest
Graz - Diagonale, Festival des Österreichischen Films
Leuven - Short Film Festival
Wiesbaden - exground on screen (Intervideo Preis)
Wilmington - Cucalorus Annual Festival of Independent Film
2012
London Int. Animation Festival LIAF
Teplice - Anifest (Animation Film Festival)
Victoria - Victoria Film Festival
Stuttgart - Filmwinter, Expanded Media Festival
Regensburg - Kurzfilmwoche
2014
Bruxelles - Festival of Cartoons & Animated Films