Gai
Individual Social Mean - Subj & Egos, chopped
(Das Göttlich Geist) Video (Beast
Arts 1995, Japan)
Executive
Producer: Sakevi / Producer: Tomohiko Miyage / Associate Director: Sojiro
Otsubo
Subj
& Egos, chopped gives a nice overview of the bands history, from the
days at the infamous Shinjuku loft (Tokio) to their appearances at big
venues. Don't expect a straightforward rockumentary though, there is no
spoken word whatsoever. High quality live footage is intercut with industrial
performances, backstage shots and slow-motion image- and soundscapes.
Throughout the film runs a narrative that is hard to make out, but it
has something to do with fertilization, violent death and rebirth, all
fairly common themes in post-war Japanese culture. The film starts with
a beautiful shot of a foetus in suspended animation, but as it progresses
the violence increases. At the same time there is mesmeric ambient imagery
of water, raindrops, flares, fire and a Brian Eno soundtrack. If anything,
this creates a highpitched hallucinogenic contrast and an 
increasing
tension that almost has to end in terror. The baby is born, but in the
end all we are left with is a fading molecule. The cycle is completed,
leaving the viewer unnerved. It has become a vision of a world gone mad,
a relentless wake up call. Sakevi is beating up people left and right,
runs around with teargas, blowtorches and chainsaws, leaving the front
of the stage virtually empty. 'Our mission is to recall the mental tension
of the people', he once wrote, 'and it would show as a guerilla band shooting
out persistantly the fighting spirit against the collapsing world'. This
pretty much reflect the intensity of the movie. A must see.
Note:
Apparrantly this video was also released as a laser disc of 1000 (?) copies,
that was packed like a military MRE (meals ready to eat) ration in a heavy
brown plastic pouch, which you had to actually cut to get the disc out.
Seen once advertised for sale when the thing first came out at around
$70 and never since. Its been bootlegged onto DVD in 2007.
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