Perspective of a man in guilt, falling into decadence
For CAKE theater’s Running with Strippers music stage, a collaboration with Singaporean drum-and-synth duo sl_owtalk explored the visceral power of sound. Known for their use of oscillators and percussive rhythms, the duo’s harsh, distorted sonic landscape created an intense, almost overwhelming experience. Their chaotic synergy evoked a sonic mass that was both imposing and fractured, embodying the Malay term berpecah—meaning “split up.”
Listen to Slow_Talk's Diamondback here
Inspired by their music, an image emerged of a man consumed by guilt, slowly unraveling under its weight. With their setlist in hand, this vision evolved as fragmented imageries were documented, serving as the foundation for the collaboration’s narrative exploration.
Process
Forming a narrative through the interaction of fragments
Inspired by Karen Barad’s Agential Realism, which posits that matter is not static but formed through the temporal entanglement of interacting agencies, this project reimagines narrative as an evolving interplay. Using VJ-ing software Resolume, a 30-minute platform was created where video fragments dynamically interacted to form a story.
Instead of following a linear logic, the narrative unfolded through emotional chapters, guided by keywords and visual metaphors:
• 1212: A forewarning of guilt, with nightmares and church bells. The guilt is visualized through footage of a falling man and a bird.
• Perang: A desperate fight, filled with feelings of worthlessness and being chased. A man starts to see himself as insignificant, like a bug.
• Sesat: His past is revealed—gambling, addiction, and self-destruction. The imagery dives into casinos, prostitution, and how addiction consumes him.
• 119: Addiction reaches a critical stage, blurring reality and fantasy. The man perceives himself as a cockroach, trapped in an alternate reality.
• Anubis: A collision of love, jealousy, and murder. A passionate kiss fades into black as memories of betrayal surface. Footage of him murdering his partner’s secret lover emerges.
• Diamond Back: Paranoia intensifies. Reality, imagination, and memories collide in chaos, culminating in the recurring imagery of the falling man, symbolizing the end of his life.
After constructing the narrative flow, detailed notes were made on selecting footage to fit the constraints of 3 layers and 20-30 clips, ensuring seamless performance. Copyright-free archival films were sourced, analyzed, and sorted into the established chapters. The selected scenes were woven into a visual scorebook, synchronizing each chapter’s emotions and imagery with the corresponding music.
This process emphasized the power of fragmentary interactions to build a cohesive yet non-linear narrative, blending visual chaos with emotional depth.
2021
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