Re:Generation (2012)
directed by Amir Bar Lev
When I first heard about this documentary, the concept sounded intriguing: 5 well-known DJs/electronic music producers (Pretty Lights, Skrillex, Mark Ronson, DJ Premier, and electronic duo The Crystal Method) would each be assigned a different musical genre, which they would then explore through the process of creating a new track. However, from that pitch, I wasn't exactly sure what form the finished film would take. As soon as I began watching, I realized that the people who'd come together to create this documentary had started the film with much the same vague idea of where the whole thing would go. The producers began with the genres they'd been assigned, and not much else. The first scene showed Pretty Lights getting off a plane in Nashville, as he spoke in voiceover about how unenthused he'd been about being assigned the genre of country. All of the producers seemed to react somewhat differently to the genres they'd been assigned; for example, Skrillex felt right at home with the genre of rock, and DJ Premier was relatively unfamiliar with classical music, but excited to learn. One thing that united all of them, though, was that they threw themselves enthusiastically into their respective assignments, and quickly demonstrated the reasons why all 5 of the producers in the film are highly respected within the scenes from which they originate.
Each of the producers teamed up with a different crew of musicians and musical experts in order to begin work on their respective songs, and the process of putting something together from the ground up was what the first 3/4 of the film focused on. Skrillex threw himself excitedly into working with the surviving members of The Doors, who seemed not sure what to make of the energetic young DJ with the distinctive haircut, but soon warmed up to him and laid down some classic-sounding Doors riffing in the studio. Those who've followed the saga of the post-Y2K Doors will be less than surprised to learn that, although all three of the surviving Doors worked with Skrillex on his track, drummer John Densmore (who took legal action in 2002 to prevent the other two surviving members from using the name The Doors Of The 21st Century) visited the studio on a different day than keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger. Meanwhile, the analog loyalist Mark Ronson, best known for his work on vintage-sounding productions like Amy Winehouse's Back To Black LP, gathered his frequent musical associates The Dap-Kings together with Meters drummer Zigaboo Modeliste, as well as Trombone Shorty, Erykah Badu, and Mos Def to work on putting together a jazz tune. Their in-studio improvisation seems quite appropriate for the genre which Ronson is exploring.
Pretty Lights works on a new version of the traditional folk-country standard "Wayfaring Stranger," with vocals from Ralph Stanley and LeAnn Rimes. His interactions with Stanley are particularly interesting to see, as the young producer is clearly intimidated by the bluegrass elder statesman, folding quickly when Stanley refuses to take direction on how to sing the song. The Crystal Method, who are assigned the R&B genre, journey to Detroit to work with Motown recording artist Martha Reeves of The Vandellas, who takes them on a tour of significant sites in Detroit's musical history. One theatre is being destroyed as they arrive, which upsets Reeves and gives The Crystal Method an idea for their song's lyrics. Like Stanley, though, Reeves is not interested in merely doing what the producers want her to do, and there is an uncomfortable but fascinating scene in which she picks apart the lyrics that they've written for her, challenging their word choice and forcing them to make the lyric's overall meaning much clearer. Finally, DJ Premier begins with a technique with which he is very comfortable, crate-digging through classical LPs for samples that he likes and rearranging them into something not that far from his typical hip-hop productions--even featuring a verse by Nas. Once he's done that, though, he turns the whole thing upside down, challenging himself by working with the Berklee Symphony Orchestra to reproduce his sampled composition as a live piece of orchestrated classical music. Premier learns to conduct as he engages in this process, and his sincere joy in the process of learning how to do so is highly infectious.
The transition between the first 3/4 of the film, which deals with the process of creation, and the final 1/4, which shows the results, is accomplished by a short segment filmed at an outdoor electronic music festival. This section is quite visually interesting, somewhat due to the dramatic light shows during performances, but mostly because of the crazy outfits that the kids attending the festival are wearing. The interview segments with young fans of electronic music are good at capturing the zeitgeist of that particular scene at this point in history, but nonetheless, I felt like this segment of the film was a bit of a distraction, one which had little bearing on the larger story told by the rest of the film. It could be argued that the footage and interviews during this four-minute segment give context for the popularity and musical import of performers like Skrillex and Pretty Lights, but considering the fact that both DJ Premier and Mark Ronson are from completely different scenes than the one depicted here, its relevance to the film as a whole is somewhat shaky. Ultimately, I'm OK with it being there, as it's a short segment that manages to stay entertaining throughout. However, in that it slightly unsettles the thematic unity of the film as a whole, it is definitely Re:Generation's weakest link.
The film regains its footing with the final 15 minutes, in which we are allowed the opportunity to hear the finished results of the work we saw earlier in the film. This section begins with Pretty Lights's version of "Wayfaring Stranger," which he premieres during a gig at Red Rocks, Colorado. There are definitely recognizable elements of the country standard embedded in the finished tune, most clearly the vocal tracks by Stanley and Rimes, but at its core this is an electronic track. The same is true of Skrillex's "Breakin' A Sweat," which is constructed in the same fundamental manner as previous Skrillex singles like"Rock n' Roll (Will Take You To The Mountains)" or "Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites." However, the elements contributed by the members of The Doors give it a vintage classic-rock sound that mixes surprisingly well with Skrillex's energetic take on American dubstep. The Crystal Method's explorations of R&B have resulted in "I'm Not Leaving," which is the same sort of vocal-hook-driven electronic tune that brought them fame in the late 90s, though Martha Reeves's vocals are probably the most distinctive to ever grace one of their tracks. Mark Ronson's jazz song departs from the previous template, as his song is presented in a live full-band rendition rather than as an electronic composition assembled from previously recorded component parts. Their version of "A La Modeliste," recorded live before an enthusiastic audience at Preservation Hall in New Orleans, has a hot, funky feel that's emphasized by Erykah Badu's gumbo-inspired lyrics and a swinging performance that makes it obvious just how much fun everyone involved is having. And speaking of fun, one might not expect such things from classical music, but DJ Premier's "Regeneration," while retaining the same momentous, dramatic feel of his best work with Gang Starr, also displays the producer's obvious delight in learning a new musical language and mixing it with his own familiar stylistic tropes.
Re:Generation is a fascinating documentary that can in no way be spoiled by a detailed summary of its contents like the one I've given you here. The thrill of watching it is not merely knowing what has happened, but observing the creative processes that are taking place, seeing the interactions between talented musicians from different styles of music and walks of life, and hearing the things they come up with as they affect and expand each other's worldview. Getting to watch ideas and concepts actualized in real time, and see the possibilities inherent in the combination of well-defined but significantly different musical styles into some new, previously unheard hybrid, is invigorating, and will doubtless inspire the creative impulses of anyone who sees it. Whether you're fascinated by the process of musical composition, a fan of some or all of the artists involved, or just in need of a metaphorical shot in the arm to kickstart your own creative energy, Re:Generation is essential viewing.
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Re:Generation will be shown at the Bow Tie Movieland at Boulevard Square on Thursday, February 16 at 7:30 PM, and again on Thursday, February 23, also at 7:30 PM. Tickets can be purchased in advance HERE.