In labeling the overall style of Motion Graphics, Joe Muggs of Bandcamp Daily wrote that it has hi-hat sounds similar to modern hip hop music, a " smash-and-grab attitude to sound-sources" common in grime, the tension of most movie soundtracks, and indie rock vocals, as well as elements of the works of Timbaland. Pitchfork reviewer Phillip Sherburne categorized Motion Graphics as a vaporwave release due to its commercial topic, but Williams disagreed with this description and felt it was more of an ambient LP since he didn't use samples of corporate music or muzak on the album. Finlayson called Motion Graphics a happier version of the works he co-produced with producer Matthew Papich, known by his stage name as Co La, which was also a response to modern internet culture the album's happy mood is showcased in the Sakamoto-inspired chord structures of tracks like "Lense", "Houzzfunction" and "Mezzotint Gliss" as well as the calm tenor vocals sung by Williams. ĭescribed by Max Pearl as "both eerily familiar and totally otherworldly," Motion Graphics regards the free feeling of accessing unlimited places due to technology, which is symbolized by the record's use of virtual instruments. The more experimental songs on the album are instrumental, while cuts with vocals from Williams are more on the pop music side. It wasn't until Williams made "Anyware" while riding on an Amtrak to Grand Central Terminal that he figured out the overall concept of Motion Graphics, where he made a marimba MIDI sequence for the song that sounded like a ringtone. In fact, Motion Graphics is similar to Yellow Magic Orchestra's music, as well as the works of Ryuichi Sakamoto or Kraftwerk, in that it is a response to modern commercial technology by "turning it into pop music" as Angus Finlayson described. His initial plan was "to make a synth pop record without any nostalgia" influenced by the works of Japanese technopop acts such as Yellow Magic Orchestra. Joes Williams on Motion Graphics' virtual instrument concept Īccording to Joe Williams, the final concept of Motion Graphics was realized rather than first planned out. "What I like about that software is that it raises the question, 'Where is this coming from?' The origin gets blurred, because on one hand the timbre of the instrument definitely sounds like a person is playing it, but the speed of the patterning-that's where it gets tricky." Motion Graphics garnered generally favorable reviews from music journalists, with common praises including the album's unique sound design. Culture Sport, a digital visual artist, was responsible for creating the album artwork and videos. Three singles and music videos were released from Motion Graphics: "Lenses", "Anyware", and "Houzzfunction". Motion Graphics was released by the Domino Recording Company on August 26, 2016. The record's overall sound palette is a combination of organic and non-organic elements when using software instruments that replicated real-life instruments, such as clarinets and marimbas, Williams wanted to take advantage of the “quirks and glitches within them" that lead to the instruments making sounds that they could not possibly make if performed acoustically. In achieving this feel, Williams used the visual programming language Max for Live to create a virtual instrument that scrolled through 100 patches at random when a note was inputed, the instrument froze at a patch. Williams initially planned it to be "a synth pop record without any nostalgia," and this plan turned into an ambient album about the feeling of being able to go to limitless places due to technology. Motion Graphics is the self-titled debut studio album of American musician Joe Williams' project Motion Graphics.
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