Rarely do rock legends and young bands meet each other in such a unique and original collaboration.
Ray-Ban - genuinely rock ‘n’ rock and known for innovative thinking - and Johnny Marr - music legend since the 80’s - launch RAY-BAN RAW SOUNDS: a new music project which sees Manchester’s legendary guitarist Johnny Marr and Best Coast, Mona, Au Revoir Simone, Tom Vek and Carsick Cars collaborate in an extraordinary music experiment.
Inspired by Eno & Schmidt’s Oblique Strategies, RAY-BAN RAW SOUNDS is a one-off collaboration where The Smiths’ guitarist has developed five diverse elements challenging contemporary bands - Best Coast, Mona, Au Revoir Simone, Tom Vek and Carsick Cars – to write their own track using these parts as inspiration.
The five parts developed by Johnny Marr and passed to each of the bands, who then used them as inspirations to each write a track in their own style are:
- a poem entitled I Know The Radiant City written by Johnny Marr;
- a quotation from the German famous philosopher Schiller;
- a video of Johnny Marr playing a looped guitar tune called Strum and Drang;
- a photo entitled Now Look! taken by Johnny Marr of two friends filming and photographing each other;
- a map of the Lower East Side area of New York.
Veteran music photographer Pat Graham and influential video director Poppy de Villeneuve documented Johnny Marr developing the five
Ray-Ban - genuinely rock ‘n’ rock and known for innovative thinking - and Johnny Marr - music legend since the 80’s - launch RAY-BAN RAW SOUNDS: a new music project which sees Manchester’s legendary guitarist Johnny Marr and Best Coast, Mona, Au Revoir Simone, Tom Vek and Carsick Cars collaborate in an extraordinary music experiment.
Inspired by Eno & Schmidt’s Oblique Strategies, RAY-BAN RAW SOUNDS is a one-off collaboration where The Smiths’ guitarist has developed five diverse elements challenging contemporary bands - Best Coast, Mona, Au Revoir Simone, Tom Vek and Carsick Cars – to write their own track using these parts as inspiration.
The five parts developed by Johnny Marr and passed to each of the bands, who then used them as inspirations to each write a track in their own style are:
- a poem entitled I Know The Radiant City written by Johnny Marr;
- a quotation from the German famous philosopher Schiller;
- a video of Johnny Marr playing a looped guitar tune called Strum and Drang;
- a photo entitled Now Look! taken by Johnny Marr of two friends filming and photographing each other;
- a map of the Lower East Side area of New York.
Veteran music photographer Pat Graham and influential video director Poppy de Villeneuve documented Johnny Marr developing the five
parts and the music-making process with all the bands.
Pat Graham enthusiastically said, “I love the spirit of collaboration that Ray-Ban has brought to this campaign. Great photography and great music come from people truly committed to working together. No contemporary artist I know more fully embraces this philosophy than Johnny Marr. Working with him is always creative and always produces beautiful images.”
As apart of the campaign Poppy de Villeneuve shot s series of amazing films. This is the interview with me about the project.
Johnny Marr at the studio in Manchester
Au Revoir Simone at there studio in Brooklyn
Au Revoir Simone on location in Brooklyn.
Tom Vek on location in London.
Tom Vek at his London studio.
Tom Vek in his London studio.
Mona at there studio in Nashville.
Mona on location in Nashville, TN
Best Coast on location in Los Angeles
Best Coast in the studio. Los Angeles, CA
Best Coast on location in Los Angeles
Car Sick Cars on location in Sydney.
Car Sick Cars at sound check for the Hong Kong opening event.
Car sick Cars in Hong Kong
