As with music, there’s not really a dominant style of live visuals or audiovisuals; it ranges from the ambient and generative to Emergency Broadcast Network-style A/V cutups. DJ Yoda is an A/V mash artist in the traditional mold, but the results are nothing if not diverting. They’re quite simply fun, and the fact that the guy is actually a sharp turntablist doesn’t hurt. Yoda is doing a 5-track EP next month and importing his style from the UK to the US, joined by some very talented vocalists and rappers. He’s also earning some pretty major exposure for the genre, with performances alongside Fatboy Slim, among others.
As a turntablist, he’s doing serious work, including adapting Prokofiev to turntables and producing documentaries for BBC Radio 1.
But enough of that – the proof is in the work. Have a look at his visual reel and try not to smile. It’s a live outing from Stop Look and Listen.
I do hope we’ll broaden the notion of live visuals and audiovisuals to other techniques, too, but the guy is a master of this form.
Updated: Via Hispasonic, here’s another terrific live set: