Mixing MiniDV video, Roland JUNO-6 sounds, and gauzy analog processing, Dawn is a calming fifteen-minute break. The film is “an ambient, peaceful project for an uneasy time,” writes creator Benjamin Tennikoff.
Whether it first takes us to parenting or moments alone with the stillness, everyone will immediately know this moment. Benjamin writes CDM about the motivation:
after just having our first child, i found myself on night duty. helping to stay awake i started recording a lot of ideas into the early hours of the morning. these then turned into a larger work called dawn. the piece is a vintage juno6 synth recorded on a tascam414 cassette recorder with tape delays, spring reverbs and at times some granular modular synth effects. the idea visually was always to film the sun rising, as it was recorded. shot on a thrift store minidv handycam in 4:3, the dreamlike hazy qualities the camera had intertwined with the music creating an interesting visual medium for it.
musically its two layers of a juno6 through some recording gear into a tascam414 + fx. slowed down via the tascams playback speed to a432. no midi. very analog
music + filmed by benjamin tennikoff
mastered by taylor deupree
mix by ben whincop
visual edited by richard cause
I know a lot of people going through long and often sleepless nights right now. There are friends who can’t sleep over the sound of bombs and drones and sirens. Others are kept awake with worry (including those separated from the ones under the falling bombs). There’s no doubt it’s a dark time.
I routinely complain about the phrase “it’s always darkest before the dawn,” which always sounded just technically wrong to me. But those early hours as darkness starts to light have a special beauty and promise. I often can’t stand videos like this, to be honest – like the ones YouTube’s algorithm almost immediately recommends to me after watching this. (You know, just… too much cheese.) But Benjamin, I think, just nailed it. It’s honest and relatable. The Juno is an ideal voice for those hours. Those are those moments when music captures the feeling. And I hope this kid gets to see some better days as they grow up.
Here’s another recent outing from the Australia-based artist.