Motion Graphics is the self-titled debut studio album by American musician Joe Williams' project Motion Graphics. 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. 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 input, the instrument froze at a patch. 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.
Motion Graphics was released by the Domino Recording Company on August 26, 2016. Three singles and music videos were released from Motion Graphics: "Lenses", "Anyware", and "Houzzfunction". Culture Sport, a digital visual artist, was responsible for creating the album artwork and videos. Motion Graphics garnered generally favorable reviews from music journalists, with common praises including the album's unique sound design.
Concept
According to Joe Williams, the final concept of Motion Graphics was realized rather than first planned out. 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. 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.Finlayson, Angus (August 30, 2016). "Motion Graphics – Motion Graphics". Resident Advisor. Retrieved March 10, 2017.Mitchell, Aurora (September 1, 2016). "Motion Graphics – Exploring The Hyperreal" . Juno Plus. Retrieved March 8, 2017. 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.D. Mcdermott, Patrick (August 5, 2016). "Motion Graphics's "Anyware" Video Is Probably From The Future" . The Fader. Retrieved March 11, 2017. The more experimental songs on the album are instrumental, while cuts with vocals from Williams are more on the pop music side.
Described 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. 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.
Styles Pitchfork reviewer Phillip Sherburne categorized Motion Graphics as a vaporwave release due to its commercial topic,Sherburne, Phillip (August 29, 2016). "Motion Graphics: Motion Graphics". Pitchfork. Conde Nast. Retrieved March 6, 2017. 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. 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.Muggs, Joe (September 8, 2016). "Motion Graphics’ Debut Points to a Bright Future for American Electronic Music". Bandcamp Daily. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
Reviewer Chris Ingalls compared the album's combination of organic and non-human elements into the overall sound structure to the works of Icelandic artist Björk and the use of the sounds to that of the Fairlight CMI music of Peter Gabriel. Journalist Paul Simpson called it a more pop-influenced version of the works of James Ferraro and Oneohtrix Point Never, acts which have also used virtual MIDI instruments to create post-modern recordings. He also compared the album to the works of CFCF, dubstep producer Slava and R&B artist Autre Ne Veut.
Sherburne characterized the sounds on Motion Graphics as "often an avatar for something else." Examples include hi-hats that signify modern hip-hop music andclarinets and Claude Debussy-influenced MIDI riffs that remind the listener of classical music. Its combination of minimalist classical music and hip-hop elements serve as a symbol for the album's notion of going through limitless internet places.Sherburne, Phillip (December 8, 2016). "The 20 Best Electronic Albums of 2016". Pitchfork. Conde Nast. Retrieved March 7, 2017. Sherburne compared “Anyware” to the album Music for 18 Musicians (1978) by Steve Reich, while he compared “Forecast” to the works of Astor Piazzolla. Elements of footwork and jazz music are also present."Motion Graphics' debut album channels the information overload of 2016". Hyponik. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
Sound design Similar to the works of John Cage, algorithms were used to create sped-up MIDI arpeggios as "random data" on Motion Graphics. The rhythmic structures of each song borrow from popular music genres; "Anyware" consists of rhythms influenced by juke music, and "City Links" features elements of 1980s synthpop works. However, as journalist Colin Joyce wrote, "the movements are fast and flickering—a shuttering collision of sounds and styles that feels like it was generated from the disembodied guts of a rogue central processing unit." Motion Graphics was produced with the digital audio workstation Ableton Live.Joyce, Colin (August 24, 2016). "Motion Graphics Explores the Ecstasy and Agony of Our Relationship to Technology". THUMP. Vice Media. Retrieved March 7, 2017. In the application, Williams programmed a plug-in in the visual programming language Max for Live that went through 100 instrument sounds at random, and when a note is played, the plug-in freezes at an instrument it is choosing at that time the note is being pushed; this leads to very different sounds being played at a rapid rate that represent the speed of garnering articles and data most news aggregators have. As Williams explained the random aspect of the record's structure:
One way of inputting MIDI data into the Max for Live plug-in was through actual recorded audio. For example, the closing track of Motion Graphics, "SoftBank Arcade (Swiftcode Version)", plays MIDI notes that are inputted by hits from a free jazz drum recording.Durston, Tom (September 5, 2016). "Motion Graphics: Avoiding Sentimentality and Nostalgia". Inverted Audio. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
Categorized by Pearl as an "uncanny pop hybrid of human and computer music," Motion Graphics has a sound that is very clear and high-quality.Pearl, Max (September 13, 2016). "Breaking Through: Motion Graphics". Resident Advisor. Retrieved March 6, 2017. Driven by wild drum rhythms, all of the songs have lead melodies that are performed by hyperreal computer program replications of acoustic sounds such as clarinets, choirs, accordions, tympanis, harps and marimbas; crystal-like synthesizer sounds similar to alert messaging sounds, sound effects of birds singing and water, and Williams' downplayed vocals are also present. A sound module was also used to create guitar strumming sounds similar to error message sound effects. In using hyper-real computer programs that try to reproduce real-life instruments, he noticed "quirks and glitches within them," such as samples that go out of the range an actual instrument can handle, and Williams took advantage of those quirks in order to make the instrument sounds more unique to listen to. In "Airdrop", vox, saxophone and kantele sounds are played together and sped-up to create a pitch wheel'd sound similar to dolphin noises.
Vocals and lyrics In regards to vocals, Williams explained, "I'll start a track and it will get to a point where there's a heavy implication that some kind of vocal would complete the track." Journalist Aurora Mitchell wrote that Motion Graphics was unique from most synthpop records in that it had calm singing that actually complimented otherwise very loud sounds. As Sherburne described the lyrical content Williams sings on Motion Graphics, they "weave sticky semantic webs that join the natural world with its digital analog." The lyrics are about how someone provides new electric wiring in order to connect together real-life objects and visioning such as leaves, windows and bird vision screens. On "Minecraft Mosaic", he sings "Heaven sent the GUI", while on "City Links", he sings "Links accelerate/Rendering a time zone/Moving in a mobile home." As Sherburne analyzed, "it seems likely those arenn't double-wides he’s talking about, but rather our own peripatetic second homes, as we scuttle about like hyperconnected hermit crabs living out of our phones."
Singles and music videos On July 13, 2016, it was announced Motion Graphics was to be released on August 26, 2016 by British indie label Domino Recording Company,Minsker, Evan (July 13, 2016). "Motion Graphics (White Williams) Announces New Album, Shares New Video: Watch". Pitchfork. Conde Nast. Retrieved March 10, 2017. and the record's lead single "Lense" / "Mezzotint Gliss" (Instrumental) was issued."Motion Graphics New Releases: Lense". Beatport. Retrieved March 10, 2017. "Lenses" was reviewed as part of Fact magazine's "Singles Club" column where four critics, Daniel Montesinos-Donaghy, Chris Kelly, Tayyab Amin and Son Raw, reviewed the song upon its initial release. The single received an overall score of a seven out of ten."Singles Club: Justice do disco fromage and M.I.A. is a #problematicfave" . Fact. The Vinyl Factory. July 18, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2017. Three critics, Ingalls, Pryor Stroud and Chad Miller, reviewed the song for a similar column by Popmatters titled "Singles Going Steady", the song receiving an overall score of a 7.66 out of ten."Motion Graphics – "Lense" (Singles Going Steady)". Popmatters. August 1, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2017. It was also featured in Idolators column "Silent Shout", which covers non-accessible singles that "might" be pop music.Willott, Carl (July 21, 2016). "Silent Shout: Void Pop, Clique Bait & Crystal Castles To Get You Through The End Times" . Idolator. Hive Media. Retrieved March 10, 2017. Also on July 13, the music video for "Lenses" was released,"Motion Graphics – Lense (Official Video)" . Domino Recording Company Official YouTube Channel. July 13, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2017. and is an animated version of Motion Graphics' cover art illustrated by Culture Sport and designed by Rob Carmichael.