Augustus Pablo - East of the River Nile

Pablo live at the Astoria Theatre, London in November 1987.Thanks to the late Brent Clarke. Sorry about the timecode in the picture and low sound level.




'ejr' was the umbrella title used by filmmaker Nick Emery (aka ND Emery, Vane Tempest & the ejr, etc...) for all his independent (and predominantly) self-financed films made between 1976 and the cessation of production in 2000. All bar one were non-fiction films, most were proto-music videos -- uncompromising and singular - although a number feature an eclectic variety of subjects ranging from railways to sculpture.

Stylistically the films encompass the spectrum from the conventional and linear narrative to the iconoclastic and nihilistic. They often eschew such formalities as continuity and synchronisation, shaking up the moribund repetitiveness of the music video with kaleidoscopic layers of superimposition, jump-cuts and slow-motion stirred into the mix. This was not an approach guaranteed to garner mainstream or MTV-type exposure.

The template for early productions was the instantaneous accessibility of the news item developed by TV companies as the basis for their broadcasts and utilising the premise that any story can be told in three minutes (or not at all). They are all defined by an unorthodox approach, limited production values and financial constraints. An entry in a 1994 Exploding Cinema programme describes ejr films as being "....organic, they appear to have been grown rather than made". Influences include Peter Whitehead, Derek Jarman and Don Letts.

With the exception of three films all are less than ten minutes in length. Both "Dragtime - Gallon Drunk 1992", an early film of the indefatigable swamp-fevered rockers, and "Brewing up in Blighty" (1993/4) (aka "This New Model England") featuring the perennially underrated, experimental technoists and John Peel Faves, 70 Gwen Party, both run to thirty minutes. The only non-fiction film, "Burning Land" (1978-80) features a young woman dealing with identity and isolation and was inspired by Maya Deren's "Meshes of an Afternoon". Two other longer films -- "This Deadly Affair" (1981) and "Popness", dealing with the shamanistic and commercial rituals of popular music - along with a number of shorts from the 1990's remain unfinished and are unlikely to see the light of day. Many films from the 1976 -- 1984 period have disappeared and are presumed lost.

All the productions were originally shot on 16mm film with some sequences on Super8 and analogue video.

The dozen films on Youtube are a representative selection of ejr productions.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Augustus
• Pablo
• Reggae

[Hannes2k]

Vibes! Why are there so few live video captures of A. Pablo?

[habawo]

rasta man vibration

[OzMuzyk]

OMG! I didn't know that Brent had passed on. Well the last time I saw him was 1989 with Pablo, Delgado & young Yami Bolo/White Mice with The Rockers Band. My condolence to his family. Nuff respect & thanks to ejrvane for uploading this & most importantly to YouTube for facilitating this process allowing all of us the opportunity to upload, connect & re-connect. I am truly touched, honored & blessed to have been a part off the Rockers Band & those historic performances. Ozou`ne (Keyboards).

[SHILOHKEBRA]

I was also fortunate to be at this concert.It was enormous..Blessed

[kris1too]

wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I was at this gig :) and everyone I knew who was into Pablo was there. It was like a huge fam ting. thanks - kris

[iponsoyenage]

Waht a pity about the volume...!

[SENSE206]

cause he was all about the people and not the cameras he died a poor man but well always be remembered as a true dub king

[13fbi13]

I likes

[markino1963]

raise the volume..can't hear it.....

[carlmb1]

The Best Dub Tune to date

[DRGreenthumbist]

its called a melodica

[scruffstaa]

cool tunes... waht the fuck is he playing at the beginning?