Kanye West aping like Matthew Barney (and Jodorowsky)

Amazing video from Kanye West, not content with appearing at fashion shows as a normal nice human being and doing MTV awards he’s released a 37 minute film previewing the tracks from his latest album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. All so typical in the World of Yeezy…well maybe not if you watch the film.

It seems Kanye is taking influence from art films such as Cremaster Cycle and Holy Mountain (the MJ head scene is a play for play repeat of parts of both for instance), amongst others – or is that just me? Last Supper references, even Greenaway with the meal shots (turkey) – Cook the Thief The Wife and His Lover?

Certainly MTV has missed the mark with their laughable ‘high-culture cheat sheet’ list – Bambi and Splash FFS? I think they need to upgrade their films over in musicvideoland – and the fact Kanye seems to more at home at highbrow fashion shows and art viewings nowadays.

Those with sharp ears will hear an Aphex sample in there – yes he’s sampled Avril 14th from Drukqs for his Blame Game track, adding to the King Crimson (!), Continent No. 6 and Cold Grits break samples in his Power single (see the brilliant yet trippy video going into heavy classical and Sun-Ra afrocentric Egyptian symbolism below – and as some have suggested even freemason & Illuminati references!).

It might be just another episode in EgoBlingCrazyTastic WestWorld but I’m intrigued by the orchestral/art flourishes in the soundtrack, mixing ballerinas with hiphop, high art films with low brow pop culture. Could he really make the switch as he’s said before from hiphop to art? Seems people scorn him because of those aims, but it would be a good transition rather than this idea that the highest hip hop artists can step out of the ghetto is Next Friday films…like with the 808s and Heartbreak album, ArtyKanye is an interesting prospect, I hope he pushes this further musically and visually.

And even if you hate the man and have bought the (wrong I think) idea that he’s an egotistical fool, you have to admit he’s really trying to push the genre into new territory, and still a genius at production.