THE SYNCOPATION REBELS – “SOUND AND VISION”
POP GURU
The Syncopation Rebels are the supergroup comprised of the artists Martha Johnson and Mark Gane of Martha and the Muffins, John Orpheus, Sam Casey and Alex Exists, who have come together to record a special version of “Sound And Vision” by David Bowie.
“The artists in the Popguru musical community have always thrived on collaboration. It’s in our DNA,” says Popguru Sound & Vision founder Graham Stairs. “To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the company, we decided to record a version of Sound And Vision by David Bowie. Not only is it a great song by a great artist, but the company’s name is a tip of the hat to the song’s title.”
After the song was chosen, the first person brought into The Syncopation Rebels project was producer Mike Schlosser. He had already worked with a number of Popguru artists including John Orpheus, Sam Casey and Alex Exists. The next people invited were Martha Johnson and Mark Gane of Martha and the Muffins who have been great resources to the younger artists. The objective was to involve experienced and emerging artists from the roster.
ARTIST QUOTES
“When conceptualizing the video for this euphonic reinterpretation of David Bowie’s song, I wanted to emphasize the visuals by using the trancelike kaleidoscope of lights and energy that can be found at a carnival. This was an incredibly unique opportunity to have such a diverse cast of musicians come together to collaborate on this project. By crashing the fairgrounds together, I was able to capture that natural kinship they had for their craft and each other. The poetic protest-esque signs were an additional way to showcase what it means to be a performer and not be afraid to say what’s on their minds and in their hearts.” —Agata Waclawska
“As a song that celebrates our most abstract senses, it was really fascinating coming together at the carnival at night to experience that lost in translation kinda vibe. For me, the song and video are an abstract buffet of vibrant colors, sound and singular artists putting their spin on a Bowie deep cut.” —Alex Exists
“It felt great to be recording the song with the whole group at Revolution Recording as well as shooting the video in an evening of exuberance at the CNE.” —Martha Johnson, Martha and the Muffins
“Bowie for me is the consummate artist: gifted, dynamic, serious about his craft and fun, fun, fun! All of this is true of the entire Popguru crew. I have a tremendous respect for the artistry of every single one of them and covering one of Bowie’s classics was a dream. Shooting the video was my first time at The Ex! The colours, the candy, the commentary, the overstimulation! It captured the vibe of the song wonderfully.” —John Orpheus
The Syncopation Rebels
[Single]
(Pop Guru)
Release Date: October 20, 2023
