Esem / Eesn

So many things to be said about this video, I don't know where to begin. There's a lot of background to the fact that it's done by BBC 1Xtra (sister station to BBC Radio 1; "provides music output 24 hours a day") - a subsidiary of the state-owned (and state-funded) BBC.

I find a hint of everything in here, not just the music: For near 18 minutes you can see very much official recognition (not the first) of a relatively new genre by an institution as huge as the Beeb. Also a clear link between things current and legacy (Brits excel at this). A fantastic promotional move for Nero. Recognition of talent - Nero were nominees for BBC's "Sound of 2011". Spending public money on something impressive and very beautiful - Radio 1 commissioned this to kick off Dubstep Week and obviously knew what they were doing. Great orchestration by Joe Duddell - a man with great passion for both classical and alternative music. A fun fest for a full orchestra. Apple computers next to age-old violins and brass. Dubstep eclipsed by the richness of the acoustic. Orchestral music overpowered by electronics. The difficulty in achieving a bond between popular music and the far more demanding orchestral score. Also that it takes a pretty decent number of talented people to make something as impressive (trust me no musician happened to be there by chance). Finally, it's not exactly bursting with live audience. Tells you something about the nature of the live performance (especially one that isn't by an act that's been around for 10+ years), and how daring this was.

If I was impressed by Jeff Mills and the Montpellier Philharmonic Orchestra at Pont du Gard, but couldn't be bothered to ever put it on again, this one is far deeper, and it's playing in entirety for the third time as I write. If Mills felt big enough to sit at the front right, Nero sit at the back. I am equally interested in the technicalities of putting this act together, as the sync must have been a challenge (computers can't see the conductor..).

Very beautiful.