The Arrival is a new three-minute piece of 4K video art, set to a beautiful composition by Mix Amylo and performed with striking sensitivity by Jennifer Nadia. Everyone involved brought such care, professionalism and artistry to the project that it pushed me to rise to the occasion too. Collaboration really is the way to go — each persons gift lifts the whole artwork to a higher level.

When Emma sent me some raw footage of the girl walking down stairs, I immediately heard a dramatic triplet rhythm in my head, which ended up coming in on the powerful sections of the soundtrack. I wanted to write something epic and orchestral, with ebbs and flows and a real feeling of drama. Strings, horns, trombones, keyboard pads and voices all combine to build the tension with a catchy, thematic pattern, kettle drums add a theatrical element, and a strong drum loop ups the energy.
After recording the track, I sent it to Alan Lowles from Alchimia Musica, who mastered it to add the final gleam and sheen to the sound.
As always it was a total pleasure collaborating with Emma, her visuals and creative ideas inspiring my music, and I love the finished result. Mix Amylo

Video Stills

As usual high resolution video stills can be made available and printed on aluminium or paper – contact me if you are interested.

Styling the Muse

If I was going to make this, I was going to make it properly. I styled Jennifer to heighten her dramatic presence, even crafting the netted shoulder piece the night before the shoot. The project had started casually — Jennifer approached me at a VJ gig and asked if she could appear in one of my videos, and who am I to turn down a willing muse? I had zero expectations, which is often the best way to start.

The Language of Stairs

At first, I imagined filming her against some of Barcelona’s abundant modernist architecture but as the idea evolved, I realised the setting didn’t need embellishment. Her movement on stairs alone could express everything simply.

We shot early in the morning, around the sweeping staircases of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya on Montjuïc, taking advantage of the stillness of the city before the crowds arrived. Her character came alive in the setting — the long elevations allowing for her endless graceful descents.

Crafting the Journey

Back in the studio, I mixed the footage with my VJ software and played with it on my editing timeline, letting the piece reveal itself. It grew organically — one of those unplanned projects that eventually blossomed into something fully formed. I stripped back all unnecessary clips, so there’s just one other piece of footage of a wavy rope ladder type device that twirls in the background, I gave that clip different mirror effects and it keeps the video flowing.

The story that emerged was a progression: from her running, to walking, to that small, cheeky jump at the end — a moment that feels like she arrives at herself.

Beyond the Obvious

The working title was The Widow, but I let that go. I prefer the audience to read their own narratives into her presence — to decide who she is, what she has overcome and what she’s moving toward. Her mystery is part of the spell.

Into the Future

I tested a few clips at my last VJ gig, just to see how they lived in the wild and I loved what I saw. Jennifer doesn’t know it yet but her cinematic, cool, dramatic energy will be gracing the screen in my video performances for many years to come.

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