A new video for a new song, filmed at the same time as their Take Away Show in June 2009. A performance by Plants and Animals in the La Frette studios. Not really a Take Away Show, even less a live show; more a recording session, a “Take Away Studio”. It sounds a little exasperating when put like that, but when it’s”The Mama Papa”, one of the jewels from their new release La La Land , with a camera that weaves frenetically between levels and their instruments, it becomes interesting…
For a month, the La Frette studios became like my second home: it saw a Take Away Show with Karkwa and another with Plants and Animals. Plants and Animals began recording their new album the day I spent with them in this suburban Parisian shrine to Québéçois music. More precisely, they recorded “The Mama Papa”, an energetic rock song. Nic worked his multiple pedals, channelled Zidane through his distortions and reverberations. Warren warmed up his voice, adjusted his dry chords. But everything started with Woodley, who took his place amongst his drum kit in the living room. It’s there that everything became entertaining; everyone disappearing under their headphones, the three took off in this house that hosts La Frette studio. We wanted to run everywhere, from one musician to another, during the songs. So…we did!
It was incredible to see how much energy they spent performing despite the lack of an audience. You have to believe that we completely understand how their new album packs such a punch. Warren broke a string, and, oh, joy, kept his hands occupied in working around it. In the end, this version of “The Mama Papa” is very distant from the one on the album. More unrefined, still drier than the final version.
- Nat, translated by Tara Dominguez
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