The Beat is The Law at Leeds University conference on Miners’ Strike

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The Beat is The Law will be screened at Leeds University (25th-27th March) as part of a 3 day conference discussing the 84/85 Miners Stike including a rountable discussion about the film and the broader issues associated with the strike, Thatcher and the role music played in that period. This conference coincides with the 25th anniversary of the end of the strike.

Hopefully Russell Senior (Pulp) will be attending the conference. Others include David Peace (author  of The Red Riding Trilogy and Damned United) and the photographer Martin Shakeshaft (who’s work we have incorporated into the film – see photo above)

Here’s a clip of Russell talking about the NUM leader Arthur Scargill:

Pulp on The Miners Strike from thebeatisthelaw on Vimeo.

Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year

From Sheffield Vision to everyone who has supported us in 2009 a big thank you.

Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year

Eve and Richard x

Martin F Bedford exhibition

Martin Bedford Exhibition "Trust"

Martin, whose artwork is used throughout The Beat Is The Law website and which can be purchased from our shop, has a main exhibition of his work entitled “Trust” in the Yorkshire Artspace running throughout October. The artwork for The Beat Is The Law will be on display at the launch party 9th October.

Green Man Festival

Delighted to announce Made In Sheffield plus trailer of The Beat Is The Law part One will be screened at the Green Man Festival on Sunday 23 August 2009. Stephen Singleton will be doing a Q and A and Eve will also be in attendance. Hope to see you there!

Martin Bedford – Artwork for Film

“When Martin did the posters for the Leadmill, I would look out for them on the walls of our city. I was as interested in them, as much as the bands they were promoting. Sometimes more so. He made the often boring art of advertising a gig, into an event in itself.”

Richard Hawley.

When I interviewed Martin for the film last year it became apparent how important Martin has been in the development of the city’s music scene especially for his hard work setting up the Leadmill from scratch to his Leadmill posters that now can be seen to represent the changing times in music throughout the 80’s. I was very excited when Martin agreed to revisit that period and style to produce artwork for The Beat is The Law that summed up for him what the 80’s were all about. The result is very powerful and really does sum up an era beautifully. The artwork has also been incorporated into the website design.

>> Limited edition signed silkscreen prints are available from The Beat Is The Law shop <<

Martin recently went on a pilgrimage to America’s West Coast where he met for the first time the people that inspired him and his style of art and where he was also asked to produce commissioned artwork for well-known artists. He has also just published a fantastic book of his Leadmill posters.

http://martinfbedford.com/

The Beat is the Law trailer – Public Screening

Sheffield Vision multimedia exibition/screenings:

Celebrating 30 years of Jarvis and Electronic Pop.

December 5th and 6th 2008 – 8.45 and 6.30pm respectively

Showroom Cinema Sheffield

- The Beat Is The Law trailer, the whole of Made In Sheffield, and Nick’s World of Synthesizers short.

- Phil and Martin’s Artwork and Made In Sheffield poster on display to buy (3 week display at Showroom from 29th Nov).

- Sheffield music Photogallery projection and Sheffield music to tap your feet to.

Warp and Phil Wolstenholme – Millstone

For one of the film’s pieces of artwork on sale in the shop, we asked Phil Wolstenholme, the mind behind some of the most classic Warp album designs, to come up with a little piece of computer art reflective of his time represented in the film. We never expected him to come up with such an amazingly intricate and personal piece of art!

Originally a Fine Art graduate of Sheffield Hallam University, Phil Wolstenholme has worked at

the coalface of inventive computer art for nearly 20 years, and has inhabited a variety of strange but CGI-rich environments during that time.

Often working in conjunction with Designers Republic, Phil produced some of the most enduring sleeve images of the electronic/techno phenomenon from the early-to-mid 90’s. In his cover images for musical artists such as 808 State, The Orb, and Cabaret Voltaire, and for clients such as Warp Records, Designers Republic, Sony Japan and Strictly Rhythm, his unique style and pioneering use of 3D imagery helped define the look of a whole new musical genre.

Cover images of the time include such classics as:

‘The Extended Pleasures of Dance EP’ by 808 State

‘Yeah You’ by The Step on Warp Records

‘This is Strictly Rhythm’ and ‘Tracks ‘92′ on Strictly Rhythm Records

‘UFOrb’ by The Orb

‘Groovy Laidback and Nasty’ and ‘Colours’ by Cabaret Voltaire

‘Pioneers of the Hypnotic Groove’, compilation series on Warp Records

‘(Artificial Intelligence)’ and ‘(Artificial Intelligence II)’ on Warp Records

‘A Different Drum’ by The Shamen

‘The Professional School of Techno’ on Sony Music (Japan)

‘Pulseman’ on Frogman Records (Japan)

In 1993, together with CG artists David Slade and Jess Scott-Hunter, he produced a still talked-about (and still influential) video release that set Warp’s finest electronic musical artists against ambitious CGI, in a suite of plot-based animation sequences. On a miniscule production budget, ‘Motion’ exceeded all expectations, and launched at the ICA in London, was a huge success.

Alongside this were projects such as a collaboration with the British composer Gavin Bryars, producing 3D animation for projection during live orchestral performances of ‘Sinking of the Titanic’, 1995.

Since these heady days, Phil has continued to produce commercial CG images, is a panoramic landscape photographer, and has also worked extensively within the software industry, designing, developing and demonstrating new 3D software packages and literature. Phil recently exhibited a new body of work at a former monastery in Provence, France.

He has also launched a publishing company, Heavy Everywhere®, producing digital fractal imagery for fabric, interior design and other product lines. The first fashion release is a range of luxury swimwear on a new label in January 2009.

The Beat Starts Here

As we progress with the film, we’ll be regularly updating this blog with info including production stills and video clips. The film is due to be released late 2009. Stay tuned enjoy.

Don’t forget – The Beat Is The Law!

A Film by Eve Wood