BVT - Drops A True Confession
Confession Tapes, Vol. 1 is a cinematic music video from the mind of Bernie Van Tiel. It was written and directed by Jordan Cowan, with cinematography by Rasmus Callmer.
I had the opportunity of running across Bernie Van Tiel by chance on a flyer in the Sydney Music Group Facebook page. She was being promoted for a show to benefit the brush fire recovery in Australia and I was looking for an interview for our jam session podcast. During the initial conversation, we had a typical chat about music, the creative process, and inspirations. Since that time, we've kept in touch (as we do with most musicians) and about 2 weeks ago I saw the teaser video for, “Confession Tapes- Vol. 1” and was intrigued. After watching the teaser, I wasn't sure if it was a music video or a short film but I could not wait until May 1st to see this project.
But first - a little information about Bernie:
Bernie Van Tiel is a Beatboxer, Rapper, Musician, Producer, and all-around creative human based out of Sydney, Australia. Off the rip, the beatboxing caught my attention so I asked Bernie, "What got you interested in beatboxing?"
“One of your Natives in America, Rahzel, also known as the godfather of noise, brought beatboxing from the underground to the mainstream.”
“My cousin came back with a CD of his Beatboxing and said, 'Listen to this,' and I put
it on and I was blown away because it was vocal."
I had no idea I was essentially talking to an Australian beatboxing superstar, who had competed in beatboxing competitions all over the world. When you watch her perform, you see her combine rap with beatboxing and traditional acoustic music with a looper. It is like watching an artist put paint to canvas in real-time. You could see her perform a song 3 times and there will always be a little something different; that's what makes her live performance special.
“I sort of evolved from just beatboxing to singing and songwriting and rapping"
"I love a challenge, I wonder if I can do this all at the same time.”
Earlier this month, she released her first official Cinematic Music Video. It combines her acting, singing, and rapping abilities. During our most recent conversation, she said that this is the first video of a series of videos she has planned.
Before you get too deep,
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mFLqtHozN8]
The first thing I noticed was the consistency in the lighting across several different scenes. Going from scene to scene with various different natural lighting scenarios, it's really hard to keep the feel consistent across the board.
The camera work is second-to-none with high-quality cinematography and shot selection that works in a real, raw, and gritty way. Even before one word is said, the camera work and editing does something really unique in showing an internal struggle by keeping the camera work simple, movement to a minimum, and just letting the actors do what they do. Keeping all of the shots tight was something I was unsure of initially, but as I continued to watch the video, it started to work for me.
Musically speaking, the beat sits right in the pocket of being very subtle but powerful in the key spots. The song itself reminds me of a freestyle that you'd hear on an underground album, with no repetitive hook. It's not over-produced and Bernie really lays it all out in a very "take it or leave it" kind of way. Unfortunately, this isn't a summer banger that you'll be screaming for in the club, but that's not what it was meant for.
When I sat down with BVT to review the video and talk about the release, I made the comment that, “I'm sure there was a lot of stuff that I didn't understand, because it wasn't for me to understand or it was my lack of background knowledge.” That being said, there is enough on the plate for me to connect on a very personal level with this music. The whole idea of having people in your corner whom you thought you could trust, but can't.
This is an outstanding “First Music Video” and I cannot wait to see the rest of the series.
If you would like to listen to our full conversation about the music video https://open.spotify.com/episode/0KJBHJuLHSIQMeuH4A2Lvl?si=CN763Ft_QqGZs8Ja6qErvg
Bernie Van Tiel
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BernieVanTiel
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernievantiel/
-Tom Kwiat-