„Still Smokin'“ 36 hours in the Go-Go Scene ist eine kurze Dokumantion von Pauline Beaudemont und Adam Bainbridge über die Funk Formation Trouble Funk, deren Song „Still Smokin'“ von Kindness für den Song „That’s Alright“ gesampled wurde.
Kindness recently released That’s Alright, the final single to be taken from his debut album ‚World, You Need A Change of Mind‘. That’s Alright is built almost entirely around samples from the song ‚Still Smokin‘ by Trouble Funk, a go-go band from Washington DC, who have existed in one form or another since 1978. When Adam approached the band with a request to go out to Washington and perform the new version of their song, he was welcomed with open arms, and a generosity that would mark his time with Trouble Funk.
While on his trip to DC, Bainbridge and Beaudemont set about filming a short documentary about the meeting between himself, the band and the collision of these two different worlds, where go-go is now and where it could be going. Between them, founding Trouble Funk members Big Tony and Tee Bone have nearly 70 years worth of playing time in this band alone – in a culture of disposable singles and downloads it’s almost unthinkable to see artists and musicians of such longevity and continuing relevance. This short film is a brief, outsider’s view into go-go and the DC scene, its importance as a genre and its influence on contemporary music culture… and the overwhelming position of confronting those that inspire you so closely and playing their own song back to them.
Rounding out a year of music videos written and directed by Kindness, „Still Smokin'“ winds up 12 months of (hopefully) treating music fans, and video viewers, as intelligent individuals.
The short was directed by Adam and visual artist Pauline Beaudemont, furthering a collaborative relationship that has seen Pauline photograph Adam throughout the year. The pair’s joint endeavours recently won them a ‚Photography for Design‘ D&AD Award for the single sleeve ‚Gee Up‘. Jan 2013 will see them further their collaborations with a trip to Chandigarh in India to work on a new piece about Le Corbusier’s unique Indian utopia.