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MLTs DIY spirit
I love MLTs DIY (do it yourself) spirit, and enjoyed seeing their DIY projects like the building of Mona’s flower rack and restoration of the accordion. I think their DIY spirit is also an extension of the way they create their music in their home studio and independent record label. In the words of Mona and Lisa, they do it all like cottage industry. Everything they do is with the utmost quality, care and attention to detail. Whether it’s learning a new instrument to get a sound they want for a song, creating their own record cover art, filming incredible drone landscape shots, scouting around to find the perfect setting for a video, to filming the video and producing it in their studio, they do it all themselves through their remarkable imagination and ingenuity. Every project that comes together is a work of art.
Their great musical talent for singing, songwriting and musicianship is second to none. The music and video they create feels like it came from somewhere deep inside their soul sweeping us away into a breathtaking experience, and it’s all their own from conception to production. All great art has that kind of effect!
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11 Replies
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Love this. DIY spirit in full swing.
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Hopefully this does not go too far off topic here, but I think aligns with my point about MLT DIY spirit. Are there any outdoors wilderness and bushcraft or swiss army knife and MacGyver fans out there?
This interesting and amusing video I think illustrates really well how the DIY spirit with some imagination, ingenuity, and a little know how can enable you to do great things. Einstein did say “logic will get you from A to B, but imagination will take you everywhere”.
I’ve always been a fan of quality swiss army knives and had one modest one in my work bag for years and found them quite fascinating, useful and reliable and always reached for it whenever I had a home bushcraft task. So when this little video appeared in youtube one day, I couldn’t help but click it and enjoyed it.
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Hi Jung,
After watching the latest project, I reminded myself this is team of four. On the second viewing I realized how many shots were needed to create this and again, this is a team of four from start to finish. I wonder if this was ever said, “Okay, that was good, Mona but now move up one step and about 3cm to your left and do it again. No, your left.”
Their ability to turn out these high quality productions is a testament to their “When We’re Together“ work ethic. They always look so relaxed in the studio as if they are just goofing around, as opposed to other tortured artists pulling their hair out trying to get it right.
The pallet garden video is a good example of this, as we get a glimpse at the source of these ethics. As you can see, good parenting goes a long way. They all share the ability to critique each other in a very endearing manner. “That one looks like a whale that is about to explode.” Sharing a similar sense of humor can make constructive criticism a little easier to take.
One thing I like about their behind the scenes videos is that it we get to see a lot of MacGyvering to achieve an effect. “Nothing Is In Vain” is a good example. How do we make it look like Lisa and Mona are floating through space with a huge fish, hmmm? Let’s have Dad put on scuba gear and film us swirling our hair underwater. What would an exploding lightbulb sound like in reverse? Their imaginations show no bounds.
And sharing a similar sense of humor can be helpful when thinking out loud, “Just staple the crap out of it, Okay?”
JP
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Hi JP,
Thanks for that! Agree, what MLT do is indeed a team of 4 effort. In the Q and A video today they described how in the I Bought Myself a Politician video shoot, Lisa and Papa Rudi worked on the filming aspect and Mona and Michaela worked on the costume and set design aspects. Their creativity and ingenuity shine in everything they do with amazing cooperative team work.
Another good example I just remembered is the behind the scenes video of their Orange album cover photo shoot with all the orange paint. Incredible Cottage Industry team work ingenuity.
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Do you remember when only “important” people had cellular phones. LOL. It was a status symbol.
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When cell phones were first marketed to the masses, I thought that only “important” people would want to buy them, such as doctors, for whom a few minutes’ delay in communication could literally be the difference between life and death.
I figured that we all spent most of our time either at home or at work, and we had telephones in both places. And even if we needed to make a call while we were out, pay phones were cheap and plentiful.
I couldn’t imagine that anyone would actually think they needed to carry a phone around with them, anymore than they would do so with a toothbrush.
The reason I ultimately got a cell phone was in case my car broke down in the middle of nowhere. I charged it up right before every road trip and brought it along, but never actually used it for years. Then I got married, and suddenly I had to be “on call” at all times.
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Hi David, LOL I think the cell phone has indeed made married life a little more complicated. There is no vacation. Sometimes a weak battery is not a bad thing.
Here is another MacGyver use for a Swiss Army Knife
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I like this video: DIY adventure is only an hour away.
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An inspiring video: Living adventurously
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I know this does not relate to the 60’s/70’s theme, but I thought you might like it.
Have you ever seen the album cover for Pink Floyd’s “A Momentary Lapse Of Reason”? It came out in 1987. I remember when we first got it and saw the picture of hundreds of old beds lined up on the beach, we thought it was some kind of camera trick.
But no-o-o, this is Pink Floyd. Actually it is Storm Thorgerson, the same guy that designed most of their album covers. So they assembled hundreds of these wrought iron beds and lined them up on the beach just in time to get rained out. I think they are supposed to represent hospital beds from a mental institution. The beds were a recurring theme in the concert videos for that tour. At the end of “On The Run” they always flew a plane across the stadium on a cable that would crash into the stage on cue with the music. For this tour, the plane was replaced with a bed. It was pretty kool, as it synced with the film that was shown on their giant screen on stage.
In this behind the scenes video, hen you see the helicopter flying over the beach, just think nowadays that is replaced by a drone that is a thousand times less expensive. This reminds me of the spirit of MLT with a lot more players. Anything for a picture. I wonder if all the bed movers were volunteers.
JP
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JP, that is a very interesting video and the lengths they went to produce an artistic and expressive moment and scene for Pink Floyds album art cover is impressive. I can’t quite say it in words, but the scene of all those beds laid out on the beach I can see captures the feel of the phrase “A Momentary Lapse of Reason”. This also reminds me of the area I use to work in downtown Vancouver called Gastown with old brick roads and 100 years old wharehouse buildings turned into modern shops and boutiques, they would setup for a movie set, and the crew would be there for weeks closing down streets and sidewalks here and there. I use to walk around to watch them film scenes, sometimes at night too. All for a short scene in the movie that might only last a few minutes or less. The work that goes into creating an artistic moment is fascinating and impressive. Certainly what MLT go through to create their amazing videos. Thanks for sharing that video.
I liked the pack of German Shepards.
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