Battles unveil "Dot Net" video as part of Channel 4's collaboration with label Warp

"Dot Net" is the first segment of a new Warp Arts film series for Channel 4’s Random Acts, featuring collaborations between filmmakers and artists on the label. Random Acts is "a platform where artists and filmmakers are encouraged to provoke thought and debate."

Speaking about the collaboration, Battles' Dave Konopka says:

“Ben Jones and I went Massachusetts College of Art together in the '90s and I've been a huge fan of his work as both a solo artist and a member of Paper Rad ever since.

"When Channel Four approached us about a collaboration with a visual artist, Ben Jones immediately came to mind because I have always thought that there would be a great synthesis of Ben's experimental animation and Battles' technicolor sounds--a joining of two forms that I have been wanting to make happen for years.

"As luck would have it, when I reached out to Ben to see if he would be interested in collaborating, he had just finished installing a new solo show of some outstanding new work, which is featured throughout the 'Dot Net' video. Through his incorporation of a live-action gallery scene intercut with his authentically one-of-a-kind animation, Ben made a video for Dot Net that is one of my favorite Battles video collaborations and absolute joy to watch over and over again.”

Director Ben Jones (Adult Swim, Cartoon Network) added:

“The exploration of the digital territory between abstract graphic user interfaces, polyrhythms and human interaction was a paramount inspiration of this video. Prodding and proving the causality of passive engagement versus hyper-addiction concerning the influence of 'screen time' (using the video and audio of an iPad or iPhone or etc....). In the end we kept returning to this jump off: 'is this a dope music vid to have On your apple watch? Yes or No?.'"

The whole series of Random Acts short films will be shown on Channel 4 in a special programme later this year, with contributions from Darkstar, Oneohtrix Point Never, and Hudson Mohawke.

The art-rockers are set to perform on our stage, along with Beach House, GusGus, Kiasmos, and Porches, at this year's Iceland Airwaves.

Battles are one of the headliners at this year's Simple Things festival, where we have a stage featuring Micachu & The Shapes, Blanck Mass, and more.

The band's latest record La Di Da Di is out now via Warp.

Battles video for album track ‘Dot Com’, the first part of a new Warp Arts film series, comprised of collaborations between visual artists and Warp artists, for Channel 4’s Random Acts.