Other Music
2019, 83 minutes, Digital, NR
USA
Language: English
Presented by: Puloma Basu and Rob Hatch-Miller
Director: Puloma Basu and Rob Hatch-Miller
Puloma Basu and Rob Hatch-Miller are a married couple and directing/producing team who met in New York City and recently relocated to Los Angeles. As directors they’ve helmed music videos for artists including Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Aimee Mann, Martin Courtney (Real Estate) and Leverage Models Feat. Sharon Van Etten. Puloma and Rob have also produced numerous music videos alongside director Tom Scharpling (The Best Show, Scharpling & Wurster) for artists such as The New Pornographers, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Titus Andronicus, Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie, The Postal Service) and Kurt Vile. Puloma & Rob directed and produced the first season of the standup comedy series Night Train With Wyatt Cenac for NBC’s Seeso platform. And they are two of the filmmakers behind the feature-length soul music documentary Syl Johnson: Any Way The Wind Blows.
Sadly in 2016, the iconic and beloved independent record store Other Music closed its doors for the last time. The owners of the New York City based shop realized that their business was destined to become yet another unfortunate casualty of our changing times and tastes.
Over the past two decades, the internet has completely altered how we consume media, offering an incredible wealth of entertainment at our fingertips. This is both a blessing and a curse. Sure you can have an entire library of songs in your pocket, but at times it feels like we’ve lost touch with what it means to really appreciate music. The physical records, tapes and CDs that we used to hold dear have been replaced by a seemingly endless digital stream. Face to face interactions that once led to mind blowing musical discoveries are becoming a thing of the past. Why get curated recommendations from a real human being with an encyclopedic knowledge of prog rock when Spotify can just make a personalized algorithm-based playlist for you? But where’s the heart?!
Other Music wasn’t just another record store, it was THE record store for up and coming musicians, artists and music lovers from all walks of life. It was a buzzing hub of creative energy, a place where people found brand new music and unearthed hidden gems. In this heartfelt documentary, filmmakers Puloma Basu and Rob Hatch-Miller pay homage to the influential record store and the community that formed around it. Their personal connection to the store is palpable; Rob is an ex-staff member and Puloma was a longtime customer and friend. Together, they document the store’s final two months, filming co-founders Josh Madell, Chris Vanderloo and their staff as they navigate the store’s final days. Through interviews with employees, patrons and musicians, we learn how Other Music opened the eyes and the ears of a generation. Rarely seen early in-store performances from now well-known acts like Animal Collective, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Vampire Weekend, along with an amazing soundtrack, complete the fascinating picture of this record store like no other. (Emily Delano-Slaughter)
OFFICIAL SELECTION
Tribeca Film Festival
Maryland Film Festival
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