Spectres of the Spectrum

A rogue transmission from the underground, Baldwin's ethereal essay in science fact takes a futuristic vantage point - 2007 - to look back over the history (and shadow history) of electricity. Baldwin posits a dissident rear-guard action against the 'New Electro-magnetic Order', but this dramatic concept is really just a hook for analytical channel surfing through time and space. Clearly indebted to Chris Marker (La Jetée) and Godard (Alphaville), this is densely textured and tangential, touching on cosmology, spiritualism, capitalism and King Kong. It takes a while to adjust your (mind-)set, but Baldwin warms to his argument as he reaches the age of telecommunications, and the monopolistic commodification of information through corporate control of radio, television, and latterly the Internet. The Terminator for Chomsky fans.