Jann Klose's "Make It Better" Music Video Offers Collaborative Message

Singer-songwriter's upbeat and topical video filmed in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan

Please view video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stEjfSzO9CQ

Jann Klose's new music video MAKE IT BETTER is a performance clip with song lyrics included in 3D.  Lines like "#MAKEITBETTER," "GREAT DIVIDE," and "IF YOU DON'T KNOW LOVE YOU DON'T KNOW LIFE" reflect the song's collaborative message that pushes for marriage equality, respect for the working class, and ending war.

MAKE IT BETTER is the opening track on Jann's brand new album, MOSAIC, and has received critical acclaim, including a variety of comparisons: "The Clash meets world music," splitting "the difference between Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen," and "mid-career Clapton-flavored."

Filmed over two days in three of New York City's boroughs, the music video for MAKE IT BETTER is the collaboration of Jann and filmmaker/cinematographer Yael Shulman.  Using guerrilla techniques, the two (plus a production assistant) carried Yael's camera and tripod, Jann's guitar, and a change of clothes in New York City subways, starting near the Bronx Supreme Courthouse, then to Manhattan's Washington Square Park, and ending up at Brooklyn's D.U.M.B.O. and waterfront.  Jann's New York City fanbase was notified of location shoots through his Facebook and Twitter Feeds, and joined the shoot.  

Yael states, "We did not use lights; we used available lighting, shooting during the day." Jann explains, "The segment in which everyone thinks I'm playing a subway platform really is a building entrance in the Bronx with mosaic tiles." 

In conjunction with the guerrilla and collaborative message of MAKE IT BETTER's urban slice of life and the American melting pot, Jann, Yael, and their friends did instant casting by inviting a range of people to look into the camera, "In New York City it is easy to find people of multicultural backgrounds and diverse lifestyles."   

Jann Klose, a multi-cultural artist, born in Germany, raised in Kenya, South Africa, and Germany, first came to the States as an exchange student in Cleveland.  Now based in New York City, his new album MOSAIC is currently charting on the AMA (Americana Radio) charts.  Jann sings and plays guitar for Tim Buckley's parts in the movie GREETINGS FROM TIM BUCKLEY (out on DVD/Blu-Ray).  His music is heard on the GRAMMY-nominated "Healthy Food For Thought" compilation, MTV CRIBS and movies, "Dead Broke" (Warner Bros.) featuring Paul Sorvino.  TIME Magazine Columnist Joel Stein pranked Jann in his column recently. He's co-writing songs and performing with Gary Lucas (Captain Beefheart, Jeff Buckley), and poet Larry Beckett (Tim Buckley).  Jann has opened for or shared the stage with Renaissance's Annie Haslam, members of Rusted Root, Brett Dennen, Suzanne Vega, Pete Seeger, and the late Les Paul.    

Yael Shulman helms many music videos for some of New York City's cool rap and hip hop bands.  Recently she handled Live Performance Camera for the rock documentary "Mistaken For Strangers" which was the opening night film of the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival.

Stratospheerius Present Their New Music Video “One Foot In The Next World”

Director and Videographer Bill Hamilton Brings His Unique Vision to the First Single From The Next World, Stratospheerius’ Fifth and Most Eclectic Album-To-Date 

Stratospheerius Live

Stratospheerius CD, The Next World, available at: www.digital-nations.com
and iTunes.com, www.amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.com
http://www.joedeninzon.com/
"One Foot In The Next World" http://www.youtube.com

Joe Deninzon and Stratospheerius have a new music video, ONE FOOT IN THE NEXT WORLD.  RIVEVIDEO will be promoting it.  Says RiveVideo owner John Warden, "I really feel this song has all of the rock elements for their hardcore fans, but it also definitely has a Pop sensibility that we want to expose.  I even made the target list ‘wider’ to accommodate the sound of the video and to push the envelope for the video of 'One Foot In The Next World.'"

Joe Deninzon and long time video collaborator Bill Hamilton created the video concept based on the band's song "One Foot in the Next World," which attacks politicians and preachers who’s philosophies and policies are not based on reality.

Director Bill Hamilton filmed the band -- Joe Deninzon on electric violin and lead vocals, Aurelien Budynek on guitar and vocals, Jamie Bishop on bass and drummer Lucianna Padmore – in front of an abandoned blast furnace at Bethlehem Steelstax and in Hamilton’s own studio (http://www.beelmedia.com) in Hoboken, NJ.  By combining the Steelstax footage with images of a fire dancer (Bulgarian gymnastics star Silviya Taseva) and shots of Deninzon singing the song underwater, Hamilton created a clip that implies the endless struggle between fire and water, heaven and hell, creation and destruction, reality and fantasy.

Musically, “One Foot in the Next World” starts  as a straight up rocker, slips into a raga-like interlude for guitar and violin, then features an improvised section that calls to mind the explorations of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Deninzon’s violin work is the thread that holds the tapestry together.

The video can be viewed on YouTube at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7ad4iCYIOI&feature=youtu.be 
It is available for uploading and posting on blogs and websites.

Stratospheerius songs, written by singer/bandleader/electric violinist Joe Deninzon, blend rock, funk, jazz, classical, fusion, singer-songwriter, metal and Eastern European gypsy influences. It’s a mix that makes the music of Stratospheerius hard to pin down. “I hate to use labels,” Joe says. “If we had to use just one, I would call us a progressive rock band, although there are elements of be-bop, ska, pop, bluegrass and everything else in our sound.”

Joe, who has been called “the Jimi Hendrix of the electric violin,” was born in Russia and raised in Cleveland, in a home full of classically trained musicians. He grew up playing classical violin and rock guitar, but hearing Jean-Luc Ponty inspired him to merge his interests. He began blending jazz, classical and rock into his own unique expression. He started playing a six-string Jensen electric violin in 1995, slowly developing his vision for Stratospheerius over the course of five outstanding albums: 1998’s Electric/Blue, credited solely to Deninzon; The Adventures of Stratospheerius (2002); the live set Live Wires (2004); Headspace (2007) and their latest outing The Next World (2012), which debuted on the Relix Jam Band Chart at #10, staying on the charts for the next two months.

“The Next World is moving in a slightly more mainstream direction,” Deninzon explains. “There is more emphasis on the lyrics and songwriting, a bit more rock and a lot of political commentary.” The band launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the video, the post-apocalyptic vision of “One Foot in the Next World.”

The Next World also features the fiery “Gods,” the energetic power clash of “The Missing Link” and the glorious “Release.” The album's instrumentals include the whiplash-inducing “Road Rage,” the soulful “Ballad for Ding Bang,” and “Fleshbot.” Stratospheerius does more genre bending on the electronic/ska of “Tech Support,” the country rock ballad “Climbing” and the bluesy “The House Always Wins.”

Joe is also busy promoting his first book, PLUGGING IN: A Guide To Gear and New Techniques for the 21st Century Violinist (Mel Bay Books, May 2012) http://www.melbay.com/product.asp?productid=22035SET  He gives frequent workshops on electric violin technique. While leading Stratospheerius since 2001, he has worked with Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, Les Paul, Phoebe Snow, Ritchie Blackmore, and Aretha Franklin. He can be heard on over 100 recordings and jingles as a violinist and string arranger, including the NIKE commercial that was repeatedly broadcast during the London Olympics in 2012.