The dictatorship of social networks and the nightmare of an ultra-connected world denounced in a filmed concert: “Cabadzi In Real Live”

The Nantes group Cabadzi denounced in 2021 in its album “Bürrhus” society’s addiction to social networks and our enslavement to digital technologies. Director Matthieu Yakovleff put images into this concept album. Result: a dystopian fiction, Cabadzi In Real Live not to be missed.

After his opus Cabadzi the Nantes group Cabadzi has tackled a stunning creation, a concept album attacking the tyranny of virtual worlds and social networks. Written before confinement, but published afterwards, in March 2021, “Bürrhus” explored the themes of digital addiction and the influence of technologies on our lives.

A dystopia all the more worrying because it closely resembles our daily lives, which you will be able to hear and see in full, in a daring staging: France 3 Pays de la Loire offers you exclusively “Cabadzi In Real Live” a unique concert by the group dedicated to the Bürrhus project.

It was reading Bruno Patino’s book that inspired Cabadzi to write Bürrhus. In this essay, the author analyzes the evolution of the Internet, initially conceived as a space of freedom, which has become a frantic race for attention and massive exploitation of our personal data.

He also evokes the work of Bürrhus Frédéric Skinner, an American psychologist renowned for his experiment with Skinner’s box. This behavioral psychology experiment, carried out in the 1930s, demonstrated the importance of reward in the phenomenon of addictions, particularly on rats and pigeons.

These principles have been widely exploited by the gaming industry and, more recently, by social media.

In this filmed concert, Cabadzi takes us into a dark and destabilizing universe. The camera moves slowly towards the door of a huge concrete blockhouse. A countdown clock reads nine minutes and six seconds, while a voiceover announces through a megaphone:

“We we are pleased to remind you that tomorrow we will celebrate the thirtieth victory of Bürrhus. To celebrate this holiday in our great nation, our Serenissima will cover half of all your purchases. Enjoy… Bürrhus will always be the ally of your happiness“.

In the background, posters, signs, advertisements and light panels display the same “Ü” logo.

The scene is lit by modest street lamps, revealing moving or inert human forms, all wearing Bürrhus masks. Music and a voice resonate, contrasting with the sad ballet of an army of shadows. The scene is set for this mini-concert in a dark and oppressive universe, which only freedom of speech and rhythms can transcend.

As the seconds tick by towards a curfew imposed on all residents, the Cabadzi duo, between revolt and submission, make the vital words of their necessary emancipation heard. In a dark and melancholy atmosphere,

Cabadzi performs six pieces among extras, symbolizing rebels against the omnipotent yoke of Bürrhus.

The musicians move like shadows in the corridors of the subway, lost, but determined, seeking freedom in music and words. The concert ends on a melancholic note, reflecting the inner struggle of individuals against an oppressive society.

Matthieu Yakovleff, the director, and Cabadzi managed to create an extraordinary live session, mixing music and fiction.

Since meeting Cabadzi in 2018 during the production of the recording of their previous creation, I have never stopped looking for a new project to collaborate on.

Matthew Yakovleff

Director

“The strongly cinematographic universe of the group invited me, once again, to imagine an ever more atypical and original audiovisual production. To which is added the pleasure of working with Lulu and Vikto, the two friends of the group, who push always further their attention to detail.”, explains Matthieu Yakovleff.

Combining the recording of a live performance and the creation of a fiction is the desire for this slightly crazy UFO in which we have embarked. There is the desire for a sequence shot to start. It was something I wanted from the start and which was very close to my heart for this achievement. The camera never cuts in order to keep viewers in suspense throughout the story.

It was also a way of recreating the conditions of excitement of a real concert during filming. It’s a huge challenge, both artistic and technical, that we asked the team to take on. It is necessary to plan all machinery movements, coordinate the movements of participants, adjust the lights and sound. We tracked the faces of the public so that all the spectators wore a virtual reality mask in the colors of the leader Bürrhus, like hypnotized zombies. We also reworked the sound design a lot to support the gloomy side of the scene.”

This work, which explores the themes of digital addiction and the revolt against the tyranny of connected worlds, is an immersive, poignant experience. It’s a powerful production and a beautiful reflection on substance as well as form.

“Cabadzi, strange live in the land of Bürrhus” can be seen on Wednesday June 19 at 11 p.m. on France 3 Pays de la Loire and already in replay on our france.tv platform