Vez Biography
Art, design and music have fuelled Vez's passion, ever since she first clamped her grubby little paws on a pencil – but it’s when those three elements collided, that creative sparks really flew!
Resisting the conventional route to Art College but not wanting to be too far from her first love of fine art she launched into a BA Hons in Art History and Publishing at Oxford Brookes University 1992. The plan being art for pure pleasure, essays for college, and more time to – let’s be honest – party, and really indulge in her love of music. Soon tired of the same old chaff being regurgitated about Monet and Picasso, and getting increasingly involved in the new worlds that music began opening up, her eye turned to the art of the music video. It’s at this point that Vez would like to say a big shout out to The Beastie Boys for their “Sabotage” Video Collection, for quite literally changing her life! There had been a sprinkly of impressionable but the experience of watching this incredibly strong body of work left a lasting impression and proof that the music video had the capacity to be way more than just a way of getting a single aired on television.
It was during research for her dissertation on the art of the music video that Vez contacted the Ninja Tune label. Before she’d even learned who they were, Matt Black’s cutting-edge stance on Equinox's seminal “Rave New World” documentary caught her imagination. After a brief stint of work experience with Ninja Tune1995, Vez quickly got involved in the heart of it. Utterly enthralled by the experimental sounds that artists like DJ Food, DJ Vadim and Amon Tobin were creating, she just had to tell people about it. She soon worked her way up to Head of PR, specialising in developing new acts as well as cooking up events and ideas for the more established artists. This included creating the Ninja Tune press site and progressed into a greater involvement in A&R. It was at this point she got stuck into developing Ninja Tune's extensive music video library, taking it out of the shadows and into a publicly recognised and highly respected body of work.
As part of her aim to get the music video stronger recognition within the creative world, Vez organised the launch in 2002 of Funki Porcini’s music video album “Fast Asleep”, at London's prestigious National Film Theatre. A bold move away from the usual gig or club night album launch, and one that was to prove a huge success and particularly significant eye-opener for what was to come. As well as being one of key creators behind Ninja Tune's “ZEN TV” compilation DVD winning the CAD Award for Best Music DVD 2004, Vez has commissioned numerous acclaimed videos for the roster including Bonobo's “Flutter,” nominated for a British Animation Award 2004 and directed by then brand spanking new discovery Conkerco, DJ Vadim's “Its On” by Sam Arthur, and Wagon Christ's “Shadows directed by Fizzy Eye and cherry-picked for “Creative Review”'s The Annual 2005.
While continuing to work with Ninja Tune, other freelance music video commissions started filing in from broad-ranging labels including Fat Cat, Domino, Rough Trade and Pias Recordings. It wasn't long before Vez hooked up with then “shots” Deputy Editor Jordan McGarry. Sharing a committed passion for inspiring music videos, this meeting of minds was to result in the now world-renowned cutting-edge big-screen music video showcase Antenna at the NFT, ever since 2002. Now, that's another story...
Turning freelance after ten fruitful years at Ninja Tune, as well as being Co-Founder and Producer of Antenna, Vez continues to independently commission for various artists, guest on various panels from Res Fest, Channel Four Ideas Factory work shops to the British Councils Access All Areas conference. Besides working as a music and film consultant, and developing a new concept DVD collection for Ninja Tune’s main men Coldcut. Vez has judged at the 2004 and 2005 Music Vision Awards, and more recently “Creative Review”'s The Annual 2006, as well as being very honoured to have been asked to judge at the 2006 D&AD Awards. Disparate projects, connected by a constant theme – thrilling sounds with vision!
Jordan McGarry Biography
Jordan McGarry is a freelance journalist, co-producer of Antenna and Music Video Editor of shots magazine, a bi-monthly showcase of talent for the creative industries. As well as co-producing Antenna and her work at shots, she has written for Res magazine, Dazed & Confused, The Face, the British Council's New Routes magazine, and various UK and international newspapers and magazines. She has also produced live events for Res (UK and Japan), onedotzero (UK) and Mirrorball (Edinburgh Film Festival) and has worked with international trend forecaster WGSN. She has lived past lives as a television producer for TV shows including Oprah, Inside Edition, Extra (USA), Akte (Germany) and others, and as a model booker for London's famous Ugly Model Agency. She lives in London, sharing a small flat with an enormous pile of music video dvds.
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