Scanner: NightJam

Scanner
NightJam
Bittersweet songs for the sleepless city
Summer 2006

A music and photography project by Scanner, with MCs and photographers from the New Horizon Youth Centre, the day centre for homeless young people in King’s Cross, London

“So, welcome to the London that never sleeps, yeah, will never dream – can’t – and will never see…Yeah, while you’re counting sheep...”
(MC Utta, ‘Sleepless City’)

Over the aching beats and lonely piano of Sleepless City, three soft voices spin bitter words of exhaustion and despair in the dark underbelly of the city: “I’m in the depths of London / Straight up in the depths of a dungeon.” In the elegiac breakbeat song S’alright, two people in very different parts of the night reassure themselves everything’s going to be fine.

NightJam was a musical collaboration by acclaimed artist Scanner (Robin Rimbaud) with young people who have been homeless. NightJam presented two music tracks and a photographic montage, plus a limited edition CD distributed for free through the project's original website at www.nightjam.org.uk.

NightJam formed part of Artangel Interaction’s Nights of London series of artist-led collaborations with people who have a special view on a hidden side of the nocturnal city. Scanner invited young people at New Horizon Youth Centre in King’s Cross to collaborate on a creative project that expresses how the city at night looks and sounds to their ears and eyes. Through music and voice workshops they explored the sense of freedom and fear, celebration and solitude of the concealing darkness. Meanwhile, they captured their nights on disposable cameras, taking images that are at times eerie, startling, contemplative and funny. NightJam presents two elusive visual and musical journeys through the city’s ‘quiet’ hours.

This project was supported by Arts Council England, Artangel International Circle, Special Angels and The Company of Angels