Written by Fense
The name Juan, to my knowledge, is the Spanish version of John, like the name Andy is, in many languages, translated as Andre. Therefore, the first thing I thought of when seeing the name Juan Stewart, was The Daily Show host John Stewart. But, really, that’s the only thing these two have in common.
Juan Stewart is, like the rest of the artists on the Pero Ese Olor En El Cuarto Del Piano Fue El Primer Perfume Que Necesitó En Su Vida compilation, available now on Si Puedo Bailar, No Es Mi Revolución, an atmospheric electronic artist. His track “Si Hay Bulla No Hay FutbolÃn†is the longest track on the comp, and the midpoint of Chapter 3, ‘Cause We Were So Young.
As the longest song, at well into 9 minutes, “Si Hay Bulla No Hay FutbolÃn†has the time to grow and build and it does just that. But I’m not here to talk strictly about this song. This is a video feature, so I might as well get on with it.
“Domaj†is a mere fraction of “Si Hay Bulla”, coming in just under 3 minutes. The footage is from old home videos meshed together in a dreamlike fashion (much like Stewart’s video for “Angelâ€). These videos appear popular for the more ambient electronic tunes (you’ll see another in my feature for Souvlaki), and this one in particular reminds me a bit of The Robot Ate Me’s eerily candescent video for “On Vacation”.
The dreaminess of “Domajâ€, both the video and the song, convey a portal into a long-forgotten memory. The focus is on children, perhaps the same children or maybe a variety of children. In many ways, it shows the innocence of youth and Stewart’s atmospheric melodies compliment the theme well.
Old home footage is always an interesting glimpse into a different life, and the video for “Domaj†is just that—a moving portrayal of the beauty and carefree moments of youth.
If you’re in the states, you can pick up the aforementioned compilation from Darla Records. Also included below is an mp3 of “Domaj”, off 2007’s Oui!. The mp3 version is a bit longer than the video, but both are worth your time.
Juan Stewart: Domaj [mp3]
[audio:0926_juan_stewart_-_domaj.mp3|titles=Domaj|artists=Juan Stewart]
Juan Stewart: Si Hay Bulla No Hay FutbolÃn [mp3]
[audio:0926_juan_stewart_-_si_hay_bulla_no_hay_futbolin.mp3|titles=Si Hay Bulla No Hay FutbolÃn|artists=Juan Stewart]