Damon & Naomi

It might be hard to imagine that enigmatic duo Damon & Naomi might want to share their home movies, or even what an insight into their world might reveal. Yet that is exactly what they've done on 1001 Nights. And the DVD is, unsurprisingly, a lot like Damon & Naomi themselves: quiet, understated and occasionally beautiful. "Song To The Siren" is the longest section on the disc, and is a behind-the-scenes scrapbook of the duo as they toured back in 2001. It really does show every aspect of the tour, with even the most mundane activities being documented. The meandering is punctuated with clips from live performances and, tellingly, interviews with music critics and fans that appear to be there to help explain the appeal to the tentative pair. "Japanese Scrapbook" is more of the same, except covering a decade's worth of touring in Japan, where they have a very loyal following. It does cover some of their collaborations with Ghost and, again, the live performances are a highlight. The best segments on the DVD are the three films by Cédrick Eymenier, and the concert film recorded in Japan. Eymenier's films are essentially artistic takes on music videos for Damon & Naomi's most recent music, while the live footage from 2005 and 2008 is spellbinding, especially when they dust off Galaxie 500 song "Blue Thunder." 1001 Nights will only appeal to diehard Damon & Naomi fans because not a whole lot happens during much of the DVD, but that changes when the music starts. Newcomers would be better served by the recent Sub Pop compilation CD.