Silhouette

A silhouette is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single color, usually black, its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the whole is typically presented on a light background, usually white, or none at all. The silhouette differs from an outline, which depicts the edge of an object in a linear form, while a silhouette appears as a solid shape. Silhouette images may be created in any visual artistic media, but was first used to describe pieces of cut paper, which were then stuck to a backing in a contrasting colour, and often framed.

Cutting portraits, generally in profile, from black card became popular in the mid-18th century, though the term silhouette was seldom used until the early decades of the 19th century, and the tradition has continued under this name into the 21st century. They represented a cheap but effective alternative to the portrait miniature, and skilled specialist artists could cut a high-quality bust portrait, by far the most common style, in a matter of minutes, working purely by eye. Other artists, especially from about 1790, drew an outline on paper, then painted it in, which could be equally quick. The leading 18th-century English "profilist" in painting, John Miers, advertised "three minute sittings", and the cost might be as low as half a crown around 1800. Miers' superior products could be in grisaille, with delicate highlights added in gold or yellow, and some examples might be painted on various backings, including gesso, glass or ivory. The size was normally small, with many designed to fit into a locket, but otherwise a bust some 3 to 5 inches high was typical, with half- or full-length portraits proportionately larger.

Silhouettes (Avicii song)

"Silhouettes" is a song by Swedish house producer and DJ Avicii featuring vocals from Swedish singer Salem Al Fakir. The track was first released on 27 April 2012 in the United Kingdom. It had previously been leaked on the internet in early 2011, albeit with a different song pitch. Some music blogs erroneously posted "Flash" by Tatana and Scaloni.

Track listing

Charts

Chart performance

For the week ending 11 May 2012, "Silhouettes" debuted at number fifty on the Irish Singles Chart. The track marked Avicii's fourth appearance on the chart, following "Seek Bromance", "Collide" and "Levels" - which peaked at number forty-nine and number three respectively.

Music video

A music video was released on YouTube on 7 June 2012. The music video shows a person before and after undergoing sex reassignment surgery. An alternate version just featuring Avicii performing at various venues in the United States has also been produced.

Charts and certifications

Release history

References

Silhouettes (dance group)

The Silhouettes are a dance group from Denver, Colorado. The group is best known for performing on the sixth season of America's Got Talent. Led by Lynne (Waggoner) Patton, a choreographer from the Denver area, the 42 members of the Silhouettes range from 4-18 year olds. The group was named runner-up in the competition.

References

KMFDM

KMFDM (from Kein Mitleid Für Die Mehrheit [sic], translated by the band as "no pity for the majority" [sic]) is an industrial band led by German multi-instrumentalist Sascha Konietzko, who founded the group in 1984 as a performance art project. KMFDM has released nineteen studio albums and two dozen singles, with sales of more than two million records worldwide.

The band has undergone many line-up changes and featured dozens of guest musicians. Its earliest incarnation included German drummer En Esch and British vocalist Raymond Watts, the latter of whom left and rejoined the group several times over its history. German guitarist Günter Schulz joined in 1990; both he and Esch continued with the band until KMFDM broke up in 1999. Konietzko resurrected KMFDM in 2002 (Esch and Schulz declined to rejoin), and by 2005 he had assembled a consistent line-up that included American singer Lucia Cifarelli, British guitarists Jules Hodgson and Steve White, and British drummer Andy Selway.

Critics consider KMFDM to be one of the first bands to bring industrial music to mainstream audiences, though Konietzko refers to the band's music as "The Ultra-Heavy Beat". The band incorporates heavy metal guitar riffs, electronic music, samples, and both male and female vocals in its music, which encompasses a variety of styles. KMFDM normally tours at least once after every major release, and band members are known for their accessibility to and interaction with fans, both online and at concerts. Members, singly or working with each other and others, have recorded under many other names, primarily Watts' Pig in 1988, Konietzko's Excessive Force in 1991, and Esch and Schulz's Slick Idiot in 2001.