Late last year, a whole host of pioneering artists and creatives dug deep into their digital archives for a Dazed x SOOT film series, directed by Guy Gooch and produced by Stink. Titled Hard Drive Reveal, the films showcased the SOOT’s powerful applications for organising and reflecting on a creative career, driven by an AI-powered information mapping tool.

Devised by artist and SOOT founder Jake Harper, these tools continue to give creatives – from anonymous street artist Fatzoo, to legendary creative designer Paul Nicholson – the ability to “fly over” their back catalogue and see it from a new perspective. This isn’t just about combing over the past though, as musical duo bedroom remind us; it’s also about drawing inspiration and taking it into the future.

Below, we hear more about the creators featured in Hard Drive Reveal and their experiences with SOOT, in their own words.

ANITA CHHIBA (DIET PARATHA)

“Soot is so sick, it’s so helpful to be able to sort and colour code my archive based on subject and colour and date. I live off my IG saved folder but it’s so hard rummaging around it for hours to try and find certain refs. Some of which are years old. Massive time suck. 

It’s actually so nice just to look back from a more bird’s eye view and go over what’s given @diet_paratha its essence over the last five or so years. [My work is] always changing and developing and taking different shapes. I hope that never changes.”

PAUL NICHOLSON

“I do not display my work on any app other than Instagram. Its interface is useful when looking at recent posts, but to view posts going back requires endless scrolling, and you can only view a few images at a time. Using SOOT, I get an overview of all my work presented in an environment I can fly over, and zoom down as something takes my interest.

Like any creative, I am always preoccupied with whatever project is on the go. Being able to see work from the last 5 years all at once, I am struck by the number of projects I have been involved with. Many happy memories. Having the option to view the work by year, I am pleased to see a consistency and a thread run through my work.”

BEDROOM (SOREN HARRISON AND AMIR HOSSAIN)

“It’s as if all our work makes up a colourful milky way, and we are gazing through the spaceship window, floating through our twinkly memories on our way to the future. We were surprised at the unconscious loops and connections between projects, tied by similar colour palettes or camera angles, creating a sense of unity between a lot of the work.

Our work has serendipitously documented our coming-of-age over the last five years, each project a breadcrumb leading from the gap year to the present day. The evolution has coincided with our life experience – a little older, a little more confused, finding new ways to make sense of it all.”

FATZOO

“It’s like the first time I’ve looked at [my work] as a creative practice. Essentially, I’m putting paint on a wall. I’ve never seen all of the work in one space. I’m not really too sure where it’s going.”

TILDA MACE

“I feel like we should explore ourselves more with other people, because we all have more within us that we need to access. We’re just like, washing it out with TikTok, Instagram, bad movies. The older you get, the more you learn about yourself. I just want to continue to grow.”