"The Creative Habit" & answering "Why?"
May. 14th, 2009 | 12:06 pm
music: Ametsub - Lichen with Piano | Powered by Last.fm
You know that annoying little kid that endlessly asks the question "why?" in succession... partially for curiosity and partially just to test the limits of a parent to see when they will give up from boredom, frustration, or exhaustion? There were a few times growing up when I pulled that on my dad and somewhere that little kid still exists. (I think I had an epic run for "Why is the sky blue?" where he finally caved in after 15-20 rounds)
There are truisms in life that sound completely cliche, but can never be repeated enough. Be kind to others, read books, travel, eat well, etc... these are all common themes that show up again and again, but without a strong answer to "why?" the full import of their meaning never seems to take hold. It's just another factoid, devoid of any real meaning or application to my life. Sometimes though you get an excellent answer to why in the form of life experience or from reading a book. Here are some examples of books that resonated for me in this way:
-- Why is it important to be organized? Getting Things Done
-- Why are exercise and getting enough sleep good things to do? Brain Rules
-- What makes the scientific method so amazing? Demon Haunted World
-- Why do people who pursue their passions seem so attractive? The Way of the Superior Man
-- Why is watching too much TV bad for you? Amusing Ourselves to Death
Here's another question.... "Why are focus, hard work, and dedication to a craft important?" Everyone can answer this at a high level, but until I heard a convincing argument as to why these things are necessary, it never really sunk in. The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp is the explanation I didn't even know I was looking for and it has completely inspired me.
If you have any kind of creative outlet, whether it be for work or as a hobby, I implore you to read this book. Aside from being inspirational, it's also practical with specific activities and examples to get you out of a rut and to focus in on what's most important to you. Even though her background is in dance and choreography, her words apply to any creative discipline you can think of.
I've been asking myself "what do I want to do next with my life?" a lot recently and this book has given me the clarity I was looking for. Thank you Twyla for sharing your gift and letting us look behind the curtain at your creative process. I will go back and watch Amadeus* now with fresh eyes and can't wait to watch a dance performance with all your perspectives and passions for dance in my head.
(and props to Merlin Mann for giving it such a hearty endorsement)
There are truisms in life that sound completely cliche, but can never be repeated enough. Be kind to others, read books, travel, eat well, etc... these are all common themes that show up again and again, but without a strong answer to "why?" the full import of their meaning never seems to take hold. It's just another factoid, devoid of any real meaning or application to my life. Sometimes though you get an excellent answer to why in the form of life experience or from reading a book. Here are some examples of books that resonated for me in this way:
-- Why is it important to be organized? Getting Things Done
-- Why are exercise and getting enough sleep good things to do? Brain Rules
-- What makes the scientific method so amazing? Demon Haunted World
-- Why do people who pursue their passions seem so attractive? The Way of the Superior Man
-- Why is watching too much TV bad for you? Amusing Ourselves to Death
Here's another question.... "Why are focus, hard work, and dedication to a craft important?" Everyone can answer this at a high level, but until I heard a convincing argument as to why these things are necessary, it never really sunk in. The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp is the explanation I didn't even know I was looking for and it has completely inspired me.
If you have any kind of creative outlet, whether it be for work or as a hobby, I implore you to read this book. Aside from being inspirational, it's also practical with specific activities and examples to get you out of a rut and to focus in on what's most important to you. Even though her background is in dance and choreography, her words apply to any creative discipline you can think of.
I've been asking myself "what do I want to do next with my life?" a lot recently and this book has given me the clarity I was looking for. Thank you Twyla for sharing your gift and letting us look behind the curtain at your creative process. I will go back and watch Amadeus* now with fresh eyes and can't wait to watch a dance performance with all your perspectives and passions for dance in my head.
video caption: "This is an impromptu dance created and directed by Twyla Tharp. Joining her is a complete amateur Andy Plesser, a 55-year old with no formal dance background but considerable enthusiasm. This was part of a taping session of several interviews about dance, video, creativity and the Internet done for Beet.TV, a videoblog about the online video revolution and its implications for business and society. The interviews can be found here"*Twyla did all the choreography. I haven't watched this since I was a little kid... curious to see how it will hold up against my memory and the vividness of Blu-Ray.
(and props to Merlin Mann for giving it such a hearty endorsement)
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ario's favorite albums of 2008
Dec. 27th, 2008 | 10:37 am
music: Marginalman Aka DJ Tuttle - Arto Tuncboyaciyan ＆ ARA Dinkjian / Balbul | Powered by Last.fm
I find it sad when people say "music just isn't the same any more." While it may be true that the songs they have in mind are no longer in vogue, I sense it's more a problem of unearthing the good stuff from the crap. On that note, here's what moved me the most in '08...
01. caspa & rusko - fabriclive.37
Even in the absence of a new Burial record, dubstep continues to hold my interest and I'm glad to see no signs of the "movement" slowing down. Nothing captured the best of the current dubstep scene for me quite like this mix. It's always weird to consider a mix in a list of albums, but there's enough of their own material here that I think it counts (not to mention that the mixing is nearly flawless, which creates their own unique versions of the songs). Admittedly, I find the middle section of the 29 tracks here a little weak, but damn, the beginning and end hit so hard. Apparently they only had one take to record this (before the sound engineer had to take off), which may be contributing to the sense of tension that holds throughout. The last song, Conquest's "Forever" could very well play on forever as far as I'm concerned.
02. benga - diary of an afro warrior
Another dubstep entry in the top 10 (had a hard time not making it #1). Like any form of electronic music, it's difficult to take a set of disparate tracks and turn them into an actual cohesive album, but that's exactly what we have here. This dude's production is amazing and I can't wait to see what he does next. (Also, along with Skream, he provided one of my show highlights for '08). Big ups to![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
mikebee for introducing me to both this and the Caspa/Rusko mix at his fine bastion of music knowledge.
03. m83 - saturdays = youth
Not a big surprise here... I'm a huge fan of theirs, and while I think their last few releases never really equaled the brilliance of "Dead Cities," they reinvented their sound and became awesome to me again. Not to mention that this was my favorite show of 2008.
04. john maus - love is real
While technically a 2007 release, I don't think it really hit anyone's radar until January of this year (thx Aquarius!). By far the most bizarre and original music I've heard in a long time... this guy has some sort of inner demon that he's trying to exorcise with synthesizers and tortured (albeit catchy) lyrics. On sheer number of repeat listens, this would be #1, but I wound up playing it out and had to put it on ice for a few months. If you're a fan of non-sequiturs and 80s synth-pop, you owe it to yourself to check this out.
05. cut copy - in ghost colours
Along with M83, this is my other trendy pick of the year. "Lights and Music" and "Hearts on Fire" are pop perfection, particularly when that saxophone part kicks in on the latter. Two other things I like about them: they have really great interstitial tracks and they kick total ass live. I'd like to see them expand their sound more in the future.
06. bohren & der club of gore - dolores
A recent discovery courtesy of Aquarius, this is the sad-bastard-music album to end all sad-bastard-music albums. Last.fm describes them as "funeral jazz" which is about as perfect a description as I've ever seen for a musical genre. The pace of their songs make Low feel like happy hardcore and the somberness is unlike anything I've heard. If Ian Curtis had access to "Dolores," it might've taken the place of Iggy Pop's "The Idiot" in his last hours.
07. nine inch nails - ghosts i-iv
Trent, I know you're a narcissist, so heed the Google Alert that brought you here, put down your copy of "Outliers," and listen up :) Stop making "normal" NIN records and keep refining this Ghosts thing. Seriously, "The Slip," while free, didn't break any new ground sonically and doesn't seem congruent with where you are in life any more. Ghosts on the other hand has some truly magnificent moments, and as a concept, is utterly fucking awesome and you are to be commended for pulling it off. Seeing you play live this year, I wanted to jump into a sound proof booth as soon as "Closer" or "Head Like a Hole" came on, but the 3 song Ghosts interlude was total bliss. Maybe it's time to drop the NIN moniker or change things up in a way that will free you up from having to play the hits. I know you gotta eat, but it really is time to put the old songs to bed.
08. perfume - game / dream fighter
I discovered Perfume via MTV Japan only a few weeks ago and was instantly hooked. They're like the Japanese equivalent of Kylie Minogue at her best. The producer is also the brain behind the group Capsule, so Perfume get the best of both worlds with pop success and indie cred. The production is impeccable and the melodies are totally addictive (and c'mon they're adorable).
09. marginalman (aka dj tuttle) - honcho sound vol. 39 あ・き・ら・め・る
Another recent acquisition from Japan, this mix is amazing. Blends bhangra with new jack (even Front 242?)... and it all seems to make sense together. Still getting my head around it.
10. koss - four worlds converge as one
I listen to a disproportionate amount of ambient music, but never have enough room to include these releases in my top 10. This one stood out above the rest for me. It's like a delicate cob web, barely even noticeable, but beautiful upon close inspection.
Contenders for #11:
portishead - third, gas - nah und fern, the bug - london zoo, flying lotus - los angeles, agraph - a day phases, depreciation guild - in her gentle jaws, philip jeck - sand, zomby - where were you in '92?, luciano - fabric 41
Honorable mention mix:
This Resident Advisor mix by Aeroplane was another highlight, but more of a straight forward mix of danceable jams than the mixes that made it into my top 10.
Other notable top 10s which will no doubt yield many good finds:
-- Basic Sounds
-- Zojirushi
-- Asphalteden
-- Pitchfork
For a trip down memory lane, here's my top ten from 2007.
So, what did I miss?
01. caspa & rusko - fabriclive.37
Even in the absence of a new Burial record, dubstep continues to hold my interest and I'm glad to see no signs of the "movement" slowing down. Nothing captured the best of the current dubstep scene for me quite like this mix. It's always weird to consider a mix in a list of albums, but there's enough of their own material here that I think it counts (not to mention that the mixing is nearly flawless, which creates their own unique versions of the songs). Admittedly, I find the middle section of the 29 tracks here a little weak, but damn, the beginning and end hit so hard. Apparently they only had one take to record this (before the sound engineer had to take off), which may be contributing to the sense of tension that holds throughout. The last song, Conquest's "Forever" could very well play on forever as far as I'm concerned.
02. benga - diary of an afro warrior
Another dubstep entry in the top 10 (had a hard time not making it #1). Like any form of electronic music, it's difficult to take a set of disparate tracks and turn them into an actual cohesive album, but that's exactly what we have here. This dude's production is amazing and I can't wait to see what he does next. (Also, along with Skream, he provided one of my show highlights for '08). Big ups to
mikebee for introducing me to both this and the Caspa/Rusko mix at his fine bastion of music knowledge.03. m83 - saturdays = youth
Not a big surprise here... I'm a huge fan of theirs, and while I think their last few releases never really equaled the brilliance of "Dead Cities," they reinvented their sound and became awesome to me again. Not to mention that this was my favorite show of 2008.
04. john maus - love is real
While technically a 2007 release, I don't think it really hit anyone's radar until January of this year (thx Aquarius!). By far the most bizarre and original music I've heard in a long time... this guy has some sort of inner demon that he's trying to exorcise with synthesizers and tortured (albeit catchy) lyrics. On sheer number of repeat listens, this would be #1, but I wound up playing it out and had to put it on ice for a few months. If you're a fan of non-sequiturs and 80s synth-pop, you owe it to yourself to check this out.
05. cut copy - in ghost colours
Along with M83, this is my other trendy pick of the year. "Lights and Music" and "Hearts on Fire" are pop perfection, particularly when that saxophone part kicks in on the latter. Two other things I like about them: they have really great interstitial tracks and they kick total ass live. I'd like to see them expand their sound more in the future.
06. bohren & der club of gore - dolores
A recent discovery courtesy of Aquarius, this is the sad-bastard-music album to end all sad-bastard-music albums. Last.fm describes them as "funeral jazz" which is about as perfect a description as I've ever seen for a musical genre. The pace of their songs make Low feel like happy hardcore and the somberness is unlike anything I've heard. If Ian Curtis had access to "Dolores," it might've taken the place of Iggy Pop's "The Idiot" in his last hours.
07. nine inch nails - ghosts i-iv
Trent, I know you're a narcissist, so heed the Google Alert that brought you here, put down your copy of "Outliers," and listen up :) Stop making "normal" NIN records and keep refining this Ghosts thing. Seriously, "The Slip," while free, didn't break any new ground sonically and doesn't seem congruent with where you are in life any more. Ghosts on the other hand has some truly magnificent moments, and as a concept, is utterly fucking awesome and you are to be commended for pulling it off. Seeing you play live this year, I wanted to jump into a sound proof booth as soon as "Closer" or "Head Like a Hole" came on, but the 3 song Ghosts interlude was total bliss. Maybe it's time to drop the NIN moniker or change things up in a way that will free you up from having to play the hits. I know you gotta eat, but it really is time to put the old songs to bed.
08. perfume - game / dream fighter
I discovered Perfume via MTV Japan only a few weeks ago and was instantly hooked. They're like the Japanese equivalent of Kylie Minogue at her best. The producer is also the brain behind the group Capsule, so Perfume get the best of both worlds with pop success and indie cred. The production is impeccable and the melodies are totally addictive (and c'mon they're adorable).
09. marginalman (aka dj tuttle) - honcho sound vol. 39 あ・き・ら・め・る
Another recent acquisition from Japan, this mix is amazing. Blends bhangra with new jack (even Front 242?)... and it all seems to make sense together. Still getting my head around it.
10. koss - four worlds converge as one
I listen to a disproportionate amount of ambient music, but never have enough room to include these releases in my top 10. This one stood out above the rest for me. It's like a delicate cob web, barely even noticeable, but beautiful upon close inspection.
Contenders for #11:
portishead - third, gas - nah und fern, the bug - london zoo, flying lotus - los angeles, agraph - a day phases, depreciation guild - in her gentle jaws, philip jeck - sand, zomby - where were you in '92?, luciano - fabric 41
Honorable mention mix:
This Resident Advisor mix by Aeroplane was another highlight, but more of a straight forward mix of danceable jams than the mixes that made it into my top 10.
Other notable top 10s which will no doubt yield many good finds:
-- Basic Sounds
-- Zojirushi
-- Asphalteden
-- Pitchfork
For a trip down memory lane, here's my top ten from 2007.
So, what did I miss?
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Nokia N95, initial thoughts
Jul. 14th, 2008 | 10:57 pm
music: david bowie - i'm deranged
Nokia contacted me via Flickr (I imagine because 90% of my photos there are uploaded from my 3 year old Nokia 6682) and asked me if I'd like to play with their whiz-bang N95 phone for 3 weeks. I accepted and finally got my hands on it yesterday after missing all of DHL's delivery attempts.
Some initial thoughts:
-- it's amazing how similar the phone feels to the 6682. The buttons and UI are nearly identical, all the way down to the way the keys feel when you press on them... rather astounding given the 3 year gap between models
-- the familiarity is nice in some ways since I know where pretty much every thing is, but it would've been cool to see some big improvements in the overall interaction model
-- the screen is crisp and clear... great for viewing pictures and decent enough for YouTube (although, I couldn't get YouTube to play in landscape mode)
-- the 5 megapixel Carl Zeiss camera on the back is probably the phone's best feature (I will miss those grainy pictures my old phone used to take), but with no cover, the lens is going to get lots of fingerprints and scratches from keys on it. I loved how the 6682 had a lens cover that would activate the camera when flipped open... that's a great model since it protects the lens and gets you right into picture taking mode. More phones should adopt this!
-- I set up Zonetag and it worked right away as expected... not sure if it can utilize the GPS data though for geotagging... I'll have to compare it to ShoZu and see
-- there's also a 2nd camera (this blew my mind) on the front face of the phone, perfect for those overhead MySpace shots, but the quality and resolution you get is awful. You wind up with a small, grainy picture... which may be ok for icons, but sucks for sending to Flickr.
-- the N95 uses a sliding mechanism to expose the keys (slide up), but can also be slid down to expose mp3 player functions. While this is nifty, I think the extra sliding led to the two halves of the phone feeling a little loosey-goosey instead of solid. I'd much rather have the phone slide farther to expose a qwerty keyboard and include the multimedia functions in the same interface.
-- there's a cool Twitter app for the N95 called Twibble which lets you read and send tweets from a UI that's optimized for the experience (vs loading up twitter from a web browser). It even will tack on your GPS location, but I'm not sure what that does to the length of the message
-- you can also stream live video from the camera to Qik.com which I found fairly easy to set up and run. Not exactly sure when this will come in handy, but maybe the use case will reveal itself over time
Things I need to play with more: GPS and maps features, mp3 playback, games, bluetooth
I've also recently played with the iPhone and Sprint's competitor, the Insight, which have similar features, but I'm one of those grumps that wants a physical keyboard and prays that someone will merge the best of touch interfaces with an awesome tactile interface.
I have 3 weeks to decide which phone to actually throw down the cash for, but until then, it'll be fun tinkering with the N95.
Some initial thoughts:
-- it's amazing how similar the phone feels to the 6682. The buttons and UI are nearly identical, all the way down to the way the keys feel when you press on them... rather astounding given the 3 year gap between models
-- the familiarity is nice in some ways since I know where pretty much every thing is, but it would've been cool to see some big improvements in the overall interaction model
-- the screen is crisp and clear... great for viewing pictures and decent enough for YouTube (although, I couldn't get YouTube to play in landscape mode)
-- the 5 megapixel Carl Zeiss camera on the back is probably the phone's best feature (I will miss those grainy pictures my old phone used to take), but with no cover, the lens is going to get lots of fingerprints and scratches from keys on it. I loved how the 6682 had a lens cover that would activate the camera when flipped open... that's a great model since it protects the lens and gets you right into picture taking mode. More phones should adopt this!
-- I set up Zonetag and it worked right away as expected... not sure if it can utilize the GPS data though for geotagging... I'll have to compare it to ShoZu and see
-- there's also a 2nd camera (this blew my mind) on the front face of the phone, perfect for those overhead MySpace shots, but the quality and resolution you get is awful. You wind up with a small, grainy picture... which may be ok for icons, but sucks for sending to Flickr.
-- the N95 uses a sliding mechanism to expose the keys (slide up), but can also be slid down to expose mp3 player functions. While this is nifty, I think the extra sliding led to the two halves of the phone feeling a little loosey-goosey instead of solid. I'd much rather have the phone slide farther to expose a qwerty keyboard and include the multimedia functions in the same interface.
-- there's a cool Twitter app for the N95 called Twibble which lets you read and send tweets from a UI that's optimized for the experience (vs loading up twitter from a web browser). It even will tack on your GPS location, but I'm not sure what that does to the length of the message
-- you can also stream live video from the camera to Qik.com which I found fairly easy to set up and run. Not exactly sure when this will come in handy, but maybe the use case will reveal itself over time
Things I need to play with more: GPS and maps features, mp3 playback, games, bluetooth
I've also recently played with the iPhone and Sprint's competitor, the Insight, which have similar features, but I'm one of those grumps that wants a physical keyboard and prays that someone will merge the best of touch interfaces with an awesome tactile interface.
I have 3 weeks to decide which phone to actually throw down the cash for, but until then, it'll be fun tinkering with the N95.
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Benga/Skream & my love affair w/ dubstep
Jun. 19th, 2008 | 05:24 pm
music: benga - killers about
Benga and Skream killed it last night in SF. This was my first dubstep show, and as someone who's been a rabid fan of this music for the last few years, I have a few things to say about the experience.
-- The sound at Mighty is well, mighty... but also very echo-ey... which is particularly exacerbated by the bass-heavy nature of dubstep. Earplugs were a must of course and the mids sounded pretty washed out, but still, good enough to be enjoyable. Seeing them at RML would be fantastic, but then you'd lose the party vibe. Maybe Funktion One could do the trick?
-- Openers weren't too memorable... although, one of them did play a dubstep version of "The Percolator," which I must get my hands on.
-- I wasn't sure what to expect as for the Benga/Skream performance... I assumed they'd be DJ'ing, but didn't know with what or in what order they'd go in. They came on together at midnight and tag-teamed every other song for a good two hours with nothing but vinyl.
-- This format was excellent for the genre because they were constantly trying to out-mix and out-track-select one another. I told a friend "It's like they're having a competition!" and her response was "Why not a cooperation?"... which is definitely the right way to think about it in retrospect. They seem like best buddies up there, totally egging each other on and going crazy along with the rest of the crowd each time a new beat or baseline kicked in.
-- It's clear that they live, eat, and breathe this music... I absolutely love it when you see excitement and enthusiasm in performers and these guys definitely had it. This rubbed off onto the crowd as well. Each time a new track came into the mix (which was often), I'd see people turn to each other and go "DAYUUUUUM!"... or "WTF IS THIS?!?!". I think this is a key facet of dubstep. Sure, other genres of electronic music have these moments too, but dubstep seems especially designed for this phenomonon. Because of the rather rigid constraints that constitute a dubstep track, they have to get really creative in order to make each track memorable and to maximize the "wow" factor. One track will have the most insane baseline, the next a particularly clever use of a vocal sample, another a catchy synth line that's reminiscent of something from "War Games" or Vangelis.
-- The only annoying thing about this style of DJ'ing (and a carry-over from drum n' bass culture) are the constant rewinds.
Sure, I like a good rewind every now and then, but every other song?? It's really hard to build dancing momentum when the song you want to go apeshit for cuts out abrubtly and now you have to hear the track with it's 2 minute long intro again... although, this time without it being mixed into anything else. This is kinda cool because you get to actually hear the intro, but it does ruin the flow for dancing.
-- We split around 1:30ish while they were still going strong... I had to be up early today for a manual labor volunteer thing and didn't want to be too cracked out. Would've been great to have this show on Saturday instead!
-- As for track selection, I was worried that I'd hear a lot of songs I already knew since dubstep is still pretty small in terms of output... but boy, did these guys have some tricks up their sleeves. Check this out from a Flavorpill mail about Skream's show tonight (yeah, he's playing again, but I can't make it)...
Another thought I had during the show was how much I miss London. When I was there in '99, drum n' bass and idm were still going strong and had big followings in the clubs. You'd get to hear all this music that hadn't come out yet in the states and people would go crazy for it. Benga and Skream definitely brought that vibe with them last night! I can only imagine what seeing them on their home turf must be like.
This video is the closest thing I could find amongst a sea of badly recorded Skream/Benga live clips on YouTube... the bass practically renders any camera's microphone useless for capturing the sound...
All in all, dubstep is awesome, Benga and Skream are awesome, and Kode 9 in July will be awesome!
And one more thing... if you haven't heard Benga's full length, "Diary of an Afro-Warrior," definitely check it out! It'll be in my top 10 for 2008 for sure.
-- The sound at Mighty is well, mighty... but also very echo-ey... which is particularly exacerbated by the bass-heavy nature of dubstep. Earplugs were a must of course and the mids sounded pretty washed out, but still, good enough to be enjoyable. Seeing them at RML would be fantastic, but then you'd lose the party vibe. Maybe Funktion One could do the trick?
-- Openers weren't too memorable... although, one of them did play a dubstep version of "The Percolator," which I must get my hands on.
-- I wasn't sure what to expect as for the Benga/Skream performance... I assumed they'd be DJ'ing, but didn't know with what or in what order they'd go in. They came on together at midnight and tag-teamed every other song for a good two hours with nothing but vinyl.
-- This format was excellent for the genre because they were constantly trying to out-mix and out-track-select one another. I told a friend "It's like they're having a competition!" and her response was "Why not a cooperation?"... which is definitely the right way to think about it in retrospect. They seem like best buddies up there, totally egging each other on and going crazy along with the rest of the crowd each time a new beat or baseline kicked in.
-- It's clear that they live, eat, and breathe this music... I absolutely love it when you see excitement and enthusiasm in performers and these guys definitely had it. This rubbed off onto the crowd as well. Each time a new track came into the mix (which was often), I'd see people turn to each other and go "DAYUUUUUM!"... or "WTF IS THIS?!?!". I think this is a key facet of dubstep. Sure, other genres of electronic music have these moments too, but dubstep seems especially designed for this phenomonon. Because of the rather rigid constraints that constitute a dubstep track, they have to get really creative in order to make each track memorable and to maximize the "wow" factor. One track will have the most insane baseline, the next a particularly clever use of a vocal sample, another a catchy synth line that's reminiscent of something from "War Games" or Vangelis.
-- The only annoying thing about this style of DJ'ing (and a carry-over from drum n' bass culture) are the constant rewinds.
Sure, I like a good rewind every now and then, but every other song?? It's really hard to build dancing momentum when the song you want to go apeshit for cuts out abrubtly and now you have to hear the track with it's 2 minute long intro again... although, this time without it being mixed into anything else. This is kinda cool because you get to actually hear the intro, but it does ruin the flow for dancing.
-- We split around 1:30ish while they were still going strong... I had to be up early today for a manual labor volunteer thing and didn't want to be too cracked out. Would've been great to have this show on Saturday instead!
-- As for track selection, I was worried that I'd hear a lot of songs I already knew since dubstep is still pretty small in terms of output... but boy, did these guys have some tricks up their sleeves. Check this out from a Flavorpill mail about Skream's show tonight (yeah, he's playing again, but I can't make it)...
Tonight, Skream returns to SF to rattle some more chestplates. The bwoy from Croydon has introduced elements of house, jazz, and electro to dubstep's huge bass weight and brought his sound around the world. A laundry list of releases on Tempa, Big Apple, and Soul Jazz, combined with his claimed 1,500 unreleased dubs, ensure that his set list is packed with surprises...1500 unreleased dubs!!! I don't doubt it... I really hope the stuff he was playing sees the light of day in some form... maybe they'll be an 18 disc Skream box set in time for Christmas :)
Another thought I had during the show was how much I miss London. When I was there in '99, drum n' bass and idm were still going strong and had big followings in the clubs. You'd get to hear all this music that hadn't come out yet in the states and people would go crazy for it. Benga and Skream definitely brought that vibe with them last night! I can only imagine what seeing them on their home turf must be like.
This video is the closest thing I could find amongst a sea of badly recorded Skream/Benga live clips on YouTube... the bass practically renders any camera's microphone useless for capturing the sound...
All in all, dubstep is awesome, Benga and Skream are awesome, and Kode 9 in July will be awesome!
And one more thing... if you haven't heard Benga's full length, "Diary of an Afro-Warrior," definitely check it out! It'll be in my top 10 for 2008 for sure.
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Daedalus & other stuff
Jun. 6th, 2008 | 06:41 pm
music: inoj - my boo
Just had to mention that Daedalus delivered a fantastic set last night using what I think is called Monomeme (the MIDI controller with lots of buttons and lights arranged in a grid).
He's a total showman and had the crowd in the palm of his hand. Highlights:
-- managed to hip-hop-ify an orchestral Sakamoto track
-- dropped a crazy remix of "Windowlicker" and Inoj's "My boo"
-- had the Monomeme on a music stand, tilted towards the audience so we could see exactly what he was doing with it
-- he also had a smaller second one for FX processing that he controlled by picking up and moving it around. The LEDs on the front responded to gravity and how he was holding it... pretty sweet
-- if I lived in "Silicon Valley," I'd be going to see t.A.T.u tonight, just for the sheer spectacle (them and the crowd). The flyer cracks me up...
-- Check out this mix by Flying Lotus & Kode 9 (thx Magda!)
-- I'm curious if anyone I know is going to see Madonna in Oakland. It looks like the cheap seats are all gone though :( The best seats are going for $350 before service charge! I'm also going to see George Michael with icis_machine in the coming weeks... it's like the early 90s all over again!
-- Lastly, a quick plug for my friend David's blog: http://www.prettymuchthebestthingever.bl
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No Country for Old Men
Mar. 22nd, 2008 | 11:04 pm
music: pet shop boys - minimal
Don't read this post if you haven't seen the movie.
I imagine reading the book would add a lot to the experience (particularly with regards to putting the ending in context), but I can't help but sympathize with this commentor on IMDB...
I imagine reading the book would add a lot to the experience (particularly with regards to putting the ending in context), but I can't help but sympathize with this commentor on IMDB...
The main thing I learned is this:I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the movie or applaud Cormack and the Coens for putting a non-traditional ending out there, but still, I left feeling like someone had given me a delicious cookie with a glass of milk and then snatched the cookie away.
You can focus on a character throughout 90 percent of a film, present him with a high-stakes battle for his life, his wife's life and a monetary fortune, give him impossible odds to overcome, follow him through death-defying escapes and gun battles, and let the audience come to care about his fate, BUT IF you have some worn out old Sheriff musing about 'the old days' at the beginning, it means HE'S actually the main character, the story is ACTUALLY about how he feels overmatched by modern criminals, and THEN you can just wrap up the other guy's story by showing a two second shot of him lying dead on the floor.
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Glass + Cohen, Book of Longing
Oct. 9th, 2007 | 11:24 pm
music: leonard cohen - the future
The show tonight had some amazing moments... namely the first song which featured a recording of Cohen's voice over a beautiful Glass arrangement. The pieces in the middle used other vocalists who sang Cohen's poetry, but I didn't enjoy those as much. Cohen's voice is just so damn powerful.. his poetry feels cheapened coming out of anyone else's mouth. There were also some solo pieces in there that showcased many of the mega-talented musicians on stage. My favorite solo was by Glass's beautiful cellist, Wendy Sutter...
The whole time, I'm thinking, "Cohen must be here... somewhere" and of course at the end, he comes out on stage and takes a bow along with the rest of the ensemble. Inside, I'm shouting, "we're not worthy! we're not worthy!"
I have a feeling that these guys will be studied and providing inspiration well after they're gone. I just feel honored to have gotten a chance to see them in the flesh while they're still here.
The whole time, I'm thinking, "Cohen must be here... somewhere" and of course at the end, he comes out on stage and takes a bow along with the rest of the ensemble. Inside, I'm shouting, "we're not worthy! we're not worthy!"
I have a feeling that these guys will be studied and providing inspiration well after they're gone. I just feel honored to have gotten a chance to see them in the flesh while they're still here.
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Pet Shop Boys live on BBC Radio 2 - 5/8/06
Nov. 9th, 2006 | 03:05 pm
music: Mister Eden - The Quiet Sounds - Episode 12
I had sort of written off the Pet Shop Boys' newer material until seeing them live over the weekend. Their new album is quite good and definitely reminds me of some of the old stuff. "Integral," "Psychological," and "Minimal" are all favorites of mine... perhaps because their titles all end in the same sound.
Digging around the internets, I found an awesome recent BBC concert of theirs that includes many special guests (Trevor Horn, Robbie Williams, Rufus Wainwright, and two arrangements by David Lynch's composer, Angelo Badalamenti).
I've hosted it temporarily here:
Pet Shop Boys Live On BBC Radio 2 (27-5-06).mp3
I'm also curious to check out their recent hardcover book which chronicles their visual highlights over the years. I love how bands of their ilk (like Depeche Mode or New Order) place a lot of importance on their visual aesthetics... so much so, that they can stand on their own as a collection.
Unrelated... if you haven't heard the most recent edition ofasphalteden's ambient music podcast, "The Quiet Sounds," correct this immediately. Totally matches this fall weather.
Digging around the internets, I found an awesome recent BBC concert of theirs that includes many special guests (Trevor Horn, Robbie Williams, Rufus Wainwright, and two arrangements by David Lynch's composer, Angelo Badalamenti).
I've hosted it temporarily here:
Pet Shop Boys Live On BBC Radio 2 (27-5-06).mp3
I'm also curious to check out their recent hardcover book which chronicles their visual highlights over the years. I love how bands of their ilk (like Depeche Mode or New Order) place a lot of importance on their visual aesthetics... so much so, that they can stand on their own as a collection.
Unrelated... if you haven't heard the most recent edition of
asphalteden's ambient music podcast, "The Quiet Sounds," correct this immediately. Totally matches this fall weather.Link | Leave a comment {8} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
Pet Shop Boys - 11/5/06 @ the Paramount
Nov. 7th, 2006 | 12:19 pm
music: Pet Shop Boys - Integral
the Pet Shop Boys concert was amazing. Great set list, perfect venue, great sound, incredible transforming stage setup, enthusiastic crowd... a total trip down memory lane.
I took a ton of pics... best experienced as a slideshow.
Only negative was that they didn't play a single song off my favorite album of theirs, Behavior... but I'm guessing that's because it's the moppy, depressing record. update: "So Hard" doesn't count since Neil didn't sing it!
I have some video clips that I want to post as well, but they're all individual .MOV files.
Anyone know of a utility that can join .MOVs together into one file? Windows Movie Maker doesn't handle QuickTime.
Seattle setlist:
I took a ton of pics... best experienced as a slideshow.
Only negative was that they didn't play a single song off my favorite album of theirs, Behavior... but I'm guessing that's because it's the moppy, depressing record. update: "So Hard" doesn't count since Neil didn't sing it!
I have some video clips that I want to post as well, but they're all individual .MOV files.
Anyone know of a utility that can join .MOVs together into one file? Windows Movie Maker doesn't handle QuickTime.
Seattle setlist:
# God Willing
# Psychological
# Left to My Own Devices
# I'm with Stupid
# Suburbia
# Can You Forgive Her?
# Minimal
# Shopping
# Rent
# Dreaming of the Queen
# Heart
# Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
# Always on My Mind
20 min intermission (first time I've seen that at a show)
# Numb
# Home and Dry
# Se A Vida É / Discotecca / Domino Dancing (medley)
# Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)
# Flamboyant
# Integral
# West End Girls
# So Hard
# It's a Sin
# The Sodom and Gomorrah Show
# Go West
- The Stranger's Lineout show review with pics
- Stranger preview article
- Another LJ'er's recap
- historical setlist evaluation
- an awesome song about the Pet Shop Boys... the original by My Robot Friend, the other a cover by Robbie Williams.
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Borat movie review
Oct. 5th, 2006 | 05:40 pm
music: Squarepusher - Live on Radio 1 (Mary Anne Hobbs) - 9/23/06
I just came home from the movie.
It is nothing short of historical... a modern classic that touches on so many issues and contains non-stop laughs from start to finish.
It shows some of the ugliest parts of Western society, unscripted... in a way that exposes them harshly, but then provides comic relief. Topics of racism, ignorance of other cultures, homophobia, Southern good ole boy mentality, religious fanaticism, antisemitism... it's all here, no holds barred.
There are several uncomfortable moments and I think many people will be shocked when they see the film.
The actor who plays Borat, Sacha Cohen, is a genius. It is safe to say that he is now up there with Peter Sellers and Andy Kaufman. What he has done here is very deceptive and will raise many eyebrows... I only hope that the film will survive intact as the cut we saw tonight contains many scenes that you will not believe made it into an R-rated movie.
I know I sound very melodramatic... but this is a serious movie that everyone should see. Beyond the laughs, it affected me deeply since I grew up around a lot of the awful things that the film shows front and center. I've also been following this character since he first started on the Ali G show a few years back and it feels like the long running joke has finally reached its ultimate statement.
Be first in line when it comes to your town! Jagshemaj!
update: watch two deleted scenes here. (don't worry, no spoilers)
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the full SoaP experience
Aug. 18th, 2006 | 03:22 am
music: Alaska - Shiver
Snakes on a Plane was awesome. The hype was totally worth it. Waiting to see it on dvd will do it no justice.
(warning: a few spoilers exist below, but they're minor)
You have Friday night and Saturday to see it in the theater, otherwise don't bother... the buzz will probably be dead by next weekend. Go to a showing where there will be lots of rowdy people there, the more crowded, the better... the communal aspect is 90% of the fun. Half the laughs at the showing we were at came from hecklers in the audience. (my personal fav: "syphilis on a plane!" during the mile high scene)
They nailed everything with this movie... the pre-marketing, the phone call meme, every single trailer before the movie was spot on (Tenacious D, Beerfest, Jackass 2, and the hilarious brand new Borat trailer)... they really know their demographic. The flim itself knew not to take itself seriously and had plenty of creative applications of the core concept.
Having said all that, I don't expect many others to have the same experience we did at the sneak preview. I was going into it with low expectations, but expecting to have a lot of fun. If you go expecting to be proven wrong about something, you'll probably leave disappointed.
Apart from the occasional birthday party or bbq, I haven't had so many of my closest friends gathered together in one place, yelling, smiling, and laughing in a long while... and all due to a Hollywood bar bet! Much props toiamdonte for setting the wheels in motion for the full SoaP experience. Spanning_time is sure to have a recap post at some point as well.
(warning: a few spoilers exist below, but they're minor)
You have Friday night and Saturday to see it in the theater, otherwise don't bother... the buzz will probably be dead by next weekend. Go to a showing where there will be lots of rowdy people there, the more crowded, the better... the communal aspect is 90% of the fun. Half the laughs at the showing we were at came from hecklers in the audience. (my personal fav: "syphilis on a plane!" during the mile high scene)
They nailed everything with this movie... the pre-marketing, the phone call meme, every single trailer before the movie was spot on (Tenacious D, Beerfest, Jackass 2, and the hilarious brand new Borat trailer)... they really know their demographic. The flim itself knew not to take itself seriously and had plenty of creative applications of the core concept.
Having said all that, I don't expect many others to have the same experience we did at the sneak preview. I was going into it with low expectations, but expecting to have a lot of fun. If you go expecting to be proven wrong about something, you'll probably leave disappointed.
Apart from the occasional birthday party or bbq, I haven't had so many of my closest friends gathered together in one place, yelling, smiling, and laughing in a long while... and all due to a Hollywood bar bet! Much props to
iamdonte for setting the wheels in motion for the full SoaP experience. Spanning_time is sure to have a recap post at some point as well.Link | Leave a comment {10} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
my recent saviors...
Jul. 6th, 2006 | 10:47 pm
music: department of eagles - by night
dabrye - 2/3
hip-hop music from the future. music video here. He plays in Seattle on July 19th at Chop Suey.
department of eagles - the cold nose
sounds like Bran Van 3000 and Radiohead mating.
burial - burial
ambient, dub, downtempo, masterpiece. (thxzojirushi)
the need to make a new mix is approaching...
hip-hop music from the future. music video here. He plays in Seattle on July 19th at Chop Suey.
department of eagles - the cold nose
sounds like Bran Van 3000 and Radiohead mating.
burial - burial
ambient, dub, downtempo, masterpiece. (thx
zojirushi)the need to make a new mix is approaching...
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helios - eingya
Jul. 4th, 2006 | 11:22 am
music: Helios - Sons Of Light And Darkness
If Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, and Boards of Canada were to have a baby, it would sound like Helios.
my fav album of 2006... thus far.
and now I'm off to put some of this and this knowledge to good use!
my fav album of 2006... thus far.
and now I'm off to put some of this and this knowledge to good use!
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waambulance time
Jun. 14th, 2006 | 12:37 pm
music: vikter duplaix - messages (feat. wadud)
Fiery Furnaces last night sounded bleh... they didn't bring any of their awesome analog synths with them, which is the main thing I love them for... so I jetted.
This post is actually just an excuse to show a hilarious graphic from a placeholder site someone is squatting on...
if you go to Fieryfurnaces.com instead of Thefieryfurnaces.com, you are shown this...
literally a fiery furnace... genius!
Afterwards, I saw the last half of Solvent's set which was kinda ho-hum as well... reminded me exactly of his set from Decibel '03. Ectomorph wins the prize for most expressionless laptop performer of all time. The girl in the band also needs to learn how to work that keytar... such a waste.
I think Mutek and DEMF have made me ultra-picky now.
also, the Borat movie trailer is out!!! (his voice has changed a little too)
here's one reviewer's opinion:
This post is actually just an excuse to show a hilarious graphic from a placeholder site someone is squatting on...
if you go to Fieryfurnaces.com instead of Thefieryfurnaces.com, you are shown this...
literally a fiery furnace... genius!
Afterwards, I saw the last half of Solvent's set which was kinda ho-hum as well... reminded me exactly of his set from Decibel '03. Ectomorph wins the prize for most expressionless laptop performer of all time. The girl in the band also needs to learn how to work that keytar... such a waste.
I think Mutek and DEMF have made me ultra-picky now.
also, the Borat movie trailer is out!!! (his voice has changed a little too)
here's one reviewer's opinion:
"Just wanted to drop a line and say that I saw the first public screening of the "Borat" film last night. it was quite possibly one of the greater things I've ever witnessed. I had predicted before hand that it was either gonna be the worst film of the year (Ali g in da house) or the best. it was hands down the best. we've coined it as "Breaking the waves" meets "Jackass" meets "Bowling for Columbine". There is never a dull moment, it is by far the most offensive and hilarious thing I have ever laid eyes on. the crowd went insane from start to finish and afterwards they handed out comment cards, and everybody was still dying just remembering moments from the film.In fact, I found myself having a tough time labeling it. Although it is a definite step in the direction of "Jackass", it holds some of the same relevance as a Michael Moore documentary. Sasha Baren Cohen tears us apart with laughs, and in doing so, holds a mirror up to America in ways twice as revealing as any Michael Moore voice over ever could.."I can't wait to see it!
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wooden octopus and monlake
Sep. 13th, 2005 | 06:29 pm
music: Boards Of Canada - Farewell Fire
peep some pics from the Wodden Octopus Skull Festival and the Monolake show from this past weekend...
here's some video ofr9's visuals
(which were cut short due to a gravity prone projector issues)
also, props totrainwrek for throwing down an awesome set
(one that provided far more dynamic range than what was offered up by Mr. Henke)
here's some video of
r9's visuals(which were cut short due to a gravity prone projector issues)
also, props to
trainwrek for throwing down an awesome set(one that provided far more dynamic range than what was offered up by Mr. Henke)
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destiny's child
Sep. 10th, 2005 | 05:20 pm
music: tetsu inoue - ring of power
thanks to the generosity of fierceflawless and the text messaging coordination of sanjay74, Raul and I got to catch Destiny's Child last night.
It was my first straight-up "pop" concert and I wasn't too sure what to expect, but I thought it was a great show. They played all their hits, even the solo jams. There were lots of costume changes, great dancing by their backup dancers, and their band did a solid job of recreating the songs live.
Also, Beyonce is a very very healthy lady.
today has been quite the contrast at the noise festival, but hey, that's the beauty of Seattle. tonight, Monolake!!
fierceflawless and the text messaging coordination of sanjay74, Raul and I got to catch Destiny's Child last night.
It was my first straight-up "pop" concert and I wasn't too sure what to expect, but I thought it was a great show. They played all their hits, even the solo jams. There were lots of costume changes, great dancing by their backup dancers, and their band did a solid job of recreating the songs live.
Also, Beyonce is a very very healthy lady.
today has been quite the contrast at the noise festival, but hey, that's the beauty of Seattle. tonight, Monolake!!
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after years of waitin'...
Aug. 17th, 2005 | 03:33 pm
music: Radiohead - Packt Like Sardines In A Crush
Wow, so it's been over 2 weeks since I've posted on LJ... I think that's a personal record.
Things have been busy as of late, but they're always busy... I just think I've been doing way more lately than documenting, so there's a big back log of stuff to post (with lots of pictures), and those posts take time to create the way I want, so I tend to put them off.
Anyway, I finally got around to posting my Phoenix Festival photos over the weekend. You can check them all out here. I also have some video clips to post, but those will come later.
The festival was a lot of fun, you can read Josh's comprehensive play-by-play here for a different perspective. There's also some commentary from me if you read the captions on the photos I posted. Josh also took this pic of me in action during my set at the Free Cascadia stage...
It was my first time using Serato Scratch live and it worked out ok given the circumstances (lots of dirt everywhere, a wonky mixer filled with a secret substance, and a bright sun shining onto the laptop screen).
The highlights of the weekend for me included:
Things have been busy as of late, but they're always busy... I just think I've been doing way more lately than documenting, so there's a big back log of stuff to post (with lots of pictures), and those posts take time to create the way I want, so I tend to put them off.
Anyway, I finally got around to posting my Phoenix Festival photos over the weekend. You can check them all out here. I also have some video clips to post, but those will come later.
The festival was a lot of fun, you can read Josh's comprehensive play-by-play here for a different perspective. There's also some commentary from me if you read the captions on the photos I posted. Josh also took this pic of me in action during my set at the Free Cascadia stage...
It was my first time using Serato Scratch live and it worked out ok given the circumstances (lots of dirt everywhere, a wonky mixer filled with a secret substance, and a bright sun shining onto the laptop screen).
The highlights of the weekend for me included:
- hanging out with the awesome peeps of Camp Introvert
- the drive there with dieszy which had a beautiful sunset and smells of fresh mint at some spots
- the music at the Free Cascadia stage
- the mass quantities of good food (including my mom's recipe for salad shirazi)
- and last, but certainly not least, the Chickenhed camp which was surprisingly friendly and welcoming despite rumors to the contrary. They were even nice enough (or high enough) to let me inflict a 2 hour set of audio insanity on them which consisted of these fine tunes...
Bogdan Raczynski - Track 09 (samurai math beats)Being able to play whatever the hell I want to an interested audience is a situation I rarely find myself in, so I definitely cherished the opportunity. While most everything about the weekend was peachy, there were a few lowlights which included:
Coil - Red Birds Will Fly Out of the East and Destroy Paris in a Night
Dance Dance Revolution - Butterfly (Extended)
DJ Deeon - Gimme Head
J.P. Buckle - Let's Get Sectioned
Squarepusher - My Red Hot car
MC Chris - Tractorbeam
Tracey Morgan - budonkadonk
Blitter vs. Hrvatski - Nuclear
Color Me Badd - I Adore, Mi Amore
Contagious Orgasm - In The Dim Light (Remix By Telepherique)
Current 93 - Tamlin
Dat Politics - No Fairytale
Keiichi Suzuki - A house on fire and massacres all aver
Felix Kubin - wirbelwind am manual
aphex twin - A1 fenix funk 5
At The Drive In - one armed scissor
black flag - tv party
CJ CREW feat. CHRISTIAN D - 48.RHYTHM AND POLICE (K.O.G G3 Mix)
Pan Sonic - Johto 2
Rubber Johnny - DrumRolyPoly
DJ Assault - Kill The Bitch
The Laziest Men on Mars - THE TERRIBLE SECRET OF SPACE
Trans Am - Basta
T.A.T.U - Robot
The Laziest Men on Mars - THE TERRIBLE SECRET OF SPACE (reprise)
dsico - Love will Freak Us
Whitesnake - Still Of The Night
Ween - The HIV Song
Dead Milkmen - Punk Rock Girl
Brak - Don't touch me!
unknown - Some Hilarious Angry Punk Song
Anal Cunt - Technology is Gay
Liam Lynch - united states of whatever
Bogdan Raczynski - Track 03 (samurai math beats)
Revolting Cocks - Beers, Steers, & Queers (Drop Your Britches Mix & Take 'Em Right Off Mix)
Peaches - Rock show
Anal Cunt - Just Saw The Gayest Guy On Earth
diff'rent strokes - this isn't it
- drinking a bit too much of this evil concoction on Friday and passing out for a greater part of the evening. Luckily, I woke up around 4 AM, just in time to catch 2 gorgeous sets by Hakea and Jerry along with an awesome sunrise. The Hakea set yielded some good photos, of which, this is my fav
- Another mild annoyance was the incessant and unwavering beat of psytrance that permeated the air when not standing directly in front of one of the other stages. There were are a few other crusaders out on the camp grounds spreading their anti-trance message. I do give props to the psytrance folks though since they were the main organizing muscle behind the festival and whether I liked the music or not, the main stage did have a killer sound setup.
- Lastly, big ups to Team Alpha which arrived one day ahead of Camp Introvert to setup and procure our spot for the weekend. We battled high winds and rain on Saturday morning, but it all contributed to the adventure. One other big shout out goes to Mr. Schoppert for organizing the Cascadia effort and giving me a spot to play on the schedule, you da man!