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feliperenato · 7 years ago

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Zulu nation

Why cover the names on records?

Let us go back to just a few decades ago...

Circa 1990

I first found out about hiden records after watching “Scratch” which documents the history of many early DJ’s in Hip Hop that made a career through re-imagining the record player. Each DJ transformed this mere one-dimensional piece of technology into what is now considered by many as a musical instrument like many others.

Technics 1200, Turntable, Daniel Arsham, 2014

In the film, DJ Qubert from the Invisbl Skratch Picklz (same group that globally known DJ A-Trak was part of) retells his experiences during the nineties within the subculture; he talks about the early years of his career, where he often questioned why other DJs made such an effort to hide the labels on the records they spun. While it was common practice to cover records for many DJs, Qubert’s curiousity always inspired him to seek more information; a self drive that led to building his skills alongside innovators like Mix Master Mike, DJ Shadow. Those whom weren't as reserved about sharing their discoveries.

However,

the question still remains...

What was the motive for keeping information private?

Can the answer to this question be much more complex than we might actually think...

Mystery's Appeal

Understanding: [ Underground ]

Many of us whom continue to love and be inspired by HipHop, I believe can all admitting agree on one thing; we can say that in one shape or another we are all nostalgics. We are individuals constantly traveling to a time when things may have felt more pure, or maybe “untainted”.

Why? Well, listening to ATCQ just feels good, but, what is it that captivates us so deeply? what is the power that provokes goosebumps each time we listen? This I believe is the beauty of mystery. In many subcultures alike, mystery is omnipresent and much like Punk Rock, HipHop too was a subculture considered “underground” at one point in time.

Where did underground come from and what did it mean within the culture? Well, I'm not sure even a pro historian would be able to answer that question. Some may say it was inspired by The Underground Railroad, others may disagree and have a different view point, what I find interesting is that most individuals that contributed to the culture, did so with the understanding that Music is a language that communicates with all; that culture shifts everything, that human expression cannot be bound to rules.

Ironically so, there also were contributors within the culture that projected the importance of preservation of the culture by reaffirming moral codes and values just as in any other culture in the world.

Could it have been possible that keeping record names hidden from the public, was in effort of preserving the subculture at that time? Could this have essentially been the ethos? An invitation, for individuals to challenge those same ideologies by going beyond norms and expectations; to ultimately serve as a motivator to seek knowledge along each individuals own journey.

One of the most powerful things I believe artists inspire is embracing and nurturing individuality; Style is born from empowering one’s own uniqueness, constantly expressing one’s voice, opinion, in a unapologetic way.

Keeping information to records away from public display, might have in turn been the essence of what inspired other creators to go and research on their own and connect with what they instinctively were led to. Even so, who ever said one couldn't just ask the DJ directly?

[ Fast Forward ]

Digital Streaming Age

In contemporary Art and music, do we still value information? The same way DJ Qubert valued learning about new discoveries through music?

The presence of the ever expansive Internet is felt by all, and I am always thrown by afar by how rarely we have conversations about our dependence on immediate streams of information.

Prior to the internet, can you remember the types of ways you were introduced to new music? Music’s accessibility was limited. Whether we shared music via word of mouth, mixtapes, mix Cd’s, later, youtube links, I believe we can all agree that sharing music was much more interpersonal.

That moment when we send a link to a really good friend, elated by our new discovery of a long lost album, old or new artist, etc....only to later realize when you meet with that friend later that week, you find out that they never got around to listenig to it...

The reality is, there not at fault, no one is; it isn't just that friend, its how we as humans now manage, or better yet don’t know how to manage content.

Content sent via message or email, social media platforms are forgotten quickly. Not because we don’t appreciate the content but because of the overload of information that we process during day to day.

We may often read a message and go on with our day, we can easily forget to acknowledge a playlist or go through it passively, without actively, openly being receptive to potential gems being shared and more important being receptive to the energy that was put into complying the playlist, by our friends, a human.

A hidden name on a record. To those forever curious who are inspired by information, the description on an important record could have been what we consider modern day as an “easter egg” I can only imagine what it must have felt like to listen to a record play and know that for the time being and possibly forever, you wouldn't be able to hear that beauty again. Smelling a rose without seeing it or knowing it was a flower.

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feliperenato · 7 years ago

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DIABLO

GTR

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feliperenato · 7 years ago

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The Intersection of Music, Technology & Design

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feliperenato · 7 years ago

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art meets design

A pluralist is a creative person moving in different disciplines..crossing boundaries" "whatever I feel like doing, I try whether I am good at it or not" -Karim Rashid

Yinyang Noselock, Bronze Sculpture, Kenny Scharf, 1999

Kenny Scharf

Karim Rashid

Pharell Williams

http://youtu.be/24GEe2J1qkE

Perspective Chair, Pharell Williams, 2009

#kennyscharf #pharell williams #design #art #iamother

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feliperenato · 7 years ago

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jerry garcia

#the greatful dead #jerrygarcia #jerry garcia

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feliperenato · 7 years ago

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hip hop taught me reverse engineering

“Mischief” or Curiosity...

Are you ever transported back to childhood,

by a vivid memory of a “science project” you put together?

... maybe you tried shooting a toy car into space, or melted the heads off of your sibling’s play dolls, or if you were like me, you loved taking things apart, but could never figure out how to put those objects back together; what would seem simplistic, would consistently turn out to be a hyper-complex puzzle.

When we think back to those certain instances in our childhood, many of us can't help but to smile. The pure innocence in a child's mind and eye is powerful: everything is up for grabs, to be explored if only course, it were up to them...children would trek the entire globe and naturally, eating ice cream would be the solution to everything.

Children put their curiosities to the test, at any chance they get; they push the limits of what may or may not be possible to them, in their mind.

But why does this curiosity begin to fade as we grow up? Why does the fear of failing, of getting something totally wrong the first time, discourage us from learning from our short-commings? Could it be...that we fear the possibility of judgement from our peers? or do we simply grant too much power to opinions; to the extent that this fear becomes debilitating?

When we are children, we may not have the power to choose who or what surrounds us, but somehow we often become keen to aspire to be like our heroes; both fictional & real. Musicians, artists, even family members from a distant time that left their expressions with us. Often times, it’s through these contributions that these individuals share, that become our guides to reminding us we should be ourselves, & whom feed and nurture our curiousities.

Music heals

Being born in the early nineties, in LA, an intelligence movement, known to all of us as HipHop, had at that moment in time, trans-navigated and redesigned music around the world. Its inspiration, which was very much a presence in our city, made it clear that this movement was here to stay on our beloved coast.

As a child, HipHop felt like a magestic place where my heroes lived; HipHop felt like a space academy, where educators and students all coexisted and learned from one another. HipHop was our education and introduction to cultures from around the world. Album art was an experience, it allowed us to imagine, to embark on a virtual trip outside of our three block radius “bubble”. The intelligence movement was introspective, a verbal sport which tested improvisation, creativity, stamina.

Growing up in a “lowend” neighborhood within a “highend” city, where beautiful mountains meet the ocean, there was always this paradoxical subtone to my enviroment. Just like many other housing projects, decaying-scrap material was abundant, music rang from every window, & as children, “michief” was our forte...which often and understandably, had our mothers in constant fright.

Sampling was...

Reverse Engineering

Our curiosity and embrace of HipHop, introduced us into deep archives of music from the past. It allowed for us to research, learn and innovate. HipHop gave us access to layers of information, taught its listeners how to synthesize input and how to deliver it back into the universe, through a rhythm that communicated with everyone.

Sampling, was our “Research & Development”. Sampling meant using a portion of one sound recording and recycling it as an instrument or a sound in a new song. For curious producers, sampling meant listening to the entirety of a record, studying nuances, identifying opportunities within and reinterpretating and combinig those collected notes in a new way, that provoked a certain feeling in the creators ear.

So naturally, as each of the five elements was “deconstructed” within this intelligence movement, we applied the same methodology to all things. A practice that many could see mirrored and understood as modern day “Design Thinking” Do we as a society give enough credit to this movement? or do we remain content by simplifying its intricacies and labeling as one other genre of music?

To those who are reading, can you see this ethos/ methodology in how modern day creatives approach their work? Virgil Abloh, Errolson Hugh, Ye West? and can you notice any parallels in “Design Thinking” and approach used within Start-up companies...

#herbiehancock #rockit #rokit #design #art #pharrell

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feliperenato · 7 years ago

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