Thursday, May 20, 2004

jason forrest - the unrelenting songs of the 1979 post disco crash



Well, as I'm feeling somewhat blocked in terms of albums I'm supposed to review...there's something inherently intruiging about jason forrest (or donna summer, not the disco queen). There's something about how sampledelica has finally hit the main vein through mash-ups. What we have here is Sconce-worthy takes on cult-ish (and taste-less) rock. Here is dance-punk in the brashest, tigerbeat-inflected form. These are pop-rock moments held within those painful Styx, Creedence and other lost grandoise expressions - but culled in such a manner only fan-worthy.

It feels like the inevitable second-generation mash-up. I think someone has to say it, and this is the ample opportunity. Here is the ugly mash-up that has included such ingenious remixes (that have included that 'back in black' with will smith 'men in black' on strictly kev's raiding the 20th century), that kill off any notion of mash-up being a passing fad. this, my friends, is pop-culture in best and (more precisely)worst. but it also describes exactly where these moments come from. ac/dc and will smith, are from different moments - but combined. to listen is to acknowledge every moment/instrument/production history. history itself becomes flawed and re-worked in front of your eyes/ears.

i guess the quote by kodwo eshun, trying to trace each sampled moment into a historically-colored timeline, this is completely actualized through this sort of mash-up. something so recognizable as to be part of the main-supply mainstream and re-tooled to something completely different. each instrumental element is painfully recognizable (there's no david axelrod-quoting here, a la Endtroducing).

and maybe as david bowie is putting his music to "mash-ups" for a free audi, maybe it's time that every pop moment should be meshed until not only david bowie, but from every instrument stems that just touches on the margins of cultural consciousness - like the guitar riff in "heroes" (or the break in steely dan's "black cow" or talking head's "life during wartime") that stands up against the worst linkin park track (no joke, i swear). something beyond the original composition - that sound that triggers an emotional response despite any context or circumstance (i can always quote those no-wave new york bands to high-hell, but maybe the bands that still push with major label constraints are what still resonates). Almost a survival of the fittest on the most micro-scale. if we mash the 2 seconds of your song against the worst of the 80's, how will your song stand up? dare i say, the kuleshov effect?.

post disco crash seems to find those moments, sucking the life out of the suck (which we call bad taste). it's at this point, that experimental (or fall-out trip-hop) tracks need to die and be buried and let the fun back into things. here's the future, you should be on the dance floor, damn it. and this is what electronic music/dance music should be. not giving a flying fuck about whether its tasteful or not.

end of rant. back to clario intellecto. please listen to this. it makes sense and i can distribute a jeffrey sconce mash-up to you special people that takes ELO and all that beautiful shit that jason forrest is finally capitalizing on.

love,
nate

 

Monday, May 17, 2004

for those still working away at school





(made by me today...for class...muhahah)

*this is a buggy movie - and plays when you click on the circle...enjoy
**graphics ripped from elliterate.com (and ripped from a book...who would've thought?)

 

Monday, May 10, 2004

my non-writing for outsidebowie

Up and running, is the wonderful Exquisite Corpse homepage.

The project is a book written by about 20 people. I'm designing the layout for the printed version as we speak - the first week of posts were odd and glorious simultaneously. mmmm. please take a look if you get the chance.

mark k-punk took a look at eternal sunshine of the spotless mind - very tasty, indulge with beckett.

my links are more boring than my dear post-partner...i apologize.

As for life, busy busy - just went over a cut on what I deem 'the monolith' (or commonly referred to as outpost). i think things went over well - the DP and Director both seemed to like what's happening. That's usually a good sign for smooth sailing...

Please forgive lame posting - this will be resolved in the coming weeks...

Anyone who'd like to start writing for the exquisite corpse project - please leave a comment or email me (natedeyoung@yahoo.com).


PS. The rotating chicken network is the collection of sites that this (nate deyoung) is throwing together at the moment - hopefully i'll get a microhouse site up and running (don't EVERYONE get TOO excited...i hear the crickets in the background) along with the exquisite corpse blognovel. And, post more outsidebowie stuff. it's coming folks! All for you!

 

Tuesday, May 04, 2004

a little bandwidth-heavy fun.

since one of us is narcissistic (and i'm not going to reveal who, a quick post of us has been long-overdue.