RIP Stockhausen

Oddly enough, Just a few days after Josh and I made this lolspace in response to this article, Karlheinz Stockhausen dies. He worked to understand and compose electronically and as a result I think many people call him the grandfather of electronic music.

Oh and there's an online memorial already. Leave a testimony!

The Mountain Goats Screwed and Chopped

Chris and I just started working on a new project entitled "Screw Your Indie Cred Vol. 1" and its off the chain. We're screwing and chopping indie rock songs - really? How has this not been done before.

Here's a track I produced last night, a screwed and chopped remix of Mountain Goats' "Palmcorder Yanja": Palmcorder Screw (And if Mr. Darnielle or his lawyers stop by, I haven't made a dollar and I've given the Mountain Goats a shitload of money since I was 18. Just ask me to take it down, and I gladly will)

I picked this song for experimenting because it paints such a clear memory, something I see screwed and chopped music doing very very well. Also, I wanted to see if that bright guitar and John Darnielle's high pitched, nasally voice could sound eerie and ominous. I think it really brings out a great feeling to the original composition

Slowed and Thowed: Pharmacomusical Meditation

Michael Veal traces dub's influence on other forms of music in different geographic locations at the end of his book Dub: Soundscapes and Shattered Songs in Jamaican Reggae. While he quickly glosses over the well-documented emergence of the hip-hop scene in New York, it is important to note that many of dub's production techniques and cultural production happen in other African diasporas. The South has contributed to the development of American music by injecting the blues, jazz, gospel and other styles produced by African-American communities. Of specific interest to me is screwed and chopped music, which has evolved out of Houston Texas, which has corollaries in memory, fragmentation, pharmacology, and consumption. In my examination, I take a look at “Servin a duce” by DJ Screw, “Still Tippin'” featuring Mike Jones, Slim Thug, and Paul Wall, “Cadillac on 22's (screwed and chopped)” by David Banner, “Love and Happiness (Al Green screwed and chopped),” and Kid606's “Robitussin Motherfucker (DJ Screw RIP).” I conclude by noting screwed and chopped's ability through pharmaceuticals and production methods to create a meditation space for resolving some issues I have with Southern rap culture.

Download the paper.
Download an accompanying mix.

Here's a YouTube playlist for a sampling of some screw videos and videos of DJ Screw and DJ Kralos producing screw tracks:

Lolspace.org Call for submission

Josh and I have recently started a project in response to representations of space on album covers, and our interest in Lolcat memes. I just wanted to point you guys to our blog, and let you know that we'd love to have some images created by anyone on the blog. You can email them to Josh (josh.fishburn [at] gmail.com) or I (hebert.sara [at] gmail.com), and if you're interested in contributing on a regular basis, we can set up an account on the blog for you.


kthnxbai!

Excerpt from an examination of screwed and chopped music

I pretty much love all music from the south, but screwed and chopped music is something just insanely psychedelic. Here's a small section from a paper I'm writing about meditation, the African diaspora, dub, and screw:

“Still Tippin'” featuring Mike Jones, Slim Thug, and Paul Wall, produced by Swishahouse and appearing on Mike Jones' Who is Mike Jones?

Produced by the Swishahouse camp out of Houston, “Still Tippin’” exhibits the method of screw music public performance “cruising” with a group while playing a mixtape. While screwed and chopped music emerged in South Houston from DJ Screw, Swishahouse was started by Michael “5000” Watts and Slim Thug to bring the sound to North Houston. “Still Tippin’” garnered commercial success and has been extensively remixed by DJ’s working in various genres.

While “Still Tippin’” is not considered a purist screwed and chopped song, its production methods are informed by the genre. The beat is composed of deep bass and sample of piano and saxophone with synthesized hand claps and melody line. This is complemented by a screwed version of the chorus, delivered by Slim Thug pitched down to a deep, thunderous, demonic tone. During his verse, Slim Thug’s delivery of the main theme of the lyrics “Still tippin' on fo’ vogues/wrapped in fo’ vogues/Pimping four hoes and I'm packing 44’s” is the only section of the song to be chopped, but in a non-traditional production mode. Chopping usually creates a quick repetition of sound, the chop of this theme creates an additional vocal layer. During the verses (one performed each by Slim Thug, Mike Jones and Paul Wall) the synthesized hand claps and melody drop out, creating a sparse, repeated saxophone swell, with crunchy snare hits. The delivery of the vocals creates a slurred, extended expression of vowels.

This lax delivery is representative of slow molasses like nature (perhaps due to the heat) of the South. This juxtaposition of the deep, almost menacing chorus and the relaxed, lazy delivery of verses represents the rap culture in Houston. The ultimate ego to exhibit is cool and restrained emotions, not worrying about the dangerous environment of Houston. An example of this chilled identity manifests in another song by Mike Jones “Back Then” where Jones incorporates his phone number into a rhyme - and yes, it is his real number and he will answer. The influence of promethazine is apparent on the culture and the production of screwed and chopped music. “Houston so real” because of of its relaxed nature even though it is bounded up in the delivery of lyrics bounded up in egoism, delivered off the cuff, as if a contestation of the greatness of these rappers just isn’t a big deal. Slowing down represents a security in their “big boss” -ness, and thus, they are keeping it real.

This security also points to a domestication of physical space, a ego that emerges from being aware of the possibilities of control for public space. While much screwed and chopped music emerged out of the bedrooms of Houston, its real domesticating power is exemplified in the act of tippin', in which screw music is being consumed in cars driving around the streets of Houston. The rappers on this track speak of the technical specifics of their car much like the housewife with hi-tech kitchen tools in the 1940s an 1950s (Taylor). For example:

Slim Thug:
Barre sippin', car dippin', grand wood grain grippin'...
[while drinking syrup, grabbing the wood grain steering wheel]
Five-percent tint, so you can't see up in my window.
[extremely dark window tint]

Mike Jones:
Car stop, rims keep spinnin'
[rims with discs that spin from moving forward when stopped]
I'm shakin' the block with four 18's, candy green with 11 screens.
[four subwoofers, super-shiny green paint, 11 LCD screens inside]
My gasoline always supreme
[using high octane gas regardless of its higher price]

Paul Wall:
I got 84's pokin' out, at the club I'm showin' out...
[vintage rims also known as fo' vogues]
Wood grain all in my range, drippin' stains when I switch lanes.
[wood grain steering wheel, paint so shiny and wet that it appears to drip]

Driving these cars through the streets of Houston enacts an ownership and contributing to this posturing is not only the essential screw mix tape, but also highly maintained, hi-tech vehicles. Much like the dub producers from Jamaica, reclaiming and domesticating space plays an important role in the screwed and chopped scene.

Death death and more death

This past week on This American Life was a nice radio show about dealing with your parents and death. Its got really moving stories about assisting your mom in planning her suicide, making a documentary about your mother's murder, and why muder mystery dinners are offensive. Luckily, I haven't had to cope with that yet, but all this reading on memorials has made me ponder more about how I'll deal with the death of loved ones and my death.

Diane Di Prima Pt. 2

Here's the video for my audio composition around Diane Di Prima's Rant. Chris spent his evening last night working with all found footage from self help videos and other random finds from the thrift store (Dancin' Grannies, Yo yo instructional video, etc.). I can't tell you how happy I am with how this turned out, and to be working on a project with Chris again.

Diane Di Prima

I just picked up Women of the Beat Generation because I wanted to submit a piece to a call of readings of Beat/Black Mountain writings back in Shreveport. I'm really happy with how mine came out, perhaps as a result of some of the ideas I had been messing around with in our Digital Sound Cultures class (particularly non-musical sounds, reverb, multilayering). To be honest, the only audio work I've ever done was small spots for KSCL and tinkering around in Fruity Loops while Chris wasn't looking. So, this has been a really fun, unique experience overall. Please feel free to check out the written version of Diane Di Prima's Rant and my audio reading of her poem.

TV Links is gone gone gone

The site I used to catch up on all my cheesy 80's cartoons is gone, its maintainer arrested:

As reported in the Guardian, last Thursday a 26-year-old Cheltenham man was arrested and the site, tv-links.co.uk, was closed . According to the Gloucester police, the arrest was carried out for alleged violations of Section 92 of the Trade Marks Act.

The man was not charged and the case remains under investigation, says Eddy Leviten of the Federation Against Copyright Theft. He likened the activity of TV Links to someone who advertises a car that is not theirs. "The main issue is that the original material is stolen," he alleges. TV Links was collecting links to movies such as the new Nancy Drew film that were allegedly illegally recorded in the cinema and then hosted on Chinese websites, he said. The federation is pursuing the websites that host the material, but it is difficult to pursue sites not under English jurisdiction.

Link

Where else am I supposed to watch M.A.S.K.?

Critical Mashup Generator - for Mac

I've been experimenting with Applescript lately and I set up a script that creates a mashup based on random selections from iTunes. I wanted to create an opportunity for myself and my machine to collaborate beyond tool utilization on a project, and I feel like I'm heading in the right direction. I'm putting the script up for download and tinkering if you're interested here.

I'm also throwing up my critical reflection just so I can access it later as well. And a mix produced by the script.

My initial thesis proposal

Feel free to download my initial thesis proposal on digital memorialization here. I'm looking at collective memory and how participatory culture can shape it through digital memorials.

Memorialization and the act of mourning have taken on new dimensions as society looks to digital spaces to collectively mourn and commemorate events centered around death. My thesis will explore how digital memorials contribute to and have the potential to change the collective memory of the landscape of tragedy. I will also observe the role of rituals surrounding mourning in these spaces, how rituals in non-virtual spaces translate to digital memorials, and what new rituals may be emerging. Also central to my thesis is the role of participatory culture, and whether or not it democratizes memorial space shifting power from large organizations and committees to the public. I will focus on specific examples of digital memorialization, or a specific tragedy and its digital memorials and place these within the context of collective memory and participatory culture.

The Amen Break

Here's a great video/installation by Nate Harrison on the Amen Break sampled from The Winstons' "Color Him Father". It's easily the most used breakbeat ever and I would assume followed up in popularity by "Funky Drummer" by James Brown/Clyde Subblefield (who has a myspace page!) and "Apache" by the Incredible Bongo Band. I think its an interesting meme in electronic music. I don't really have a background in memetics, or fully understand the concepts surrounding them but I would argue that the Amen Break, as a staple of hip hop, house, drum and bass and other genres of electronic music is really successful at survival. I really would like to spend some time looking at its mutations and also how it could be detrimental to its host (perhaps it's seen as too derivative?).

Also interestingly, Harrison argues that markets and capital will benefit from a more open and flexible culture and public domain.

EDIT: I'm sorry, as my fiance pointed out in the comments, the SONG the sample is from is "Amen, Brother" which is on the B-side. Color Him Father is on the A-side.

The Posthuman DJ - in the 70's at TX/LA radio

Wow, I am floored by this amazing broadcast from The Black Pope:

"I'm a human radio station, I'm the transmitter, I'm the tower, I'm the turntables, I'm the building, I'm every doggone thing."

More jive DJ's here.

Ridley Scott releases the final Director's Cut of Blade Runner

My favorite science fiction film is probably Blade Runner for a ton of reasons. I love the noir aspects, its basmy favorite Philip K. Dick work, Rachel Ross (Sean Young) is a hottie (I wish I could let my hair down and it suddenly be CRAZY CURLY), and the Egyptian themed office at the Tyrell Corporation and the 80's kitsch quality.

If you've ever seen the feature film release you've probably gone insane from Harrison Ford poorly delivered and written voiceover. The most nauseating part for me is when Deckard and Rachel escape to the magical nature world at the end. Seriously, did anyone say anything about how nice it would be to settled down in the countryside at all in the entire movie? The Director's Cut was an absolute treat after experiencing the awfulness that was the studio approved version. I love the music in the unicorn dream sequence; its quite possibly one of the most perfect visual/audio pairings in a movie ever.

Wired's interview really gives an image of Ridley Scott as someone who refuses to give up on his complex ideas about how Dick's story should be told visually. This is most certainly going on my Christmas list.

Scott: I was touching on possibilities like replication. It's now quite commonplace, but 25 years ago they were barely discussing it in the corridors of power. Now, the film is not really about that at all, it's simply leveraging that possibility into one of those detective film-noir kinds of stories. People were familiar with that kind of character, but not with the world I was cooking up. I wanted to call it San Angeles, and somebody said, "I don't get it." I said, "You know, San Francisco and Los Angeles." It's bizarre: People only think about what's under their noses until it comes and kicks them in the ass.

Mourning in Participatory Culture

Since I've been investigating my thesis topic on memorialization and port-mortem data storage and all things digital death-ness, I've wondered how virtual spaces designed to be participatory deal with mourning. In general, most of these spaces lock users out of participation (ie. Second Life memorials to the Virginia Tech shootings, 9/11; static html memorials, post-mortem MySpace/Facebook pages - all of which are usually maintained by one person or by a select group), but an interesting counter-example is the funeral in World of Warcraft that took place a little over a year ago. The funeral was meant for the avatar of person who died IRL, and was raided by a rival guild:

Skip to about 5 minutes for the raid


My question here is how can mourning, a very private, solemn and personal experience be shared, created and carried out in spaces that are for the most part out of the control of users? At the same time, how can we experience death - particularly mass-death or high profile deaths, which often effect large groups of people - in spaces which are built upon a participatory culture without bastardizing or harming that experience?

musique concrete

I thought this project (Musique Concrete) by Simon Morris was a nice mix of psychogeography, performance, and interactivity. The skateboard adds a really interesting performative element, merging musical and sports live performance in a way I haven't really seen before. I'd really like to have this for my daily commute.



Urb festival 2006 Kiasma Museum

Overwhelming

I normally wouldn't post this sort of thing here, but I'm looking for some media help/suggestions on an issue very close to my heart. Last night, as Tropical Storm Humberto passed through my home parish, a tornado ripped through my sister's house destroying it and the majority of their belongings. Sadly, they didn't have homeowner's insurance for a variety of reasons, and also they had just completed some of the last steps to finishing their first home.

Pending the permission of my sister and her family, I'm going to be launching a website to do some fundraising to try to get them back on their feet and into their own home. I am really thankful that everyone made it out ok and just frazzled. Its times like these that really make me realize the insignificance of material objects and in general that there's very few concrete guarantees about life. I'm also really glad to see everyone in my family stepping up to help out and provide some temporary housing until they get on their feet.

Anyway, keep watching this space for more information about what fundraising efforts I can organize, and any updates about my family. In the meantime, if you're interested in lending a hand, please feel free to email me at hebert.sara at gmail.com

Read and watch more: http://www.katc.com/Global/story.asp?S=7071891
Unfortunately the video does not work on Mac's, which of course, is a pain the butt.

Books for the quarter.

Here's what I know I'll be reading this quarter for my Research Methods class and for my Digital Sound Cultures class.

Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music

Virtual Music: How the Web Got Wired for Sound

Strange Sounds: Music, Technology and Culture

Dub: Soundscapes and Shattered Songs in Jamaican Reggae

Personal, Portable, Pedestrian: Mobile Phones in Japanese Life

Web.Studies (I love love love the cover of this book.)

Reading Digital Culture (Keyworks in Cultural Studies)

And just for fun/research:

Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide

Microserfs

My Mother Was a Computer: Digital Subjects and Literary Texts