New Massive Attack and Burial collab
Massive Attack and Burial announce a two-song collaboration for a limited edition 12-inch release on October 17th. The first is a brand new, near 12 minute long track titled "Four Walls" and the other is a reworking of"Paradise Circus" from Massive Attack's 2010 LP Heligoland.
Old-School Mixtapes from Africa
Stumbled upon this treasure today. A collection of old tapes from various African countries forming a digital archive and also includes full downloads of Sides A and B.
Check it out: http://www.awesometapes.com/
"Recent Monk" by Amiri Baraka (1963)
TIME MAGAZINE'S cover of the 25th of November 1963 was scheduled to be a portrait of Thelonius Monk. But when President Kennedy was assassinated, another cover was substituted. The Monk cover was also to be accompanied by a rather long Time magazine specialty biography which was supposed to present Monk, at long last, to polite society, officially.
One thinks immediately of another jazz musician to be so presented, Dave Brubeck, and even though it seems to be impossible that Monk could ever even think to receive the kind of "acceptance," and with that, the kind of loot that Brubeck received because of his canonization, it did not seem too extreme an optimism to predict the swelling of Monk's bank account, etc., as a result of such exposure, though it was not certain the cover would ever appear. But the very fact that such a cover was scheduled does mean that Monk's fortunes are definitely still rising. The idea of seeing Thelonius Monk's face on a cover of Time magazine would have seemed, only a few years ago, like a wild joke. As a matter of fact, seeing a dummy cover, as I did, my first reaction was that someone was trying to put you on. I'm still not absolutely sure they didn't.
Free Running in Gaza
Earlier this year, I attended a performance by Palestinian hip-hop artists at UC Irvine in California. Their message was clear: raising awareness through hip-hop about human rights violations in Palestine, without being preachy. I was moved by their energy, but also by how art (and the spirit of creating hip-hop) can thrive in oppressive conditions.
Recently, I discovered this documentary which screened a while back on Al Jazeera. It is a simple story that follows two Palestinian young men living in Gaza's Khan Younis refugee camp interested in parkour, a movement discipline often used interchangeably with free-running. Parkour has thrived internationally in youth culture and generally videos from the UK and US show people jumping between high-rise buildings in urban spaces, here however the boys run through narrow alley-ways and jump amidst the rubble of bombed buildings and demolished homes. Once more, it shows how youth culture finds a way to flourish even in the most difficult conditions.
Parkour is associated with the philosophy of using the body to overcome physical obstacles and the boys claim it is as an art form and athletic release which gives them strength to survive life under occupation. Parkour is their way of experiencing a feeling of freedom, in a space where there is no freedom. In a lengthy 2007 feature in The New Yorker analysing the art form, parkour founder David Belle says " There’s a quote by Bruce Lee that’s my motto: ‘There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. A man must constantly exceed his level.’ If you’re not better than you were the day before, then what are you doing—what’s the point?”
Filmmaker Miriam Shahin expands on the process behind the documentary here.
Warp Records Stock Destroyed in London Fire
Hold on to ya Aphex Twin vinyls! Last week Warp Records released an official statement revealing the full extent of the damage done by the fires at the Sony DADC Warehouse during the London riots.
Some new releases have been affected but more seriously what would sadden many electronic music heads is the loss of the labels back catalogue, spanning 21 years of music.
"All of Warp's UK warehouse stock appears to have been lost in the fire" the statement said. The Sony Warehouse services the physical distribution of PIAS, the largest UK distributor of independent music. Other independent labels like Ninja Tune and XL Recordings have also been affected. The fire has seriously affected international distribition for Warps current releases. The statement continues, "The biggest challenge for us is replacing Warp's extensive back catalogue spanning the last 21 years. We will replace as much of this as we can by creating new stock and replenishing where possible with stock from outside the UK. Unfortunately some releases may never be available physically again"
Like many fans, I'm shattered by the news about Warp since the loss includes rarities and really old records. I lamented the loss with a few friends who in turn mentioned the importance of pirating music. I think this brings up a worthy point though, about not having music exist physically. People who have been downloading illegally for years would argue that mp3 is clearly the best form for music, but what about sound quality? And also, what about the sense of incredible music history lost? If one takes into consideration how artists like Aphex Twin changed the face of electronic music forever during the 90's, then these records were invaluable.
For me it has the same effect as a legendary music venue burning down, while those who have forsaken the idea of music existing as a physical entity might not be so concerned. What can be said however, is suddenly these old vinyls have become incredibly valuable overnight and I suggest peepz hold on to them.
The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl
This is the first Web Series I've really warmed up to. A friend from L.A sent me the link and I watched it backwards starting from Episode 7. I think it has massive potential.
In the week, producer/director/writer Issa Rae, wrote this piece in the Huffington Post about how the team behind the series raised $44 000 through Kickstarter.Wish I was a Fisherman
National Geographic Photo of the Day : A group of Fisherman on northern Inle Lake in Myanmar, Burma, rowing with their legs so that their hands are free.
Thesis
Featuring Horace Tapscott
Plus read an Interview with Richard Fulton, who ran 5th Street Dicks in Leimert Park
