What a place. What potential. What a crowd. What gifted people live with us in this town.
Those were my thoughts I walked away with on Saturday night. TION is a place that a lot of things could be born in. I loved the huge projection wall and the sound was great until it broke.
I'm really glad that the show is over. Anytime I play out I get all stressed about handling music that was made in the past. I get so sick of my tracks and inspired to move on and make more in different directions. I get my creative license back after a show and end up experimenting again. I'm looking forward to sitting down, late at night or early in the morning, to put on my headphones and write piano pieces or design sounds that are pretty much unusable but a lot of fun to create.
I don't want to play for a while. Maybe an open mic to test out some meditative ambient piece. Another thing about playing a whole set is that I get really bored with myself. It feels so self-indulgent. About 40 minutes into it I start to think about how much more fun I could be having experiencing other people's creations, reading my friend's new book, staring at a mural, standing slack-jawed in front of La Fin Du Monde. 30 minute sets are better I guess.
Kyle Delmar called me out on the infrequency of this blog. I'm back on track with that and thanks for holding me accountable. I didn't know anybody actually read this.
Raul Gonzo's film awaits and I was having a lot of trouble getting creatively invested into that effort with the TION set looming large. Well now I'm free at last and can get back to work.
I had a lot of fun on Saturday night. Keep an eye on that place, the potential is oozing from the walls. It will be interesting to watch what is or isn't realized from that.
To those who came out, thanks so much and I'm always enriched by the people I meet and inspired by other art and mediums.
GRAND OPENING of TION is tonight babies.
Lot's of Music and excitement will be there. Many bands, artists, circus freaks, etc.
And basic will be on at
12:30am
See you there.
www.sparktheevolution.com
So I'm playing the grand opening of "TION" if that's actually how they're spelling it. TION is the brainchild of Ty Gorton and others. The plan is a mysterious blend of things. Event venue? Warehouse of hard core underground creative innovation?
I hear there's 3 stories! I hear there will be the most epic sound system! I hear graphic design, film, websites, record labels will merge with a circus-like dream studio. People will live there too?
This is all rumor...all speculation. I sense it will be something very special, an elevation of Chico art and artists. A laboratory of artistic and business experiments, a petri dish for dreams to flourish or turn into really stinky, blue moldy funk. I don't know. Whatever it's going to be, I'm really looking forward to it.
All I know is that Ayrian is putting together a night of psycho beats on Saturday November 8. I'm writing special tracks for the occasion. The one in the works is featuring some mangled b-boy breaks constructed with tr808 samples, some deconstruction sound design techniques, samples of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr........and stuff.
I'm excited for this show, I think it will be the largest sound system I've ever played out on, so bring your epileptic seizures and fear!
I will be in costume. Theatrics are necessary for this special occasion.
This place may change the landscape of Chico arts forever.
I write this with the self-awareness that I very may be a DJ snob. And, working 100s of hours to produce a set of original music, not easily susceptible to the cult of personality that can surround DJ's.
I was at Panamas last Saturday to see Kid Kameleon drop his set, talk to him, get his business card, see what all the hype's about, dance, get inspired, hear beats I haven't heard yet, enjoy drinking alcohol and to keep my fingers crossed in hopes of seeing Holger Honda.
Riley played a crazy set of amazing tracks and I was driven to dance in front of a big loud speaker like a person who is more concerned with the moment than the frequency range of his auditory faculties.
I heard some things that drove my music mind into new places which is always deeply appreciated. She had a great sense for the subtleties of the mix and I thought she was a pretty good DJ.
CONFESSION OF DJ SNOBBERY:
I, BASIC, AM A DJ SNOB. I WAS INTRODUCED TO TURNTABLISM BY A SUPER BADASS HIP HOP DJ WHO HAD 1200'S IN HIS BEDROOM SINCE THE AGE OF ELEVEN. WE USED TO MAKE FUN OF AND TALK RELENTLESS SHIT TO DJ'S WHO SPUN HOUSE BEATS TO A BUNCH OF PEOPLE ON DRUGS AND COULD BARELY MIX 2 TRACKS TOGETHER THAT SHARED EXACTLY THE SAME BPM VALUES. MY FRIEND POSSESSED TURNTABLE MASTERY THAT I HAVE NOT SEEN SINCE AND WAS VERY SPOILED AND TOOK HIS SKILLS FOR GRANTED. I'VE NEVER SEEN ANOTHER DJ MIX OLD SCHOOL HIP HOP TRACKS WITH UNDERWORLD WITH OUT USING HEADPHONES AND GOD FORBID A LAPTOP. NOR HAVE I SEEN A DJ SEAMLESSLY BEAT JUGGLE 2 COPIES OF BILLY JEAN WITH A COPY OF EGYPTIAN LOVER ON THREE TURNTABLES. I'M NOT EXAGGERATING. I AM SERIOUS. IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. AND THEN THERE'S THE SCRATCHING...
anyway I'm a snob thanks to my gifted friend. My gifted friend is the single reason I never got into dj-ing, there was no room for me. My friend was too good. Our little posse had a dj that Badrock could barely keep up with (remember badrock?)
My gifted friend was with me and he asks, "What's up with the laptop?" I had to explain the latest software to him - the guy who can mix any of his vinyl with out headphones had to have it explained why some people need the latest software. And he goes, "Wow, that really has a lot of potential. Too bad that guy isn't doing anything with it. But the music's amazing."
That's kind of how I felt but I didn't want to say it. I was having fun dancing to somebody's music.
I'm not a dj, nor do I want to be, but I love good ones. Next DJ I see who beat juggles Billy Jean gets a present.
I think Bjork's Vespertine is one of the best albums out there. I'm listening to it now in the cafe, early in the morning. I finished a 7min piece for Ty & Billy's short film, being premiered at tonight's John Staedler CD release party.
I'll be scoring the majority of the movie I think in the coming weeks and I wish I had more time to engineer the track I did deliver. Time was of the essence and I'm used to spending a solid 3 hours or more on the mixing and levels. Oh well, it came out.
Lot's going on today. Paradise Lost is having a nice electronic rager being head up by Ayrian as I understand it. John's show is going on. The MC battle at the CRUX is going down and Kyle Delmar is having a reception for new B/W photos at Empire Coffee. That cat might be my favorite photographer I've known personally. Him and James Wong in Sacramento.
I was never that into Bjork when I was younger because it was so easy to associate her with tortured 20 year old arty girls. I never gave her an honest listen. Anna, my wife, has always loved Bjork and one time I just listened to Vespertine strait through and was sort of blown away. The whole album sounds like a sunrise. It's one of the most beautiful electronic albums out there I think.
Fun is right around the corner for those who like driving beats and electronic music or general bedroom-born artistry.
Gossamer Thread is coming. A Tasty-Beat-Time with professional dj/producers Holger Honda, Anamnesis and Symbio.
At the CRUX, 10pm - $5 donation, Saturday Aug. 30.
These guys know how to rock a party and are just regular good guys to support.
Come show your support for electronic music, dancing and general community with 3 of Chico's best. Hope to see you there.
RSS Feed