Read it if you're still under 40.
News is Over.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/mar/22/charlie-brooker-newspapers-dangerous-drug
Read it if you're still under 40.
Read it if you're still under 40.
From Tron to Congo - the 80's/90's/00's Transition
This post is composed of snippets I'm writing for an article, explaining how our trends follow the loose formula of reviving things from 15 years ago, therefor meaning we're currently switching from 1980's revivals to the 1990's. Kindergarten Cop is fading, John Connor is coming.
The “spirit of the times” we’re going through right now, is a transition from revamped visual revivals from the 1980’s, to the 1990’s. We can see this, as our recent craze for all things 80’s between 2004 and 2009 has begun to fade - instead of all underground imagery such as album art work, video and graphic design using aesthetics inspired by the likes of Miami Vice, Tron and Ferris Beuller’s Day Off, they’ve started moving on to more 1990’s based styles, focusing more on popular visuals from the time such as Terminator 2, Jurassic Park and Back to the Future 3.
A good example would be the “off-the-radar” craze of remixing films for music videos, as first seen in Ratatat’s video (by E*VAX) for their song “Mirando”, “mashing” up footage from Predator to a tribal beat. Video mashing is an often illegal form of video art created by hijacking copyright video of youtube and editing it to ones likes. After E*VAX's video, a new scene was introduced, different to the commercial craze of geometric visuals and neon lit text e.g. Daft Punk’s stage imagery and M.I.A.’s music videos, that instead takes on far more organic forms, such as shamanic African patterns and tropical wildlife - this seems like an ironic take on childhood Disney films such The Lion King and Tarzan.
It could however be more accurately a depiction on hip hop imagery from the time such as Afrika Bambaata’s or A Tribe Called Quest’s. This transformation in our present zeitgeist is a very strange thing to try and bring across in a literary from, but one the best examples around is Douster’s music video for his track “Triassic” the epitome of this afro/dinosaur mood.
About 3 years ago, within underground electronic music, the favored tempo was around 120 beats per minute, giving the sound a very typically 1980’s “whoompf” to the drumming that really works well on the dance-floor. Subtly though, in the past 2 years, the tempo has been put up to a choppier and punchier speed reminiscent more of Prodigy or Altern8's early material at around 140 BPM, almost reviving the first decade of amphetamines with the now (il)legal mephedrone which is stirring even more controversy due to it’s unknown side-effects. It seems like an entirely modern take on acid-house culture.
This change in speed has mainly been introduced by the likes of The Count and Sinden, pioneers of the new, “hyperbass” genre, inspired heavily by early breakbeat, D’n’B and ironically, bad American dance music. The sound is thick, repetitive and throws the once so popular Korg synth out the window. Other artists catching on to the phenomena are Herve, Switch and BokBok/
When picturing the blend of 80’s and 90’s sound, hyperbass’ audio features are a clean balance:
Drum loops: (1990’s) - Often samples, the reuse of hip hop or rave drum loops is definitely back, mainly for nostalgia but also for the irony (which will soon become the norm).
Instruments: (1980’s) – Still, the use of echoing and droning synths are used in a dark manner, reminding us a lot of Laurie Anderson or Inner City.
Vocals: (80’s/90’s crossover) – R’n’B vocals found in both decades are revisited, probably for their great hip hop-to-rave relations (commonly know as “hip-house” at the time). The hip house vocal style can be found in much of Simian Mobile Disco’s “Temporary Pleasure” album, released mid 2009.
Here's another sign of things to come:
Look at the lion faces!
The “spirit of the times” we’re going through right now, is a transition from revamped visual revivals from the 1980’s, to the 1990’s. We can see this, as our recent craze for all things 80’s between 2004 and 2009 has begun to fade - instead of all underground imagery such as album art work, video and graphic design using aesthetics inspired by the likes of Miami Vice, Tron and Ferris Beuller’s Day Off, they’ve started moving on to more 1990’s based styles, focusing more on popular visuals from the time such as Terminator 2, Jurassic Park and Back to the Future 3.
A good example would be the “off-the-radar” craze of remixing films for music videos, as first seen in Ratatat’s video (by E*VAX) for their song “Mirando”, “mashing” up footage from Predator to a tribal beat. Video mashing is an often illegal form of video art created by hijacking copyright video of youtube and editing it to ones likes. After E*VAX's video, a new scene was introduced, different to the commercial craze of geometric visuals and neon lit text e.g. Daft Punk’s stage imagery and M.I.A.’s music videos, that instead takes on far more organic forms, such as shamanic African patterns and tropical wildlife - this seems like an ironic take on childhood Disney films such The Lion King and Tarzan.
It could however be more accurately a depiction on hip hop imagery from the time such as Afrika Bambaata’s or A Tribe Called Quest’s. This transformation in our present zeitgeist is a very strange thing to try and bring across in a literary from, but one the best examples around is Douster’s music video for his track “Triassic” the epitome of this afro/dinosaur mood.
About 3 years ago, within underground electronic music, the favored tempo was around 120 beats per minute, giving the sound a very typically 1980’s “whoompf” to the drumming that really works well on the dance-floor. Subtly though, in the past 2 years, the tempo has been put up to a choppier and punchier speed reminiscent more of Prodigy or Altern8's early material at around 140 BPM, almost reviving the first decade of amphetamines with the now (il)legal mephedrone which is stirring even more controversy due to it’s unknown side-effects. It seems like an entirely modern take on acid-house culture.
This change in speed has mainly been introduced by the likes of The Count and Sinden, pioneers of the new, “hyperbass” genre, inspired heavily by early breakbeat, D’n’B and ironically, bad American dance music. The sound is thick, repetitive and throws the once so popular Korg synth out the window. Other artists catching on to the phenomena are Herve, Switch and BokBok/
When picturing the blend of 80’s and 90’s sound, hyperbass’ audio features are a clean balance:
Drum loops: (1990’s) - Often samples, the reuse of hip hop or rave drum loops is definitely back, mainly for nostalgia but also for the irony (which will soon become the norm).
Instruments: (1980’s) – Still, the use of echoing and droning synths are used in a dark manner, reminding us a lot of Laurie Anderson or Inner City.
Vocals: (80’s/90’s crossover) – R’n’B vocals found in both decades are revisited, probably for their great hip hop-to-rave relations (commonly know as “hip-house” at the time). The hip house vocal style can be found in much of Simian Mobile Disco’s “Temporary Pleasure” album, released mid 2009.
Here's another sign of things to come:
Look at the lion faces!
Hajime Sorayama and the Gynoids
Hajime Sorayama (Born 1947) is a Japanese illustrator, famous for his amazingly rendered, airbrush paintings and sketches of android women (or "gynoids").
He grew up in Imabari, near the Oshima Island of Japan where he later went on to receive his basic education at Imabari Kita High School. Later on in life in 1965, Sorayama went university at the Shikoku Gakuin University, which is were he studied Greek and English literature - this is where his interests in science fiction began to flourish, taking many influences from the popular sci-fi culture at the time.
He later moved on to Tokyo's Chuo Art college which is where his artistic talents grew even more - by this time, he'd already had his publication, Pink Journal. Upon graduation, Sorayama at age 21 began working for an advertising/creative agency. His first robot was drawn in 1978 just after becoming a freelance designer - little was he to know that this robot imagery would be his ascent into the cult art world. Sorayama’s work Sexy Robot was published in 1983, this made him known globally, from chic design collectives to music labels - his imagery was perfect for the time.
His characters are unmistakeably Japanese in there robotic presentation, but their poses are reminiscent of American pin-up photography, allowing a perfect match to form with Japan's box-fresh functionality and America's idealized female form.
For a comparison to American pin-ups, here is Alberto Vargas, an artist who became famous in the 1940s for creating the iconic World War II era pin-ups for Esquire Magazine, known as the "Varga Girls." Many WW2 air craft had nose art inspired them:
He grew up in Imabari, near the Oshima Island of Japan where he later went on to receive his basic education at Imabari Kita High School. Later on in life in 1965, Sorayama went university at the Shikoku Gakuin University, which is were he studied Greek and English literature - this is where his interests in science fiction began to flourish, taking many influences from the popular sci-fi culture at the time.
He later moved on to Tokyo's Chuo Art college which is where his artistic talents grew even more - by this time, he'd already had his publication, Pink Journal. Upon graduation, Sorayama at age 21 began working for an advertising/creative agency. His first robot was drawn in 1978 just after becoming a freelance designer - little was he to know that this robot imagery would be his ascent into the cult art world. Sorayama’s work Sexy Robot was published in 1983, this made him known globally, from chic design collectives to music labels - his imagery was perfect for the time.
His characters are unmistakeably Japanese in there robotic presentation, but their poses are reminiscent of American pin-up photography, allowing a perfect match to form with Japan's box-fresh functionality and America's idealized female form.
For a comparison to American pin-ups, here is Alberto Vargas, an artist who became famous in the 1940s for creating the iconic World War II era pin-ups for Esquire Magazine, known as the "Varga Girls." Many WW2 air craft had nose art inspired them:
Something Completely Different
Here's something you probably won't have heard. Caravan Palace are a French group, formed in 2005, after three members of the band were hired to provide the soundtrack to silent pornos. The group's music is as alternative as its origins. They describe themselves as 'electro-swing' but in my opinion this title is misleading. They certainly explore an interesting fusion of genres; the line-up consists of guitar, clarinet, violin, double bass, trombone and vocals - all heavily processed with some very professional electronic manipulation. The group cite their influences, from Django Reinhardt to Daft Punk, and this diversity is evident in every song on their debut album, 'Caravan Palace' released October 2008.Have a listen to this, the most appropriate genre I've heard attributed to it is 'café-step':
And here's the video for their single 'Suzy' released 2009:
Better than Benga.
The British Seaside
These are some photographs I took on my Olympus OM-1 camera at Felixstowe on the Essex coast. These are the ones I feel are best, the others are on http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosatahoewilliams/. I looked at a few others photographers work before I set off, one being Martin Parr and the other, my ultimate favorite photographer, William Eggleston.
People Under The Stairs
Here's a blinding example of a group keeping it real. People Under The Stairs, formed in 1997 in Los Angeles, California, is composed of MCs Thes One and Double K. The majority of their work has been done this side of the millennium, but their sound is unmistakably '90s. The duo are both equally talented at DJing as well as MCing so are responsible for both the beats and rapping. They have now released seven albums, the latest 'Carried Away' as fresh as 'The Next Step' back in '98.
The duo employ a strong funk influence. This track from their latest album provides as a good an example as their older material:
Here's another, older track, 'Acid Raindrops' from O.S.T released in 2002 - without a doubt one of the strongest albums:
Makes a nice change from all the gangsta bollocks.
Fashion Polarity
I've noticed that the very thing which I reacted to as being madly, deeply, offensively, awful was to my horror, the thing that one season later I totally loved e.g. the Reebok Workout. I just dont understand. It's the shoe of the scallie. But scallysm is getting big - it's miraculously looking cool - could it be the doings of Away Days?
Well, I guess if a thing has the ability to worm its way into your psyche like a heat seeking missile, so accurately as to cause such a massive reaction in the first place, then it is more than half way into your good books...
All it needs is a slight change in your perception and suddenly, like a coin which has simply been flipped, the impression is strongly positive instead of strongly negative...
To visualise this phenonenon consider this.
Imagine a piece of string. at one end is your 'hate' response at the other end is the 'love'. As far apart as you can imagine. But if you rearrange the string to form a circle the 'love' and 'hate' zones are right next to each other. Maybe a bit too close for comfort... But kind of exciting?
Remember the pretenders lyric? "It's a thin line between love and hate". The world's greatest love affairs are a mixture of love and hate, so is the best music, art and literature. It is the tension (and balance) which makes it good.
Anything which is too easy or logical will be cool for 5 minutes then it will bore you.
So check out everything. Really push your boundaries. Look for the things that offend you aesthetically. Embrace them. Shock yourself. If something makes a big impression don't write it off. Maybe you are not quite in the right place yet. If your mind is open, you let more stuff in. And that is a good thing.
Well, I guess if a thing has the ability to worm its way into your psyche like a heat seeking missile, so accurately as to cause such a massive reaction in the first place, then it is more than half way into your good books...
All it needs is a slight change in your perception and suddenly, like a coin which has simply been flipped, the impression is strongly positive instead of strongly negative...
To visualise this phenonenon consider this.
Imagine a piece of string. at one end is your 'hate' response at the other end is the 'love'. As far apart as you can imagine. But if you rearrange the string to form a circle the 'love' and 'hate' zones are right next to each other. Maybe a bit too close for comfort... But kind of exciting?
Remember the pretenders lyric? "It's a thin line between love and hate". The world's greatest love affairs are a mixture of love and hate, so is the best music, art and literature. It is the tension (and balance) which makes it good.
Anything which is too easy or logical will be cool for 5 minutes then it will bore you.
So check out everything. Really push your boundaries. Look for the things that offend you aesthetically. Embrace them. Shock yourself. If something makes a big impression don't write it off. Maybe you are not quite in the right place yet. If your mind is open, you let more stuff in. And that is a good thing.
Pigeon Fuckers
You know, I fucking hate pigeon fuckers.
When I wait for the 453 from Elephant and Castle, I stand around that bit outside the north-side tube station. You've got glorious fucking London on one side stretching out into St George's circus like a chilled cunt waving sandstone around like it was sweating in beige money before reaching south london's grandest station, waterloo, which nearly has a self-explanative name in itself, but it's such a smackhead it can't even do that right Oh but wait, don't run away from all that, keep going over the bridge. Because if you turn around from the velvet gold pavements of north Lambeth, you start meandering through these vaguely greyish bluey brown slabs you could piss clean.
Two junkies run through the air and then realise they were always and only pedalling sideways across the ground.
Pass them.
You get to the bus stop for the 453, that's right, where were we.
All right.
And there's just, just this guy fucking a pigeon.
Really, just, that's not on.
Anyway.
The point of the story is,
You have to listen to these men.
If you don't like it then fuck off, if you like anything old school at all like brand nubian, de la soul, nwa, ice cube or whatever, just listen you fucking swan.
The first two albums are defining. By 1994 they had become as good as you can get, just as old skool ended, you have Organised Konfusion at the height of political and intelligently fast rap provided in a package of sax, bass and drum samples that make two flawless records.
Organised Konfusion (1991)
Stress: The Extinction Agenda (1994)
When I wait for the 453 from Elephant and Castle, I stand around that bit outside the north-side tube station. You've got glorious fucking London on one side stretching out into St George's circus like a chilled cunt waving sandstone around like it was sweating in beige money before reaching south london's grandest station, waterloo, which nearly has a self-explanative name in itself, but it's such a smackhead it can't even do that right Oh but wait, don't run away from all that, keep going over the bridge. Because if you turn around from the velvet gold pavements of north Lambeth, you start meandering through these vaguely greyish bluey brown slabs you could piss clean.
Two junkies run through the air and then realise they were always and only pedalling sideways across the ground.
Pass them.
You get to the bus stop for the 453, that's right, where were we.
All right.
And there's just, just this guy fucking a pigeon.
Really, just, that's not on.
Anyway.
The point of the story is,
You have to listen to these men.
If you don't like it then fuck off, if you like anything old school at all like brand nubian, de la soul, nwa, ice cube or whatever, just listen you fucking swan.
The first two albums are defining. By 1994 they had become as good as you can get, just as old skool ended, you have Organised Konfusion at the height of political and intelligently fast rap provided in a package of sax, bass and drum samples that make two flawless records.
Organised Konfusion (1991)
Stress: The Extinction Agenda (1994)
London Fashion Week Part 3
I nearly crashed the car.
I zoned out, mum was in the passengers seat scared I was going to crash because it was raining, then suddenly I found myself daydreaming about when I failed my driving test for the second time and I scarted screaming and banging my head against the steering wheel and my dad was trying to drag me out of the car by my feet but all i was doing was screaming and crying and clutching the car.
So I nearly crashed. Anyway.
I'm trying to get into fashion week in Paris now. Literally got the text tonight from Hanna saying there might be a chance there, so I'm gonna be constantly online tonight. My cat was all scabby last time I came home but now she looks better. She's sitting on a pillow on my lap. I love my cat. She's a beautiul creature
yakyak
Day 3
Princess peach dip dye hair is my new lav (love in english)
These remind me of the Vivienne Westwood sack shoes, they must be relatively easy to do, bit of bag and some rope innit?
Next came some nice harsh lines, army colours, shoulder stuff. Some russianism?
Janet Jackson turned up and the paparazzi went wild. I hate how everyone tries to be so "cool" about the famous people being about but one wiff of a celebrities name on the catwalk and there are photographers crawling over each other to get one lousy photo of someone which is exactly the same as everyone elses. I prefer to take it when they're not looking just to show that they were there, I dunno. I'm not grazia, it's not a job to me I just like seeing people from the telay.
This one reminds me of the guy from Perfume
Brit from Gok's Fashion fix was nice while my camera broke
Facehunter and a sexy lady go or a walk
And on some non-related fashion subject, here are some pictures of the house party we went to where we got drunk and stole gin. Lots of gin.
Hmm, that's wierd. It's not a hen though.
This guy was french, a chain smoker and constantly nodding in a slow squinty way at anything me and my boyfriend said. We loved him. Also he watched us nicking the gin.
I love moments like this, when a moment is so important, when the whole night leads up to it and you have to play each card perfectly so you don't screw up. Then at the end, the final kiss, music starts playing in your head, your future stretches out into infinity and your past disappears down the bottom of your beer glass and everyone starts speaking in slow motion.
Anyone who's seen Coco Chanel will know that this is probably not the ideology she had in her head when she started designing for attractive, alluring, elegant women. Instead it's the tip of the ironic cake, for £30 off Portabello market.
[insert suitable drunk gay noise here]
We were drunker than we looked
My boyfriend's eye..
wierd innit.
Play the resident evil soundtrack in the background whilst you look at it.
Play the resident evil soundtrack in the background whilst you look at it.
So this is day 3 up (sorry about this.)
This Paris Fashion Week thing is a bit of a faff, apparently the people Hanna and I might be working for havn't got any invites yet...not sure what to do. Sounds a bit 50/50. I'm going to check online instead for any more internships going.
Going for a ciggie! Speak soonx xx
p.s. how gorgeous does my mate/sister(?) Ruby Brown a.k.a Ruby Tuesday Select Models look here
phwoaaar
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
