This fascinating, brilliant 20-minute video narrates the history of the “Amen Break,” a six-second drum sample from the b-side of a chart-topping single from 1969. This sample was used extensively in early hiphop and sample-based music, and became the basis for drum-and-bass and jungle music — a six-second clip that spawned several entire subcultures. Nate Harrison’s 2004 video is a meditation on the ownership of culture, the nature of art and creativity, and the history of a remarkable music clip.
The eSquisite Corpse (via Top_Boy)
This is a surrealist game I’ve been working with my friend Ana. It’s an electronic update of the classic surrealist questions game “the exquisite corpse”. The idea is that you answer all the questions by typing your answer into Google Image search and post the answer in the form of an image that comes up. For poetic license we’ll say you can choose from the first 10 results but the idea is, of course, to work with the randomness of the responses.
1. What makes you happy?
2. What are you most ashamed of in yourself?
3. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
4. What is the first thing you remember?
5. What has gotten you through your darkest hour?
6. What did your parents’ house smell like?
7. One word that you use far too often:
8. One word that you associate with your best kept secret:
9. One word describing a recurrent theme in your dreams:
10. What disgusts you in others?
11. One word that describes your first lover:
Posted on June 3rd 2006 in General
This article about Valerio Spolentini’s project, called V-Scratch talks about this university student’s simple idea for video/audio scratching using a very simple layout.
A turntable with a record on it (any record with a paper label in the center, I assume).
A laptop (for the audio/video sources).
An audio mixer (but I’m not sure you’d REALLY need this)
Speakers
LCD projector (if you’re doing video)
and here’s the kicker:
an optical mouse attached to the turntable in such a way that it “sees” the record turning underneath it
The only other setup I’ve seen before now that did anything even close to this was FinalScratch by NativeInstruments, using specially crafted timecode-producing records.
I can’t wait until the HackADay people get ahold of this, and figure out how to do it, or even better: the guy either makes this an open-source project, or sells it direct to users, ’cause I’d flip him $50 for the software, if it works for mp3s and mixing.
Via OhNoTheyDidn’t
“The Da Vinci Code” drew lukewarm praise, shrugs of indifference, some jeering laughter and a few derisive jabs Tuesday from arguably the world’s toughest movie crowd: critics at the Cannes Film Festival.
The year’s most anticipated movie, “The Da Vinci Code” was a generally faithful adaptation of Dan Brown’s monster best seller, spinning a murder thriller that stems from a cover-up of secrets about Christianity’s roots.
While readers worldwide devoured the novel, reaction from Cannes critics ranged from mild endorsement of its potboiler suspense to groans of ridicule over its heavy melodrama.
I’m sorry if you read this book, and thought it was groundbreaking, or beautifully written, but I spent most of my time going “Is it over yet?”
Not because it’s “a religious movie,” but the book sure as heck wasn’t.
“…readers worldwide devoured the novel…”
Yeah, they also devour lots and lots of stale cheezies. Doesn’t mean they’re good.
Posted on May 17th 2006 in General
Crazy baby. Here’s a head’s up so you don’t walk right past me next time we meet for lunch/drinks somewhere.
Thanks to just “perfectly pushy” Denis (Daynee) at Enchante Hair by Design on Davie. I walked in there almost a year ago for my first cut after losing *most* of my length, and he took another 4 inches off (to get rid of the “Jack of Spades” thing I had going). This time, he said that he wanted to go really short, and that it’d make me look taller/younger/hotter.
After about four seconds, I said “You know what? Go for it. You know what you’re doing, and I sure don’t.”
Denis (who sometimes a little gruff, but only in the well-meaning way of a professional) got this huge grin on his face and said “I can really do what I want?”
45 minutes later, I feel like a whole new person (and think I look a little like this guy from CSI…)
The folks at work are going to poop themselves. Heehee. (more pics in my Flickr account)…
Posted on April 30th 2006 in General
This was for a friend, and was a comment on their blog elsewhere, but since I had fun writing it, I’m posting it here, too:
I’ve always liked the line from one of the incarnations of Black Adder:
“I have no fear. I stuff icecubes down the SHIRT of fear.”
I think what you really need is one of those dancehall reggae guys to ramp you up before you head out for the day. He can say a whole bunch of really amazing shit that doesn’t make any sense (but sounds cool anyway) and then ends with “HEAR DISS!” right before you go out and do your thing.
Oh, and tell your fear it’s surrounded. If/when the shit starts flying, and fear looks like it’s gonna maybe win at the end of the movie *anyway*, I’ll be the TomWaits/KrisKristopherson character: holding a detonator in my teeth while tossing you two freshly loaded ’45s (silvered, of course, to go with your adamantium nails, don’t you know), and grinning like a damn fool.
I also suggest watching Trinity’s opening of the Matrix over and over and over again…
Just ’cause “FUCK YEAH!”
Posted on April 24th 2006 in General
Coldcut. If you don’t know. Go find out…
Maybe you don’t know them, but you maybe have heard of a weird little label called Ninjatune? They started it.
At the Commodore in Vancouver – should be a good show. (WAIT: If you have tickets for this show, it’s happening at Richards on Richards now, not the Commodore, but your ticket’s still good) Saw them a few years back at Sonar, and it was… jus’… wow.
Posted on April 23rd 2006 in General
Ernest Cline (the guy who taught us that when something’s really REALLY cool, it’s Airwolf), has a nice little slideshow he’d like us to see:
Dance Monkeys, Dance <- click that to go see... Check it out.
20 years ago I…
1) was 15 (Grade 8 – bring on the breakdancing)
2) was listening to Art of Noise
3) was nearly 200lbs and 5’10”
10 years ago I…
1) met my future wife
2) was working at a law firm, and living in an apartment that got broken into… twice.
3) was drinking to the point of blackout (about once every two weeks)
5 years ago I…
1) was expecting our first kid
2) was working for an on-site support company, and eating way too much fast food
3) made my 2nd album
3 years ago I…
1) moved to my our new place in Mole Hill
2) started working at EA
3) was realizing I had no experience in being a manager/lead of any sort
1 year ago I…
1) was told I should apply for a management position (but I’m just a tech!)
2) was expecting our second kiddoo…
3) cut my hair (had been long for 13+ years)
So far this past year I…
1) have seen Mad Professor, Afrika Bambaataa, and (almost) Q-Bert
2) have started doing a podcast (but no music of my own yet)
3) starting reading the Fionivar Tapestries
Yesterday I…
1) worked
2) watched episode two of season two of Green Wing (the funniest thing on TV, ever… ever)
3) made my XP laptop look JUST like a Mac, because I could.
Today I…
1) made “breakfast sushi” consisting of rolls of tortilla with peanut butter, honey, and then sliced it, sushi-style
2) drank some coffee
3) fed baby #2 some banana stuff, which he made funny faces at (but seemed to enjoy)
Tomorrow I will…
1) take kid #1 to soccer “class”
2) go buy the cat crystals I forgot to pick up today
3) have a nap, at some point
In the next year I will…
1) get a better haircut
2) start working in Burnaby, maybe
3) make another album of music (hah…)
Posted on April 22nd 2006 in General
