1. https://lauraponce.wordpress.com/2012/09/04/electro-swing-knowing-more-about-less/
2. https://lauraponce.wordpress.com/2012/08/29/writing-something-from-nothing-the-art-of-rap/
3. https://lauraponce.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/how-much-of-your-everyday-life-is-digitalised-presspauseplay/
Documentaries – ‘Everything is a Remix’
Through writing this blog, and searching for content to share with you, well, I found out that I really like documentaries. They tell it like it is (from a point of view) but it is not fiction, which I hate, to some extend (the reason of this would take another post so until then just go with it). So, for my last post I found a great documentary film website with a huge database of all docs that have ever existed (freaking awesome!). Among these I found ‘Everything is a Remix’ documentary, which is produced by Kirby Ferguson, a New York-based filmmaker. This is a four-part documentary that explores modern ideas toward intellectual property and how these tend to restrain creativity and not promote it, and goes into discussing copyright issues that affect many innovations today. If you are one of those that like to see different points of view, you should definitely check this out.
You can watch all four parts online here.
‘Who wants Tuki?’
‘Who wants Tuki?’ is a short documentary about this new and relatively unknown electronic sound born in the city of Caracas, Venezuela. What is known as ‘Changa Tuki’ in the Venezuelan slums has been negatively regarded from the beginning by the Venezuelan middle and upper class. In this way, this documentary aims to spread the real world and goal behind this genre, which includes many talented producers, DJs and dancers. This is documentary is presented by the creative agency Mostro Contenidos, the audio-visual collective Abstractor and the animation studio Design or Die.
“You could definitely say Tuki is making its way from the underground to the mainstream arena, and we hope this documentary opens another window for it” says the director of the documentary Juan Manuel Acosta.
Here you can read an interesting interview with one of the producers of the Abstractor collective about his work in the industry and the Tuki movement.
‘They Live’
‘They Live’ is a 1988 action film directed by John Carpenter that tells the story of a man who discovered a pair of sunglasses that show him the world as it really is. By looking through this pair of sunglasses he sees that aliens live among humans but more importantly that they have been bombarded by the government and the media with subliminal messages such as, ‘”Stay Asleep”, “No Imagination”, “Submit to Authority”, “Obey”. Even though it had a low production and it can be hard to watch, the essence of this film has reached many people making us take into consideration something that we might all think but not really talk about. One of the most shocking scenes for me is when by looking through the pair of sunglasses the money is just a piece of white paper that says “This is your God”, which is an interesting idea that criticizes the consumer culture of the 80’s. Among other things, if you give it a try, it is definitely worth it.
Social activism & ‘ReGeneration’
‘ReGeneration’ is a 2010 documentary that explores today’s youth apathetic approach to social and political issues, which I completely identify with. I’m so not into social activism, I hate politics, and I think these social movements are useless. Nevertheless, I found this documentary interesting. It sells the idea of how the education system, parenting and the media have influenced the younger generation to approach or not approach social activism, mainly focusing on the Occupy Movement. Also how, once again, we are impacted by technology and consumerism in this process. Although I found politics hopeless (there are many reasons why, starting with people are just that messed up) I’ll have to say that this is due to the current status of my country, there is so much corruption and violence around that well, I’m not living there anymore. It is not easy or simple to leave your hometown. We have been in this situation for the last 13 years or so. We have an opportunity to change it at the next elections (which are this week). You can say that I’m not a very positive person, but after so many years, I know it is not just up to me to change it; only one person can’t do so. But I feel, that even though I’m not living there anymore, or that I hate politics, I must vote. Even if I think it would we useless, I have to do it. I can’t be indifferent to an issue that has caused me to move away. Maybe that’s the key with social activism; it needs to hit you close so you can actually act on it. Otherwise it won’t happen. Most of the people today (sad but true) could care less if there are children with no food to eat, or roof to cover their heads on the other side of the world. People could care less is there are around 20.000 people being killed yearly in Venezuela. Someone has to do something; I have to hope that things will change. And prepare for the worst.
Google Chrome, Ads and YouTube – ‘Art&Copy’
If you use Google Chrome, well you are probably asking yourself ‘what the heck are those ads that pop out every time in every website you visit.’ I got the answer for you: this is a new Chrome extension called fast 1.1 that you did not install; it was automatically put on your browser like a virus but luckily it is very easy to remove (Thank God!). To remove it, you just need to go to the wrench symbol on the top right side of the browser page, and then click on tools; extensions and then you just remove it clicking on the trash symbol.
I just needed it to share this information, as it is so freaking annoying every time you are trying to check something online. I wish I could, as easy as this, remove the ads on YouTube, which are so annoying as well. They are just in the way of what you really want to see. And the ones that do not have the ‘skip’ option are the worst. Even more, when they are just repeating the same thing over and over again, like you didn’t get it the first time. I’ve never found any of these ads useful in any way.
In relation to this, I found a 2009 documentary about advertising named ‘Art & Copy’, which is directed by Doug Pray. This film provides a view of the behind the scenes of the advertising industry and how the creative people in this area are able to impact our culture and grab the attention of millions of viewers. Some of the campaigns that are mentioned in the film are “Just Do It”, “I Love NY”, “Where’s the Beef?”, “Got Milk”, “Think Different”. This documentary it is definitely worth watching if you are interested in the world of advertising, how it works, and why it can be so annoying sometimes. I found particularly interesting how advertising tells you what to buy, what to do, changing the perception of everything.
Nevertheless, I think that using YouTube videos in blogging is a key aspect of it, without any sort of video (not necessarily a YouTube one) is just plain boring. Nowadays, we are a visual culture, like the saying goes “don’t believe it until you see it”, or the good old “a picture is worth a thousand words” or something like that.
Electro-Swing – ‘Knowing more about less’
Nowadays it is impossible to know everything in its full extend. Since the development of the Web 2.0 as a new world of interaction, information goes around the world as fast as possible. And this hence, makes the information we know become more in a lesser length. I would have to say that it depends on every person to explore the information in a deeper degree. In my experience, I just know bit and pieces of information from here and there, which I think is ok. It is a normal part of our society. Is it a bad thing? I guess that it matters when the opinion of who is talking is important. Nevertheless, when you find something that you want to know more about, well there you go. You can easily find out.
In relation to this I’ve found a new love: electro-swing music. It is just that kind of music that makes you move every bone in your body. Digging into the subject a bit more, I found a great deal of information, all thanks to the Internet and my curiosity. Both of those elements can work extremely well if they’re mixed properly. Hence, I found a bunch of albums and groups who play this type of music. In these there is ‘The Electro Revolution Swing’ that provides an extremely (freaking) good recollection of electro-swing, and the ‘Electro Swing Vol. 2’ album, which is as good.
Here are some examples of each album:
(This guy is amazing!)
As I wanted to know about this genre, I found that there is a club in Melbourne that actually plays this music Saturday’s night: Cotton Club “Electro-Swing” at Circus Bar. And digging a bit more, I found that ‘Cotton Club’ was actually a famous nightclub in Harlem, NY, which operated from the 1920’s to 1940’s.
Moreover, in popular culture, I found there is a film ‘The Cotton Club’, which is a 1984 crime-drama that tells the story of this famous Harlem club in the 1930’s.
I’m still digging here, until a get bored I guess, I will never know everything there is to know. But having the opportunity to know about it regardless of the limits of the world is just incredible.
“It don’t mean a thing, if it ain’t that got that swing!”
‘Something from nothing: The Art of Rap’ – Writing
I wish I could have watched this documentary at the recent Melbourne International Film Festival. Just by watching at the trailer you can see how this film presents the hip-hop music ‘known as the voice of the people.’ It explores the insightful views of some artists of the genre, as well the journey that took them there, providing a deeper understanding of this world. As Grandmaster Caz claims “Hip-hop didn’t invent anything. Hip-hop reinvented everything.”
Music has always had a key role in people’s life. And here we can see how through music these people express themselves and their lives. A key aspect of ‘The Art of Rap’ is the lyrics and rhymes, which are the ones that truly send the message across. What is important is what you’re saying, not how you’re saying it. Writing for hip-hop artists is as vital as working with the technology around them. I’ve never thought about writing as a technology, it seems it is a part of human nature. Nevertheless, you still need something in between you and the production of words to make it happen, which is indeed a technology. In this way, without the invention of things that help of produce words and images, it wouldn’t be possible.
As it is said in the ‘Reviler: I disagree: The Importance Of Lyrics post’:
“MCs are constantly pushing themselves: write more songs, come up with more complex rhyme schemes, tweak the flow so it sounds more natural, ride the beat better, write catchier hooks, etc. So precious few, however, are challenging themselves to write more compelling stories, or dig deeper into the emotions on display in a given song, or say something that hasn’t already been said a million times.”
This is what I particularly find very interesting and full of meanings and stories of people who have fought their way to the top like no other. What I found most inspiring is how some of this artist, although, there are now surrounded by fame and luxuries, some of them still are deeply connected to where they come from, and how they got to where they are now. (Can’t wait to watch it)
The Beginning of Infinity
‘The Beginning of Infinity’ is another worth watching Vimeo’s video that portrays knowledge as a mix in our minds and that dreams are always connected to reality. The author is mainly explaining how human imagination has the power to conceive all the most unimaginable possibilities. Also, how through technology we have been able to bring our imagination into existence. And goes beyond explaining that we certainly can manipulate the physical world. An example of this is Manhattan topography, where economic, cultural forces and human minds are the ones that have changed the forces of geology, because the topography of Manhattan today is no longer shaped by technology but by human minds, economics and culture (David Deutsch “The Beginning of Infinity”). Hence, this might be the fate of the entire universe.
Interesting idea when talking about technological determinism, because instead of being a one-way effect that we all are resolute by technology, it is an infinite process, a product of society, like in every other aspect.
‘We become what we behold. We shape our tools and then our tools shape us’ (Marshal McLuhan, Understanding Media, 1964)
How much of your everyday life is digitalised? – PressPausePlay
I would have to say that about 99% of my day is surrounded by technology. Starting with my mobile phone, laptop, and the daily house appliances I use. Do we really need that much? If it makes things better, then why not?
In the first Net Comm. Lecture we watched a bit of the documentary film ‘PressPausePlay’, available on Vimeo, which I founded really interesting. It explores what is happening to art, literature, music, and film in an age where everyone can be an artist. Nowadays, technology is so much all over the place that to be truly creative, to come out of the bottom can be really difficult. But I guess that even though, there is no way to avoid it, as the time passes by more people are going to get used to it and then we just have to try our best. That’s the real challenge of our time. As it is said in the film “the digital revolution of the last decade has unleashed creativity and talent in an unprecedented way, with unlimited opportunities.” But still this is not necessarily good or bad. I guess it depends on every person to make sure what they are doing is worth the cause or not. As everybody can play an instrument, be a photographer, or a filmmaker, it seems that the key aspect of being an artist is no longer about how to make things, but about what we are doing, the core idea of it. It’s the quality that is at stake.
Technology is great. The industry is dead. Artists have the power. The craft is gone. Do we rely too much on technology? Time place and occasion.
LauraPonce 