Argentina invents the experimental cumbia scene
Dutch artist Dick Verdult has started an experimental cumbia scene in Buenos Aires and I wish I was there. Small spaces, packed with sweaty Argentines, and websites filled with information about an imaginary community of musicians is the type of shit I'm into. Originally from the Netherlands, he is also a poet, graphic artist and director. He took the pop music from South America, particularly Columbia and my very own Mexico and he created an Autechre meets vallenato style. He even created what was a fake festival to accompany the music, but which then became a real one due to Argentine interest.
"Insolent chorus, moving territories, broken melodies, politically engaged lyrics: it's live, with beautiful visuals too, that Dick el Demasiado uncovers his talents."
Check him out here.
Devin Flynn- Ya'll So Stupid #3
Devin Flynn is scary. Because he's so good. See what I mean? Like a bear or a bumblebee that takes Apple laptops and makes movies that burst into purple flames, he hides. He is also an animator that lives in Brooklyn. We/I think. As far as my expert reporting work has shown me, he's down with a lot of the Adult Swim guys, has worked with Moovlab in Philly and made the opening sequence to Aqua Teen Hunger Force (uh oh, move Boston, laser beams are coming!). Don't sleep, please. Blank Screen loves you. He being Devin Flynn. The man (and bear/bumblebee) who created this cartoon for superwebsite/Turner Comedy Laugh Maker Wamp™ Super Deleuze. I mean Deluxe. The cartoon is called "Ya'll So Stupid" and this is #3. See him here.
High Priest- Pitfalls
"Pitfalls" is fresh from the screening at Piano's that featured Beans, Crunc Tesla, writer Greg Tate and tons more from New York's black rap avant-garde. Former Anti-Pop Consortium rapper High Priest lends his wordplay to director Asif Mian's slow-crafted gem of a video. The ending alone is worth watching. Influences for the video? Asif told us "Scooby Doo, Metronome, my own artwork and the (future) Draft". Uh oh.
Dinner with the Band- Matt & Kim
Brooklyn's Matt & Kim are a duo you can set your watch to. The new show, Dinner with the Band is the kind of brilliant thinking that we need. Food. I'm hungry.
Watch them cook black olive cobbler
(Pic Cred)
Caribou- Melody Day
Canadian producer and math whiz Caribou (formerly Manitoba, to all the nerds out there) has released this great video for a dope song off his new EP.
Justice- D.A.N.C.E.
France's finest, Justice, does it again. Their terrific video for the catchy (some would say annoying?) song, "D.A.N.C.E." finds little kids taking over the world over a jumpy beat. Even Kanye West has admitted this is genius. Or, just a good video from Paris' boy wonders.
Dragon Drums: Boredoms 77
Boredoms visited New York and left with our hearts.
New York became a sun-soaked place for communing with nature Saturday, July 7th. Japan's famed Boredoms are renowned for their avant-rock, post-everything music and their idea of using 77 drummers to form one "dragon" was both brilliant and awe-inspiring. I watched five blocks worth of people stand around for four hours only to be denied entry into the Empire State Park under the Brooklyn Bridge. A more majestic park couldn't exist for this kind of event. Sapporo flowed and so did the elitism: countless people unfortunately felt the wrath of New York privilege versus RSVP democracy. It hurt, too. But, nonetheless after Soft Circle did his thing, at around 7:07, the Boredoms took their place along with 74 other outstanding drummers. Among them, Brian Chippendale in a aqua blue T-shirt banging the shit out of his kit like everyone else. It started off slow, hypnotic and transcendental. Slowly, the noise erupted and if you ever imagined 77 free jazz drummers playing in unison under a New York skyline while water taxis filled with teenagers floated by--yeah, me neither.
That's what this was: beyond imagination, yet wholly real. I just hope you didn't stand in line with the others. Eye, it was great to finally hear you.
