I had the honor of attending Red Bull Music Academy 2010 in London. For those who don't know anything about the Academy, I would encourage you to go deep on the info below and hit up the site for more info. It's one of the most amazing events I've ever been a part of.
The 2010 RBMA highlights:
The scoop from the RBMA website:
Know The Score
The Red Bull Music Academy In A Nutshell
The Red Bull Music Academy is a platform for those who shape our musical future, a music workshop that has been traveling the world since 1998. Setting up our EQ HQ for two fortnight-long 'terms' in a different musical metropolis each year, we pull together pioneers of days-gone-by and musical legends of tomorrow from all aspects of rhythm and sound.
For two weeks, 60 selected participants - producers, vocalists, DJs, instrumentalists, and allround musical mavericks from all around the globe - come together to check gear, chat on tunes, play in clubs, get a rare glimpse into local musical hybrids in a different country, swap musical visions in the studio, and discover closely-guarded secrets of mixing desk magic - straight from those who started revolutions in sound. They're the people we look up to, and they're looking to you for a fresh perspective in turn.
Sofa Surfin'
The Lecture Sessions
Since the very first session back in '98, when Jeff Mills revealed his transglobal hotel secrets, the Academy lectures have offered a chance for participants to glean those pearls of renegade wisdom.
It's a long list, but whether they're house dons like Moodymann or Larry Heard, techno heads like Derrick May or Moritz von Oswald, bass steppers like Skream or Roska, disco nuts like Prins Thomas or DJ Harvey, hip hop heavyweights like Just Blaze and ?uestlove, trojan horses in popland like Mark Ronson and Joe Goddard, or just straight-up legends like Steve Reich or Bob Moog, they've all joined us on the couch for an honest insight into their musical minds - and many will follow in the years to come.
Strings Of Life
The Studio Sessions
Between times - usually there are two lecture sessions per day - Academy attendees record exclusive radio shows, and meet in the lounge to chat about the latest gear or their homeland scenes. Then they gather in the studios set up for the occasion, turning their fresh knowledge into melodies and basslines. You might find yourself exchanging licks with your favourite reggae-soul composer in a studio session, or writing sentimental lyrics with a Scandinavian singer/songwriter at a milkshake bar. The building echoes with noise and music well into the morning hours, and anything could happen.
(Night Time Is) The Right Time
The Concerts and Clubnights
And when stars come out on the dark side of the moon, studio time will give way to signature concerts and club nights in some of the host city's most inspiring venues. It might seem too good to be true, but it's actually a very simple recipe: the best in music, past & present, from around the world. All under one roof, getting down just for the funk of it. The Red Bull Music Academy is there to advance and inspire at a grassroots level.
Wherever We Lay Our Hats
The Wandering Feet of the Academy
The Academy shifts location to zoom in on micro-cultures and new musical hybrids that are springing up all over the world. Since 1998, its acoustically treated studio walls have been set up in cities such as Berlin, New York, São Paulo, Cape Town, Melbourne, and Barcelona, giving international participants a chance for an original adventure, their own unique set of experiences. The Academy also aims to link up with creative folks from every sector, from music production to arichtecture and graphic design, providing them with an international platform and allowing them to make contacts all across globe. It's a two-way street, and everyone's getting closer to the essence of creativity.
In 2010 we planted our stakes in London, shedding light on past, present and future of one of the most vibrant music scenes to ever exist. The location and exact date for the 2011 edition will be announced soon - watch this space!
If Your Name's On The List...
Who Can Apply for the Academy?
The Academy is intended for anyone with a strong yen for music and a desire to be involved in its evolution: producers, instrumentalists, MCs, singers, DJs, sound engineers, broadcasters, laptop lapdancers, guitar guerreros, soulful songwriters - they'll all be considered.
No particular set of skills is necessary. For each Academy, two groups of 30 participants are chosen to represent a wide range of cultures, musical backgrounds and set of skills. There are no set quotas for any country or genre of music. Therefore everyone has an equal chance of coming along - as long as they have a creative vision, an honest attitude and an open approach. You'll need to be 18 or over when the Academy workshops starts, but there's no age limit other than that.
No one will forbid you and your entire crew to enter individually. But please do understand that fairness, logistics and our desire to create open socio-dynamics alone do not allow us to invite entire crews.
If you don't get in, it does not mean that you're not the kind of person we're looking for. Often the number of potential participants far outnumbers the amount we are able to invite. You should definitely apply again: next year, you might be just the person to create the right balance in the final selection of 60 people.
Red Bull Music Academy Radio
Sunday, April 25, 2010
London | Amsterdam | Helsinki (11/19-11/29)
Thurs (10/19) – after only 3 hours of sleep and far too many Bull Hills (Red Bull + Sugar Hill beer), I had to get up and head to JFK for my flight to London. I crawled into the cab and quickly laid my head down on the back seat for a nap. About half way to JFK, I woke up suddenly and started screaming profanities…. Sh*t! Sh*t! Sh*t! … I forgot my passport! I was freaking out but the cabbie pulled a “U”ie and darted back to Chelsea and then back toward JFK. I made it *just* in time to check my bag and luckily preserved my “never missed a flight” status. Whew – that was close! I landed at Heathrow, hopped on the Tube to Angel through Kings Cross and was greeted on the street by KJ, Broen and a doner kebab. Yay! It had been way too long on all fronts. We spent the night catching up on gossip and sleep… as we knew a big weekend lie ahead.
Friday (10/20) – KJ went to work in the am so I was left to my own devices for the day. I had been to London many times before so wasn’t necessarily on a site-seeing crusade but decided to spend the day wandering around the city. I started things off with a mocha at a Café Mobile espresso cart (where I got grilled about the feasibility of such a cart in NYC) and then darted over to the London Bridge Tube stop for a walk along the Thames Path. I stopped at the Tower Bridge when I saw they had a Red Bull Experiment exhibit, showcasing Robbie Maddison’s recent back flip over the open bridge (web clip and pic). After that I walked and walked and walked until I realized that North Greenwich was probably too far to walk – even for me. A short Tube ride later, I was at the O2, the new entertainment complex which includes an arena, a nightclub (Matter, which is owned by the same people behind Fabric) and various other entertainment options. I had the choice between the Michael Jackson exhibit and the British Music Experience and opted for the latter given the contextual relevance. Overall it was great – although it may have been a bit interactive for its own good (or maybe I’m just lazy?). Ha.
After the O2, I ventured toward Soho and wandered for awhile longer. Along the way I walked past Busabi Eathai, a restaurant I had eaten at in 2001 on my very first trip out of the US. After that I met KJ for after dinner drinks at a funky little lounge called Graphic which rotates the work of various graphic designers. That night we grabbed some Turkish food in Angel and met up with Sami and Catherine for a low key night which ended on a particularly funny note: A wasted bloke was walking down the street toward us when all of the sudden his buddy shoved him (hard!) into a massive pile of empty boxes on the street. He was so drunk that he couldn’t move (let alone get up) and remained face down in the boxes for some time. Not to miss out on a good photo opportunity, me and the crew piled on more boxes and then proceeded to stand on the top, surfing on the wasted mess of a man below. I’m going to hell. Ha!
Sat (10/21) – KJ took me hat shopping at CA4LA in Shoreditch for a belated birthday present. We tried pretty much every hat in the joint before finally settling on our new lids. Goes without saying that KJ and my selections were quite different (-; After that we started a Bloody Mary and brunch crawl – stopping first at Cantaloupe and then at Breakfast Club before finally landing at Nir’s apartment. KJ and I let Nir go to the gym (someone’s gotta do it) and cabbed up to Camden for the Red Bull Street Style UK finals at St. Michael’s Church. (link). That night we had a DESLISH dinner at Elk in the Woods, got our pre-game on and then went to Fabric for the main event of the trip. We’re old and tired so we only lasted until 6am but not before catching Craig Richards, Jeremy P. Caufield, Zip, Pan Pot, Caesar & Disorder and Inland Knights. Fabric definitely lived up to its billing as world’s best sound system and all around amazing club – I can see why the Brits still venture out night after night for big room madness.
Sunday (10/22) – Laziest day ever: pay per view movies, Indian food and the couch.
Mon (10/23) – KJ was back to work so I decided to cruise over to Red Bull’s UK HQ right near the Tower Bridge to meet up with a colleague and check out their new digs and future site of RB Music Academy (Feb 2010). The afternoon was spent exploring Borough Market, eating Fish & Chips and walking, walking, walking until I couldn’t walk anymore. Since it was my last night in London, KJ, Broen, Sami, Catherine, Nir and Taj all gathered at a great tapas joint in Shoreditch where we sucked down Brandy sangria and pounded tapas like it was going out of style. yum, yum, yum. Then we had a final nightcap at Ottolinghi in Angel, where good friend Haim (aka Cam) is working.
Tues (10/24 & beyond)
Unfortunately the rest of the trip was not documented very well so I'll have to come back and edit this when I have some time to put *pen to paper*. In the meantime, just know that Amsterdam is amazing but not for any of the reasons everyone always talks about - ganja, red light district, etc. And... that my 24 hours in Helsinki was absolutely off the chain!
The highlights:
--Picked up by Red Bull local at the airport
--Stopped for afternoon drinks a super cool loungey hangout, Siltanen
--Toured the city's sights
--Got dropped off at a dope, boutique hotel, Klaus K
--Given clothing from a local company, Makia
--Taken out to a traditional Finnish dinner of meatballs and Brandy sauce at Tori
--Hit up a cool bar called Beetroot and drank Glögi (a wintery mulled wine drink with almonds and cranberries) and the most popular shot in Finland, Fishu (2 packs of ground up fisherman friends packets to ½ litre of vodka)
--Popped over to the 30th bday party of a few club owners at Motellet, rocked out a Mo-vember party at Klaus K and then made it to Redrum for Berghain resident, Ben Klock.
--Was very, very hungover for the long flight from Finland back to the US of A.
Friday (10/20) – KJ went to work in the am so I was left to my own devices for the day. I had been to London many times before so wasn’t necessarily on a site-seeing crusade but decided to spend the day wandering around the city. I started things off with a mocha at a Café Mobile espresso cart (where I got grilled about the feasibility of such a cart in NYC) and then darted over to the London Bridge Tube stop for a walk along the Thames Path. I stopped at the Tower Bridge when I saw they had a Red Bull Experiment exhibit, showcasing Robbie Maddison’s recent back flip over the open bridge (web clip and pic). After that I walked and walked and walked until I realized that North Greenwich was probably too far to walk – even for me. A short Tube ride later, I was at the O2, the new entertainment complex which includes an arena, a nightclub (Matter, which is owned by the same people behind Fabric) and various other entertainment options. I had the choice between the Michael Jackson exhibit and the British Music Experience and opted for the latter given the contextual relevance. Overall it was great – although it may have been a bit interactive for its own good (or maybe I’m just lazy?). Ha.
After the O2, I ventured toward Soho and wandered for awhile longer. Along the way I walked past Busabi Eathai, a restaurant I had eaten at in 2001 on my very first trip out of the US. After that I met KJ for after dinner drinks at a funky little lounge called Graphic which rotates the work of various graphic designers. That night we grabbed some Turkish food in Angel and met up with Sami and Catherine for a low key night which ended on a particularly funny note: A wasted bloke was walking down the street toward us when all of the sudden his buddy shoved him (hard!) into a massive pile of empty boxes on the street. He was so drunk that he couldn’t move (let alone get up) and remained face down in the boxes for some time. Not to miss out on a good photo opportunity, me and the crew piled on more boxes and then proceeded to stand on the top, surfing on the wasted mess of a man below. I’m going to hell. Ha!
Sat (10/21) – KJ took me hat shopping at CA4LA in Shoreditch for a belated birthday present. We tried pretty much every hat in the joint before finally settling on our new lids. Goes without saying that KJ and my selections were quite different (-; After that we started a Bloody Mary and brunch crawl – stopping first at Cantaloupe and then at Breakfast Club before finally landing at Nir’s apartment. KJ and I let Nir go to the gym (someone’s gotta do it) and cabbed up to Camden for the Red Bull Street Style UK finals at St. Michael’s Church. (link). That night we had a DESLISH dinner at Elk in the Woods, got our pre-game on and then went to Fabric for the main event of the trip. We’re old and tired so we only lasted until 6am but not before catching Craig Richards, Jeremy P. Caufield, Zip, Pan Pot, Caesar & Disorder and Inland Knights. Fabric definitely lived up to its billing as world’s best sound system and all around amazing club – I can see why the Brits still venture out night after night for big room madness.
Sunday (10/22) – Laziest day ever: pay per view movies, Indian food and the couch.
Mon (10/23) – KJ was back to work so I decided to cruise over to Red Bull’s UK HQ right near the Tower Bridge to meet up with a colleague and check out their new digs and future site of RB Music Academy (Feb 2010). The afternoon was spent exploring Borough Market, eating Fish & Chips and walking, walking, walking until I couldn’t walk anymore. Since it was my last night in London, KJ, Broen, Sami, Catherine, Nir and Taj all gathered at a great tapas joint in Shoreditch where we sucked down Brandy sangria and pounded tapas like it was going out of style. yum, yum, yum. Then we had a final nightcap at Ottolinghi in Angel, where good friend Haim (aka Cam) is working.
Tues (10/24 & beyond)
Unfortunately the rest of the trip was not documented very well so I'll have to come back and edit this when I have some time to put *pen to paper*. In the meantime, just know that Amsterdam is amazing but not for any of the reasons everyone always talks about - ganja, red light district, etc. And... that my 24 hours in Helsinki was absolutely off the chain!
The highlights:
--Picked up by Red Bull local at the airport
--Stopped for afternoon drinks a super cool loungey hangout, Siltanen
--Toured the city's sights
--Got dropped off at a dope, boutique hotel, Klaus K
--Given clothing from a local company, Makia
--Taken out to a traditional Finnish dinner of meatballs and Brandy sauce at Tori
--Hit up a cool bar called Beetroot and drank Glögi (a wintery mulled wine drink with almonds and cranberries) and the most popular shot in Finland, Fishu (2 packs of ground up fisherman friends packets to ½ litre of vodka)
--Popped over to the 30th bday party of a few club owners at Motellet, rocked out a Mo-vember party at Klaus K and then made it to Redrum for Berghain resident, Ben Klock.
--Was very, very hungover for the long flight from Finland back to the US of A.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Red Bull BC One (11/18)
Wed (10/18) – Months of plotting and planning resulted in another legendary Red Bull event in NYC. This time it was Red Bull BC One, our global b-boy competition, which took place at Hammerstein Ballroom and sold out in 53 minutes. The 16 b-boys from around the world did not disappoint, nor did host and after party performer, KRS One, or Talib Kweli who also threw down.
A new chapter was written in the birthplace of Hip Hop, New York City. Red Bull BC One shook iconic music venue, Hammerstein ballroom, to its core. Sixteen b-boys from eleven countries battled with pride in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 1,600 enthusiastic fans. French b-boy Lilou took home the honor of being "The One" for the second time, a first in Red Bull BC One's six year history. It was no easy task for Lilou, as all the night's competitors put their best foot forward or "up". He defeated USA's Cloud, who had a comeback after a four-year hiatus touring with Madonna, in a three-round intense finals face-off. In the end, Lilou’s character, style and confidence prevailed. The night featured performances by the original b-boys Rock Steady Crew, Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek, as well as Hip-Hop’s "Teacha” KRS One.
Preview:
Recap:
A new chapter was written in the birthplace of Hip Hop, New York City. Red Bull BC One shook iconic music venue, Hammerstein ballroom, to its core. Sixteen b-boys from eleven countries battled with pride in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 1,600 enthusiastic fans. French b-boy Lilou took home the honor of being "The One" for the second time, a first in Red Bull BC One's six year history. It was no easy task for Lilou, as all the night's competitors put their best foot forward or "up". He defeated USA's Cloud, who had a comeback after a four-year hiatus touring with Madonna, in a three-round intense finals face-off. In the end, Lilou’s character, style and confidence prevailed. The night featured performances by the original b-boys Rock Steady Crew, Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek, as well as Hip-Hop’s "Teacha” KRS One.
Preview:
Recap:
Friday, September 25, 2009
Bratislava | Salzburg | St. Wolfgang | Vienna (8/1-8/9)
Summer has come and gone and I haven't blogged or beached. How sad! I did take a work trip to Austria in August, which I book-ended with fun weekends with friends. I figured I might as well drop a quick post with some pics and a few highlights.
I started things off by flying from NYC to Vienna (business class baby!) and then hopped a bus over the border to Bratislava, Slovakia to visit an old friend from the Barcelona days. For those who haven't already heard me talk about Branislav and his photos photos, check 'em: www.kropilak.com.
Some quick background from our friends at Wikipedia: Bratislava is the capital of the Slovak Republic and, with a population of about 429,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries, and it and Vienna are the two European national capitals closest to one another, at less than 60 kilometres (37 mi) apart.
We spent the weekend touring the old town, checking out some bars near the foot of Bratislava Castle, hitting up a few parties including one under the UFO restaurant near the Nový Most bridge and lounging on a dock at a nearby lake. Of course I chowed down on bryndzové halušky a traditional Slovak meal of small potato dumplings topped with sheep cheese and bacon. Holy heavy, batman. I could barely eat it! Saturday night Branislav and I intended to go out but somehow managed never to leave the house. Instead we killed a bottle of Bacardi and Kofola (Slovak cola) while tag teaming house and techno all night- Branislav on turntables and me on the iPod. Was an absolute blast!
Bratislava:
After the weekend, I left Slovakia and made my way across Austria to Salzburg by train. Salzburg is the fourth-largest city in Austria and birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Salzburg's "Old Town" (Altstadt) is famous for it's baroque architecture, shopping and Mozart sites, making it a very popular tourist destination. To be honest - it was a bit too touristy for me but I was only there for 24hrs so no harm done. From Salzburg, I made my way to St. Wolfgang, a market town of 2,700 people right on the northern shore of the Wolfgangsee (lake). I stayed at the Scalaria, a fairly ridiculous event hotel. My room had a lovely view of the lake and mountains. I stayed there all week plowing through business planning meetings and Red Bull all day every day (-;
Friday I made my way back to the city, this time Vienna. I was fortunate enough to be greeted at the train station by a friend of a friend who chauffeured me her apartment where I'd be staying for the weekend (while and her boyfriend were out of town). Isn't that convenient! I wandered around the city by day and night without much purpose (which was great!) and came across a lot of great architecture, food and fun. One of the highlights was a party at Pratersauna a one-time "sweat'n'bang" park sauna converted into a dope indoor/outdoor party spot (with a pool!).
Salzburg & Vienna:
I started things off by flying from NYC to Vienna (business class baby!) and then hopped a bus over the border to Bratislava, Slovakia to visit an old friend from the Barcelona days. For those who haven't already heard me talk about Branislav and his photos photos, check 'em: www.kropilak.com.
Some quick background from our friends at Wikipedia: Bratislava is the capital of the Slovak Republic and, with a population of about 429,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries, and it and Vienna are the two European national capitals closest to one another, at less than 60 kilometres (37 mi) apart.
We spent the weekend touring the old town, checking out some bars near the foot of Bratislava Castle, hitting up a few parties including one under the UFO restaurant near the Nový Most bridge and lounging on a dock at a nearby lake. Of course I chowed down on bryndzové halušky a traditional Slovak meal of small potato dumplings topped with sheep cheese and bacon. Holy heavy, batman. I could barely eat it! Saturday night Branislav and I intended to go out but somehow managed never to leave the house. Instead we killed a bottle of Bacardi and Kofola (Slovak cola) while tag teaming house and techno all night- Branislav on turntables and me on the iPod. Was an absolute blast!
Bratislava:
After the weekend, I left Slovakia and made my way across Austria to Salzburg by train. Salzburg is the fourth-largest city in Austria and birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Salzburg's "Old Town" (Altstadt) is famous for it's baroque architecture, shopping and Mozart sites, making it a very popular tourist destination. To be honest - it was a bit too touristy for me but I was only there for 24hrs so no harm done. From Salzburg, I made my way to St. Wolfgang, a market town of 2,700 people right on the northern shore of the Wolfgangsee (lake). I stayed at the Scalaria, a fairly ridiculous event hotel. My room had a lovely view of the lake and mountains. I stayed there all week plowing through business planning meetings and Red Bull all day every day (-;
Friday I made my way back to the city, this time Vienna. I was fortunate enough to be greeted at the train station by a friend of a friend who chauffeured me her apartment where I'd be staying for the weekend (while and her boyfriend were out of town). Isn't that convenient! I wandered around the city by day and night without much purpose (which was great!) and came across a lot of great architecture, food and fun. One of the highlights was a party at Pratersauna a one-time "sweat'n'bang" park sauna converted into a dope indoor/outdoor party spot (with a pool!).
Salzburg & Vienna:
Friday, May 22, 2009
3 Weeks - 17,242 Miles
New York - San Diego - New York: Red Bull Air Race
New York - Las Vegas - New York: Cher @ Caesar's Palace with Mom for Cher's 63rd Birthday. Don't laugh- this show was amazing!
New York Pit Stop: I was home for less than 24 hours and decided to spend the bulk of it at the Blk Mkt Membership & Uddermaddess 3 Year Anniversary Party in a massive Brooklyn warehouse. And yes, I went straight from the party to the airport at 10am Saturday morning in a white limo with Crazy Larry, Taimur and the boys from Soulclap. Yes, that's how we roll!
New York - Detroit: Detroit Electronic Music Festival for the 4th year in a row. Luciano, Loco Dice, Adam Beyer, Marco Carola, Guy Gerber, Carl Cox, Francois K, Steve Bug, Wighnomy Bros, Tiefschwarz. The "I'm on a Boat" party on the Detroit Princess, The Old Miami and the Betty Kang's Angels reality TV show (in the making). Enough said.
Detroit - Los Angeles (via Las Vegas): Three days in a conference room. Yeah, not so much.
Los Angeles - Montreal (via Chicago): Amazing art, music, food and fun at Mutek and Piknic Electronik all weekend long. Not even the rain could put a damper on our fun as we rocked right through multiple showers at Piknic and lasted to Ricardo Villalobos' very last track. Oh and the Montreal party house legend lives on...
Montreal - Rochester - Buffalo - New York: Work, work, work... but I did get to go snow tubing (in June!?) at Snow Park Niagara ha!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Red Bull Air Race World Champsionship - San Diego (5/10/09)
Last weekend I hopped a 747 to San Diego to catch the second race in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship I had heard and seen quite a bit about the event since joining the company but had to experience it firsthand. The objective is to navigate an aerial race track featuring air-filled pylons in the fastest possible time incurring as few penalties as possible. Pilots can win World Championship points at each race and the one with the most points after the last race of the season becomes the Red Bull Air Race World Champion. The race is pretty amazing on TV but even better up close and personal while sitting in sunny San Diego harbor!
On his final flight of the weekend, French flight instructor, Nicholas Ivanoff, flew his fastest (1:17.21) and won the race. He defeated Paul Bonhomme of the United Kingdom by 1.11 seconds. Hannes Arch of Australia was third.
Next up is Windsor, Ontario... then the series is off to Budapest, Porto and Barcelona!
Highlight Reel:
NFL Player and Red Bull Athlete, Reggie Bush, Gets His Turn:
View from the Control Tower:
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Dancing Rams VI: Animal Crackers
The sixth year of Dancing Rams lived up to the hype with 400+ people showing up to Bar 13's rooftop for sunshine, shenanigans, super dope beats and of course... animal crackers. I could go on and on about all the hysterical costumes and antics but I think I'll let the pictures, videos and animations speak for themselves.
Extra special lovin to everyone who came in from out of town for the big the day as well as Melanie, Dill, Ali, Joel, Memo, Lloyd, Nora and Karen who all had extra special roles in VI.
Photos:
Betty Confetti Blasts the Cannon:
Wendy & The Zebra Sisters:
Animal Cracker Races (by Lloyd Alvarez):
Stadenco Beats:
Extra special lovin to everyone who came in from out of town for the big the day as well as Melanie, Dill, Ali, Joel, Memo, Lloyd, Nora and Karen who all had extra special roles in VI.
Photos:
Betty Confetti Blasts the Cannon:
Wendy & The Zebra Sisters:
Animal Cracker Races (by Lloyd Alvarez):
Stadenco Beats:
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Red Bull Big Tune (12/3/08)
"Big Tune began as the brainchild of DJ/producer/emcee—Vitamin D and Hip Hop visionary/event producer --Jonathan Moore, in 2004 with the purpose of bringing emerging and established talent to the forefront. After three years of hosting thriving local battles in Seattle, they forged a creative partnership with Red Bull and the event evolved beyond a beat battle into a dynamic national producer program."Over 800 people packed Highline Ballroom Wednesday night to see the 16 regional finalists battle it for Big Tune 2008 supremacy and me and a crew were right in the thick of things. It's rare that I'm out at hip hop events but this was something any beat lover could appreciate. These kids were so inspiring... dropping a ton of completely original tracks as well as some others that made use of some really clever samples. Best and most unexpected sample of the night had to go to Beat Makers (aka Country Club) who worked in Rosemary Clooney's Mambo Italiano. Straight up awesome! Besides the young guns, we were also treated to Ghostface Killah, Alchemist and the recently reunited Digable Planets who gave us what we REALLY wanted by playing their 1992 jam, Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat). I don't know how old they were in the early 90s but these cats still look young.
As for the 17 year-old winner, C-Sick, he earned the respect of everyone in the room as well as the chance to spend some time at Red Bull Studios in Santa Monica with either Common, Nas, Lupe Fiasco or The Game. Watch out world, this kid is gonna be big!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Girl Talk @ Terminal 5 (11/16/08)
I first heard about Pittsburgh mash-up DJ, Girl Talk, in Detroit last May and finally got to catch the live act at the All Points West Festival in August. I was so impressed with the energy of the performance at APW I vowed not to miss Girl Talk (aka Greg Gilles) again. Me and a crew hit up the 2nd of 3 sold out shows at Terminal 5 and had a ridiculous time. So many people have been hating on Girl Talk but I must say, I'm leaning toward the party-rocking-hipster DJs these days - they are bringing the FUN back to nightlife and I'm all for it. I can't tell you how many times I've been to electronic music parties recently and found myself utterly bored by the music and the vibe. And... I know I'm not alone despite what many so-called pundits will admit publicly. Where else are you going to get 2 Live Crew, Journey, Notorious B.I.G., Kelley Clarkson and others all in one sitting? Awesome. Definitely check out the videos below and get on Girl Talk's website to download his mix (pay whatever you want) if you haven't already.
Montage of My Videos:
ON STAGE with Girl Talk:
Photo Credit: NY Times
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Ambergris Caye, Belize (11/7/08)
As fate would have it, the very same day I gave notice to Unilever, Travel Zoo announced ridiculously low fares from NYC to Belize. Never one to pass up a chance to travel or soak the sun, I booked (for $200 RT!!) and decided to head down alone for 6 days for some r&r before starting my new job. It's a tiny country with only about 320,000 people but it has a rich history and diverse culture. Once part of the Mayan, and very briefly the Spanish Empire, it was most recently affiliated with the British Empire, prior to gaining its independence in 1981 (from Wiki). In 2007 I started my summer travel adventure in Caye Caulker so this time I opted for the other, more developed island, Ambergris Caye. You may not realize it but you've definitely heard of this island before... probably as early as 1987 when Madonna sung about it in "La Isla Bonita" or maybe more recently in 2001 when Fox aired the Temptation Island reality show. Either way, my blog will not be the first pop culture mention for the 25 square mile island.I decided to do things a bit differently this time around. For your viewing pleasure I actually created a movie to entertain you and for your reading pleasure I'm going to forgo the day-by-day account and share some highlights by topic instead. Enjoy!
Average Time To Bed: 8:00 pm.
Average Time to Rise: 6:15 am (followed by a 4-mile run on the beach every morning!)
Best Meals: Lobster burrito at Waraguma; Puttanesca-style Cobia (fish) at Wild Mango's; Rice/Beans/Stew Chicken from a street vendor in Central Park; Calamari & Shrimp Salad in a light Peanut Sauce at Blue Water Grill; Creole Conch @ Lily's.
Best Drinks: Iced Mocha @ Island Perk; Michelada @ Cholo's Sports Bar (zinga!)
Biggest Disappointments: Getting a bad Magnum (which must have been melted and frozen many times in transit to the island); Not having a hammock at my hotel.
Biggest Surprise: Being treated to a snorkeling session by people I had met 20 minutes earlier.
Best Raining Morning Activity: 60 minute therapeutic massage.
Most Intense Moment: Having a sea version of a vulture swoop down above my head to try and steal the chum from the sharks I was swimming with!
Most Cathartic Moment: Sitting on my balcony listening to Dixon set thinking about myself, my goals and my purpose in life.
Best New Travel Friends: Patty & Todd from Boise; Yousef & Ahmed from Jordan; Mohamed from Lebanon; Andrew & Miguel from Ambergris Caye; Jennifer and Tenisha from Portland; Girls from San Antonio; Little Girl (name unknown) from Ambergris Caye; Roy Elvis from Ambergris Caye; Elliot and Samantha from NC.
Oddest New Travel Friend: B**** (name withheld) from Jersey City who within the course of a few hours told me everything about his: estranged daughter, crazy ex-wife, drug addictions, millions made, millions lost, views on free trade, thoughts on the bailout, food interests, sex life, rent, social security payments, etc.
Books Read: Water for Elephants, Tribes
Best Mini-Adventure: Renting a bike for the day and exploring all of north island.
Most Satisfying Travel Moment: Knowing many of the locals by name (and vice versa) after only a few days.
Most Annoying Travel Moment: Having to listen to the cat calls from all of the island men (but then again, that happens everywhere)
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