Don't You Dare

The Oyster

ohnoyoudont — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:19:42 +0000

As published in Not Yet magazine, Nov 2008. Under Creative Commons license.

Posted in Words

Streetlights, Heartbreak & Socks

ohnoyoudont — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:39:07 +0000

So Kanye’s new record dropped – in four words; melancholy, auto-tuned, but gorgeous. Check out this even more blissful remix of Street Lights -

Street Lights (Max Justus Remix) – Kanye West (2 shared)

Also, check out the video for Heartless -

In a similarly poignant vein, have a listen to a remix of I’m Not by Panda Bear; choral delight -

I’m Not (Phaseone Remix) – Panda Bear (2 shared)

I promise to have some more depressing but beautiful music soon, along with more upbeat track recommendations, when I’m less tired. Damn essays, and Foucault.

Oh I almost forgot – I had a great night at Stink Like Sock last Saturday (22nd Nov) – here’s SLS’ dubstep edition promo mix:

(click the image to link to the mix)

Posted in Music

Oh No!

ohnoyoudont — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 01:20:05 +0000

Faintly disturbing? Yes. Cute? Totally.

Hmm. Neglected blog. Lots of work?

…Yeah.

Oh. Are you out partying the next four nights though, to redress the balance?

…Yeah. Balance?!

So. At first I thought…. hmm. Kanye singing? Again? I’ve read a lot of criticism of his new “arty” direction. Well, it’s different to his last album, maybe not arty as such, but new. I like it. At best, you can take yourself terribly seriously whilst wearing ridiculously ironic vision-impairing specs (see here). At worst, you could do a nice robot dance to impress your friends. Look I didn’t say you had to, just think about it, OK?

Robocop – Kanye West (2shared)

Hot Chip. I’ve never quite made up my mind about them. Well to tell the truth, and go against the grain, I have. I find them a bit samey/drone-ish. And I don’t like the way they have their fingers in EVERY PIE. And all their toes, basically. Ergh. Pleasantly surprised to find this though, after getting mashup/messy/basically sweaty seeing Skream in Liverpool. Are we on air?

Skream – Midnight Request Line (Hot Chip Remix) (2shared)

Continuing our tale, Skream was at Chibuku in Liverpool Barfly, as were Simian Mobile Disco doing a frankly euphoric DJ set (I prefer that to their actual releases). Here’s a lovely photo of SMD stolen from the Chibuku website, akin to my view from where I was bashing the rail on the front row. Yums, lights and things.

So. They dropped DJ Mujava’s Township Funk beautifully into the mix. Much better with a huge soundsystem (stuff those South African taxi soundsystems, I want it proper). Then I crawled upstairs after some illicit indoor cigarette inhalation and sweaty afro wig antics to appreciate Skream unexpectedly PROPOUNDING chase and status’ Eastern Jam. Enjoy.

Dj Mujava – Township Funk (2shared)

Chase and Status – Eastern Jam (what, dubstep? Yes!) (2shared)

Appearing soon – my promotion of depressing but beautiful music I keep putting on late at night by mistake

Posted in Music

The Dull Flame of Desire

ohnoyoudont — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:23:51 +0000

“In truth I want you to hear

Stuff that isn’t spoken

Words are needless anyway…”*

…And through the downcast lashes
I see the dull flame of desire

The Dull Flame of Desire – Bjork & Antony Hegarty (Modeselektor’s Rmx for Girls)

* Aiden Shaw (from If language at the same time shapes and distorts our ideas and emotions, how do we communicate love?)

Posted in Music, Random

Little People in the Big City

ohnoyoudont — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:44:33 +0000

“They’re not pets, Susan.”

A while ago when I did the research for my Banksy article, I came across some other street art I liked in a book (I think perhaps this one or this one?), made a note of it, and then lost the piece of paper. But all is not lost, as I managed to find some of it again. This hilarious miniature installation (could you call it that?) on the streets of London is one of many from Slinkachu.

These miniature figures are left around London in various locations but are, of course, pretty hard to spot if you’re not really looking for them. I really like them – he’s got a great sense of humour (albeit pretty dark), but there’s something poignant about them too. They remind me of the sense of awe that I sometimes get when trying to comprehend the sheer size and complexity of cities*, edged with that uneasy realisation or remembrance that you are one individual surrounded by similar millions, in one city in one country on one planet. Terrifying? Or comforting? I can’t decide.

To see more Slinkachu, check out his blog here.

*yeah, I’m a small town girl. Don’t stare, it’s rude. all images © 2006-2008 slinkachu

Posted in Uncategorized

Reckoner P.S.

ohnoyoudont — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 23:54:31 +0000

Found another remix of Reckoner that I really like – listened to a few other popular ones but they didn’t impress me as much as this one (found on Palms Out Sounds):

Reckoner (Rune RK Remadoodle) - (zshare)

Give it some patience, it develops. Like a great polaroid photo – with some nice surprises. My favourite bit would have to be the voice + sireny thing + strings bit at 3:09.

I forgot to direct you to the official page for all these Reckoner remixes in the last post (I know you could have found it by yourself, but).

Posted in Music

We Feel Fine

ohnoyoudont — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:30:15 +0000

Just a wonderful website, I discovered it a few years ago and keep rediscovering it.

It’s hard to describe, but very beautiful and interesting. How do you feel?

http://www.wefeelfine.org/

Posted in Random

Radiohead Reckoner Remix & Official Video

ohnoyoudont — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:33:17 +0000

Continuing the theme of alliterated triplet titles, I thought I’d take a look at the most popular remixes of Radiohead’s “Reckoner”. The song’s “stems” are up for download at a price, and once remixed can be uploaded and entered into the competition. This comes following the success of their previous competition to remix “Nude”; possibly the most beautiful song from “In Rainbows”. Here are a two of my favourite remixes so far, from two big names:

Reckoner (Flying Lotus remix) (zShare)

Reckoner (Diplo remix) (zShare) yum…Diplo…

oh, and here’s the official video, also the result of a contest, as recently announced by Thom Yorke himself:

“…here is one of my favourite video things that has ever happened…for Reckoner it is, the result of somebody entering a competition to make an animation to one of the tunes on IN RAINbows…ok now im going to fold some clothes.”

Radiohead – Reckoner – by Clement Picon

Posted in Music

Love Lockdown Letdown

ohnoyoudont — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:46:50 +0000

As per Kanye West’s “Graduation”, his new album: “808s and Heartbreak” was due to be released in December, but recent reports suggest that the release date is being moved forward to “sometime in November”. But why, Mr West?

“…’cause I finished the album and I felt like it. I want y’all to hear it as soon as possible.”

Many of Kanye’s fans were not impressed by the first offering from the new album – “Love Lockdown”. I agree: I felt that it could have been great but just didn’t develop; unusual for Kanye to sing and not rap at all, and ended up pretty monotonous. Kudos for the bongos though. The story goes that the song was previously re-mixed due to negative responses from the fans who read his blog, and now he’s offering it up Radiohead-style in “stems” for anyone and everyone to remix here. Given up, Kanye?! Here’s hoping that his album manages to live up to the hype. Meanwhile, enjoy this mash-up of Kanye & MGMT “Electric Touch”:

“Electric Touch” – Kanye West & MGMT (Zshare)

Posted in Music

THIS REVOLUTION IS FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES ONLY

ohnoyoudont — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:17:47 +0000

(as published in Vivid magazine Nov 2007)

“I like the political edge. All graffiti is low-level dissent, but stencils have an extra history. They’ve been used to start revolutions and to stop wars”

Banksy. The spray-can superstar. Most have heard of him, but few know his real identity. Since 2003 he’s been known for transforming industrialised spaces into al fresco art galleries, drab walls into colourful murals for robotic commuters, with his easily recognisable graffiti stencil style. He has been described as a “British provocateur” by American news channels – he addresses the elephant in the room with his art, quite literally. In 2006 he held an exhibition in Los Angeles, the main attraction being a live elephant painted head to toe in red and gold, to match the wallpaper pattern of the room it stood in. This prompted passionate controversy, and Banksy became a household name. Other contentious works have included his guerrilla-style incorporation of a bound and hooded inflatable Guantanamo prisoner into the landscape of a Disneyland ride, a portrait of the Queen as an ape, and a life-sized image of two gay policemen in a passionate embrace.

Graffiti is, by definition, a subversive and controversial activity. Traditionally rushed, dirty and secretive, it sticks two fingers up at the establishment (and one at “the man” for good measure). “Tagging” usually involves a quick scrawl of the author’s name (usually on some hard-to-reach space, thus presenting the creator as the most adventurous or daring), whereas bigger pieces may feature more than just a name. Recently however, stencil graffiti has grown in popularity, due to the fact that pieces with more accuracy and impact can be created quickly. Banksy says of his first venture into stencils: “I like the political edge – they look political just through the style”.

And Banksy has proven himself to be political. As the manifesto on his website states: “Painting a picture in a public space to make people think or smile is criminal damage. Flogging your product via TV, radio, billboards, spam email, adverts in urinals, ‘free’ gifts for kids, peer pressure et all is known as marketing; Banksy understands this”. It seems that most of his graffiti follows particular themes: 1984 paranoia; the evils of consumerism; anarchism in response to suppression; anti-capitalism; all of this presented in a humorous or colourful way. His pieces make you laugh, spitting your victory coffee out in glee, forcing you to view urban life with a different perspective.

However, Banksy’s presentation of rebellion seems a bit tame – an insurgence for the 9-5 slaves to the wage. A businessman’s chuckle suppressed behind his Starbucks paper napkin as he commutes to his desk. Is Banksy’s suggestion so amusing because we realise the revolt will never happen? This is a middle class faux-rebellion; is Banksy just painting what we want to see?

He’s clearly raising the candid mirror to society – commenting on key current issues. He rips the words from everybody’s lips, the sentences from our mouths, translates them into colour and line and stamps them all over our metropolitan capitals. And ironically, they stay there. A cover-up of authoritative whitewash occasionally conceals the crime, or a SWAT team of scrubbers remove it, but a great number of Banksy’s works remain. In fact, in the artist’s hometown of Bristol, a new shopping centre is being constructed around a Banksy mural in acknowledgement of his almost universal appeal. But wait. Surely something is wrong here? Is he really an anarchist, or an aging graffiti artist hankering for fame, getting a foot in the door of public consciousness by any which means?

His subversion seems oxymoronically legitimised, like the equivalent of a permission slip to stamp on King’s college grass or backwash while drinking from the Homerton horn. Graffiti artists hate him for being a “sell-out”. He buys antiquated oil paintings, paints helicopters and CCTV cameras over them, and then they are sold for thousands of pounds. Earlier this year, the auction of his “Space Girl and Bird” fetched £288,000 – the most expensive yet. He has also authored a successful book, “Wall and Piece”, full of photographs of his works and inspiring liberal quotations; a coffee-table hit. He is suspected to use a team of guerrilla artistes to carry out his bidding, presumably so he has more time to sit at home counting and re-counting his moolah.

Perhaps I am unduly critical. Can we reconcile this possible disparity with the fact that he might not agree with the way his art is being bought and sold, or cherished by the very authority he’s trying to rebel against? On the second day of Sotheby’s auction of his works in 2007, he updated his website with an image of people within an auction house bidding on a painting of the words “I Can’t Believe You Morons Actually Buy This Shit”. Furthermore, the main output of his artwork is illegal – whether people choose to remove it or not. And if people want to pay thousands for his work, why not let them? He has to make money somehow. He has often stated that art belongs to the people and should be free to enjoy. “Graffiti is not the lowest form of art. Despite having to creep about at night and lie to your mum it’s actually the most honest art form available. There is no elitism or hype, it exhibits on some of the best walls a town has to offer, and nobody is put off by the price of admission”. As I see it, he is not a sell-out, even though he gets paid. Whatever the truth, it cannot be denied that he kicked street art into the limelight. Whoever he is, however hypocritical he may or may not be, he inspires. He reminds monochrome, uniformed suits herded in droves under grey skies that life is best viewed in Technicolor.

Posted in Words