Well, folks, you can certainly say you knew him when. TheNewConfusion has been kicking it with Cy Kosis since he was JT30 and kicking it with Jt30 since he was a dude named Jamaal. Dear reader, you too have been part of this evolution: Cy Kosis used to write for this site under the name ESC(clicking through some of his old posts is sure to give you a good understanding of his progression as an artist). This past week Moomba+, one of the premiere blogs for the burgeoning genre of moombahton music, posted an interview and exclusive track with the kid. Our little boy is all grown up.
To read the interview and listen to exclusive tracks from Cy Kosis click here!
Jay Smooth recently gave a talk at TED x Hampshire College in which he discussed race, more specifically, how to have careful and constructive conversations about race and discrimination with the people in one’s life. This section of the talk is a response to his own Ill Doctrine video blog from 2008, “How to Tell People They Sound Racist.” While his commentary in that video was very much on point, Jay Smooth’s TED talk goes to much greater lengths to really get to the heart of why race can be such a divisive issue even among close friends, and about how to be mindful in a way that allows us to be more open to acknowledging our own inherent prejudice, and how to engage others about theirs. While fact that this TED talk happened at all is beautiful in itself, the actual substance of the talk is so vitally important that I sincerely hope everyone who sees this post watches this video. This is one of the most brilliant and conscientious social commentators of our time addressing one of the most sensitive and divisive issues of our time in way that is simultaneously incisive and compassionate. Watch the video to see why this man is worth learning from.
TheNewConfusion will be joining thousands of others tomorrow in Times Square as part of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Details can be found here: http://www.theoccupationparty.com/.
Though Felonius Munk posted this video to YouTube well before the Occupy Wall Street campaign began, he would be right at home on the front lines down there. What I appreciate about Felonius though is that, unlike a lot of what has been seen thus far from Occupy Wall Street, he cites some specific reasons for his anger, as opposed to just saying “it’s ridiculous.” If the Occupy Wall Street movement is going to last they will have to channel what is clearly a resonating emotional issue into some sort of pointed agenda — no head figure needs to appear, but some unity and pointed pressure will be important.
About two weeks ago, a mysterious and much-talked-about group of Italians converged on Wesleyan’s campus and lit an artistic fire under almost anybody who came into contact with them. The group, known as Dewey Dell, was brought by the Wesleyan Theater Department for a two-week residency that included two performances, one to open and one to close their residency, as well as daily rehearsals and workshops.
The group is an artistic collaborative of three siblings and one close friend: Teodora, Demetrio, Agata Castellucci and Eugenio Resta. The four founders grew up together artistically, sharing the important formative experience of the Stoa the School for the rhythmic movement based in Cesena, Italy. Demetrio, also known as Black Fanfare, composes music of a unique, experimental electronic breed. Teodora choreographs to Demetrio’s compositions (and vice versa), and Agata designs costumes. Finally, Eugenio is the light designer and technical manager – and each individual brings their own touch to the set.
In the performances at Wesleyan it became apparent that each of these young artists (aged from 20-23) were more than willing to think well outside the conventional box for their movement, sound, and vision. Eugenio composes his sets via what some might consider backwards thinking; his point of departure is the unlit stage, and carefully considers how to create artistic, theatrical movement with light. The costumes are created with the body in mind and are always meant to exaggerate specific bodily aspects. And the choreography is, well, stunning. It’s hard to describe in words, but the way in which these dancers move their bodies emphasizes a total separation of every joint and bone with the highest technical proficiency, and yet the body remains a unit, moving smoothly in harmony with itself, the other dancers, and the music.
An example of the unique stage design by Dewey Dell
The group, however, does not consider themselves a dance troupe; on the contrary they like to think of their work as experimental theater, as conveying a plot and story through their movements. As such every work begins at a story. In their second, longer performance titled Cinquanta Urlanti Quaranta Ruggenti Sessanta Stridenti, the group considered a ship at sea, and how the object of the vessel becomes one with the subjects of the sailors to create a living, breathing organism that gets battered in storms, fights within itself, and breathes the salty air. Their movements, the staging, and the music, are all meant to convey what it is to be one with the ocean and to hear the creaking of the vessel as it, and the sailors, wage a peaceful war in their quest to reach their next destination.
For an idea of what I’m talking about, watch the two preview videos from the performances the group gave at Wesleyan, as well as Black Fanfare’s medley of music. If you can see this group, do not hesitate.
Furious Fifties, Roaring Forties, Shrieking Sixties are proper names of three groups of winds that blow over the seas of the Antarctic. Our work springs from a reflection on the ship and its inhabitants. There’s no difference between the sailor and his own ship. From the very moment when the ship leaves the harbor a new, single, floating body is born. This new being, tied indissolubly to the water and the wind, becomes an enormous organism whose borders are blurring. The noise of screeching ropes, the creaking of soaked wood, the sound of embarked objects that answer to the ship rolling on the waves, melt into sailors voices and merge with orders screamed by the captain. An obscure jumble becomes the general breath: the sound of a world where the man, the wind, the ship and the sea, inextricably combined together, form the only conceivable protagonist.
In lieu of today’s Monday Music Mention (one coming tomorrow though!)… With the fall semester well underway at most colleges and universities, students around the country are beginning to adjust (or readjust) to college life. I, on the other hand, having just graduated find myself with more than enough time to do nothing. Last night [...]
Steve Stoute, the infamous music exec, is at it again. Notoriously ahead of the curve, specifically with hip hop, his foresight is back with a new sense of urgency. This time it’s with reference to America’s rapidly changing populace and economic situation, and how it all relates to hip hop’s crossover success. This week, keep [...]
Ivan Rott, Thug-Blogger-in-Chief over at HipHopisRead.com clearly doesn’t give a fuck — in the most beautiful way possible. In an era obsessed with clean user interfaces, Hip Hop is Read is clunky and crowded. Where other sites have rotating feature boxes, the fanciest web element Ivan’s got are some old school .gif images — but [...]
As New Yorkers continue to celebrate their progressive legislature, the state’s most famous newspaper is spreading the big, big news — bisexuals are real! A recent study conducted by Northwestern University (the smart Big Ten school), shows that some men are actually equally aroused by men as they are by women. Upon hearing the news, [...]
Summer is a wonderful time to be outdoors and travel, for the creative types that often means seeking out inspiration. Indeed, for many, particularly those working around the class schedules, summer (not spring) is a time of genesis. As with any period of creation, however, summer can also bring a great deal of frustration. Here, [...]
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