Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Switched On: Blu-ray had friends in high def places
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment.
When Sony included a DVD drive on its PlayStation 2, it was clear which technology was helping sell which product. After just avoiding being a victim of a format war itself, DVD was on its way to enticing consumers with many of the same benefits that had turned the compact disc into a huge success -- high-fidelity, portability, durability and the end of rewinding. The PS2 may well have been a success without DVD, but DVD did not need the PS2.
For the PlayStation 3, the issue was a lot murkier. While US sales of standalone -- that is to say, excluding PS3 -- players for Blu-ray and HD DVD were almost dead even in 2007, Blu-ray titles consistently outsold HD DVD titles. Part of this may have been due to Toshiba's heavy bundling of titles with HD DVD players, but PlayStation 3 owners seem to have bought Blu-ray movies in droves. While Sony consistently promoted Blu-ray's game and movie capacity as a PS3 selling point, the PS3 -- specifically its owners' embrace of Blu-ray movies -- was the major consumer factor in swinging the fate of the high-definition video disc for Blu-ray.
Yet the fight was fought at least as much by corporations as by consumers. Out of the gate, Blu-ray had more studio support and a Murderers' Row of consumer electronics companies -- Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, Philips, LG, Sharp, and Pioneer -- backing the format. Not only did these companies account for the vast majority of DVD player sales in the US, they also accounted for most of the large-screen TVs, paving the way for bundles and other promotions that are sure to accelerate now that there is more security in buying Blu-ray.
For a time, it looked as though the Blu glue would not hold true as HP, LG, and Samsung released HD DVD products despite their initial allegiance to Blu-ray. Microsoft joined HD DVD's feisty campaign with gusto, offering hardware and brilliant evangelism, but without the time or desire to turn the Xbox 360 into a credible subsidized counterbalance to the PlayStation 3.
Regardless, in the end it was studio loyalty that made the difference as Howard Stringer noted at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Whereas Universal stayed resolutely exclusive to HD DVD until the end, Paramount initially cast its lot with HD DVD, then switched to dual format, then back to HD DVD in the format's last triumph before being trounced. And Warner, of course, which started strongly aligned with HD DVD, strove for detente with its dual-sided dual format TotalHD format (that never launched) before committing to Blu-ray. The Warner announcement signalled the beginning of the end for HD-DVD, culminating in the Wal-Mart death blow.
The format war engaged enthusiasts who were passionate about video, about audio, and about interactivity and control. But the real test for Blu-ray will be fighting not passion, but apathy. Millions of consumers are satisfied with the output of their DVD players on their HDTVs. And when those DVD players break, they can replace them with upconverting players that will make DVDs look even better on HDTVs for a third of the price of less than a Blu-ray player.
And if standard definition DVDs are chasing Blu-ray from the past, digital distribution is hurtling toward it from the future. This is true not only of broadband boxes from Microsoft, Apple, and VUDU, but from cable and telco TV service providers investing heavily in infrastructure to thousands of movies on demand, many of them in high definition.
For now, Blu-ray maintains a fidelity advantage over these alternatives, at least for those who own TVs with high enough resolution. But there are still serious questions around whether the it will be able to enjoy the ten-year reign that its predecessor did. In that regard, Blu-ray has not, in fact, truly won the format war, but a committed strategy and stronger partnerships enabled it to win its first and most publicized battle.
by Ross Rubin
www.mondomedeusah.net
When Sony included a DVD drive on its PlayStation 2, it was clear which technology was helping sell which product. After just avoiding being a victim of a format war itself, DVD was on its way to enticing consumers with many of the same benefits that had turned the compact disc into a huge success -- high-fidelity, portability, durability and the end of rewinding. The PS2 may well have been a success without DVD, but DVD did not need the PS2.
For the PlayStation 3, the issue was a lot murkier. While US sales of standalone -- that is to say, excluding PS3 -- players for Blu-ray and HD DVD were almost dead even in 2007, Blu-ray titles consistently outsold HD DVD titles. Part of this may have been due to Toshiba's heavy bundling of titles with HD DVD players, but PlayStation 3 owners seem to have bought Blu-ray movies in droves. While Sony consistently promoted Blu-ray's game and movie capacity as a PS3 selling point, the PS3 -- specifically its owners' embrace of Blu-ray movies -- was the major consumer factor in swinging the fate of the high-definition video disc for Blu-ray.
Yet the fight was fought at least as much by corporations as by consumers. Out of the gate, Blu-ray had more studio support and a Murderers' Row of consumer electronics companies -- Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, Philips, LG, Sharp, and Pioneer -- backing the format. Not only did these companies account for the vast majority of DVD player sales in the US, they also accounted for most of the large-screen TVs, paving the way for bundles and other promotions that are sure to accelerate now that there is more security in buying Blu-ray.
For a time, it looked as though the Blu glue would not hold true as HP, LG, and Samsung released HD DVD products despite their initial allegiance to Blu-ray. Microsoft joined HD DVD's feisty campaign with gusto, offering hardware and brilliant evangelism, but without the time or desire to turn the Xbox 360 into a credible subsidized counterbalance to the PlayStation 3.
Regardless, in the end it was studio loyalty that made the difference as Howard Stringer noted at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Whereas Universal stayed resolutely exclusive to HD DVD until the end, Paramount initially cast its lot with HD DVD, then switched to dual format, then back to HD DVD in the format's last triumph before being trounced. And Warner, of course, which started strongly aligned with HD DVD, strove for detente with its dual-sided dual format TotalHD format (that never launched) before committing to Blu-ray. The Warner announcement signalled the beginning of the end for HD-DVD, culminating in the Wal-Mart death blow.
The format war engaged enthusiasts who were passionate about video, about audio, and about interactivity and control. But the real test for Blu-ray will be fighting not passion, but apathy. Millions of consumers are satisfied with the output of their DVD players on their HDTVs. And when those DVD players break, they can replace them with upconverting players that will make DVDs look even better on HDTVs for a third of the price of less than a Blu-ray player.
And if standard definition DVDs are chasing Blu-ray from the past, digital distribution is hurtling toward it from the future. This is true not only of broadband boxes from Microsoft, Apple, and VUDU, but from cable and telco TV service providers investing heavily in infrastructure to thousands of movies on demand, many of them in high definition.
For now, Blu-ray maintains a fidelity advantage over these alternatives, at least for those who own TVs with high enough resolution. But there are still serious questions around whether the it will be able to enjoy the ten-year reign that its predecessor did. In that regard, Blu-ray has not, in fact, truly won the format war, but a committed strategy and stronger partnerships enabled it to win its first and most publicized battle.
by Ross Rubin
www.mondomedeusah.net
Cristina
photo by Merlin Bronques.
click here to view pin up gallery.
Perfume by Calypso (Gardenia), black boots by Isaac Mizrahi, dress by Urban Outfitters
Tobias Rehberger: The chicken-and-egg-no-problem wall-painting
2008-02-22 until 2008-05-25
Stedelijk Museum
Amsterdam, NL
The Stedelijk Museum CS will present the first major Dutch retrospective of work by Tobias Rehberger (b. 1966, Esslingen, Germany). In the mid-nineties, Rehberger gained an international reputation for objects and installations at the interface of fine art, design and architecture. For this exhibition at the Stedelijk, the artist is devising a special installation involving sculptures and light that produce a mural. The artist’s aim is to examine fundamental issues about the objects with which we surround ourselves in our everyday lives. How do we look at the things around us? How does an object function? Rehberger’s work examines the role of the artist as an ‘auteur’. One way in which he does this is by getting other people to influence the design and production process. The people he involves may be friends or collectors, or perhaps craftsmen in places like Thailand and Africa. In the latter case, he deliberately allows the cultural ‘translation’ of his designs to have a decisive influence on the final work of art. Modifications and misinterpretations therefore play a conspicuous part in his artistic oeuvre.
Light and lamps have a prominent role in Rehberger’s work. For example, his Nightshift exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris (2004) was only open after sunset and was lit solely by the light emanating from the works themselves. The forthcoming exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum will rely on the fact that, lit by special theatre spotlights, Rehberger’s works create an extraordinary visual sensation. Some sculptures made of coloured Perspex throw red, blue or green shadow on the wall, while other works create a distinct, darker outline.
The exhibition will include a number of important groups of works produced over the last fifteen years but now exhibited – literally and figuratively – in a new light. Early works will be represented, such as the ‘vase portraits’ for which he became well known around 1995. There will also be important video-sculptures, such as the Video Libraries. To create these works, Rehberger collected together iconic film excerpts featuring stars like Joan Crawford and showed them on a television set. However, the images could be perceived only as a flickering light on the wall. Another memorable work in this group is 84 Years, designed to have the same duration as a human life and involving the projection over a period of 84 years of all 3.6 million colours that a video-projector is capable of projecting over that space of time. The exhibition will also include objects examining the concept of shared auteurship and the relationship between a model and an original. An example of this is the series of furniture designs – famous design classics – executed by local craftsmen in Cameroon on the basis of simple sketches produced by the artist. More architectural works on show will include Mutter 93%, an almost life-size scale model of a garage, on the basis of which a real garage could be built if the purchaser so wished.
In the exhibition, the works of art will be used as the raw material for an entirely new work, to be created by projecting light onto a gallery wall more than 70 metres long. The sculptures will be arranged in a long row in the middle of the exhibition space and lit by special lamps from one side only. The resulting shadows will combine with painted murals to form the new work.
The exhibition is being curated by Leontine Coelewij, curator at the Stedelijk Museum.
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, NL
www.stedelijk.nl
forwards.backwards
show no. 83
Nik's hour
1.nomak- geisha in the days -huge soul 45 japan
2.fk -lotus garden -tribe 45 japan
3.cosiner -nother day in space -beautiful angry 45 japan
4.bf 45 -dreamer-jazzy sport 45 japan
5.dj makino-tic tac-pipe studio 45 japan
6.a dan akido blend -stakes is high -black belt 45-japan
7.sa ra - ? -jazzy sport japan
8.guynamite -daybreak -mukatsuku
9.stance brothers -upside the head -ricky tick-finland
10.gagle/dj mitsu -kuro fessional mc inst -mukatsuku
11.conspiracy-din da da -subcontact 45 -japan
12.asayake-gotch rhythm -high contrast 45 -japan
13.hypnotic brass ensemble-brass in africa -handcuts 45 japan
14.dj muro-afrodesia -blue note japan
15.ltc -serenata -ricky tick finland
16.quasimode-never let you go feating carmen lundy -live -japan
17.toshio matsuura group featuring jose james-a night in
tunisia-blue note japan
18.middlewood sessions-red waters-wah wah
Nigel's hour
1.art bleek -come into knowledge - Loungin recordings
2.dj spinna -dayz -female fun
3.big daddy kane and percee p-international hustler-scion AV
4.loosmif -speechless-shamen works
5.jill scott -my love- Hidden Beach
6.sleep walker feat yukimi nagano-pieces of you -Especial
7.joanne grauer -frog child-mps
8.cool hipnoise - dias de confusao -- metrodiscos/som
9.light of the world-petes crusade-ensign
10.reel people-alibi-papa records
11.lady alma-pressure inst-especial
12.yukihiro fukutomi-continuous function -pantone
13.newban-greenburgh-guiness
14.stacey epps-addict-cdr
click here to tune in on Milk Audio.
click here to grab the podcast.
Nik's hour
1.nomak- geisha in the days -huge soul 45 japan
2.fk -lotus garden -tribe 45 japan
3.cosiner -nother day in space -beautiful angry 45 japan
4.bf 45 -dreamer-jazzy sport 45 japan
5.dj makino-tic tac-pipe studio 45 japan
6.a dan akido blend -stakes is high -black belt 45-japan
7.sa ra - ? -jazzy sport japan
8.guynamite -daybreak -mukatsuku
9.stance brothers -upside the head -ricky tick-finland
10.gagle/dj mitsu -kuro fessional mc inst -mukatsuku
11.conspiracy-din da da -subcontact 45 -japan
12.asayake-gotch rhythm -high contrast 45 -japan
13.hypnotic brass ensemble-brass in africa -handcuts 45 japan
14.dj muro-afrodesia -blue note japan
15.ltc -serenata -ricky tick finland
16.quasimode-never let you go feating carmen lundy -live -japan
17.toshio matsuura group featuring jose james-a night in
tunisia-blue note japan
18.middlewood sessions-red waters-wah wah
Nigel's hour
1.art bleek -come into knowledge - Loungin recordings
2.dj spinna -dayz -female fun
3.big daddy kane and percee p-international hustler-scion AV
4.loosmif -speechless-shamen works
5.jill scott -my love- Hidden Beach
6.sleep walker feat yukimi nagano-pieces of you -Especial
7.joanne grauer -frog child-mps
8.cool hipnoise - dias de confusao -- metrodiscos/som
9.light of the world-petes crusade-ensign
10.reel people-alibi-papa records
11.lady alma-pressure inst-especial
12.yukihiro fukutomi-continuous function -pantone
13.newban-greenburgh-guiness
14.stacey epps-addict-cdr
click here to tune in on Milk Audio.
click here to grab the podcast.
Monday, February 25, 2008
mondomedeusah recommends: Connie Price and The Keystones
"Connie Price and the Keystones are to be praised for their originality and brilliance."
- Lalo Schifrin (Grammy Award Winning, Oscar Nominated Composer - Mission: Impossible, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Cool Hand Luke, Bullitt, Enter the Dragon, THX 1138)
"Connie Price has the 'Key' to success and a sound that's solid as 'Stone'"
- Big Daddy Kane
"Connie Price and the Keystones live sounded just like our records..."
- Lord Jamal (Brand Nubian)
"...the cast of top-notch, mostly West Coast guests thrives, rhyming atop the rich, cinematic productions of CPK’s Dan Ubick and Co. No doubt, these beats can be enjoyed vocal-free on the accompanying instrumental version of this album...Tell Me Something is the rare live hip-hop project where neither the MCs nor the band gets outshone."
- XLR8R
"West Coast hip-hop has ventured into the urban and the suburban communities, taking with it a flavor that is undeniably its own. Connie Price & The Keystones have reached this level of authenticity...offering a unique mixture of live instrumentation, hip-hop heads can appreciate the relationship between MCs and the beats that inspire them..."
- Vapors
"...the ultimate formula for a hit record has been found..."
- Slug Magazine
On the follow-up to their Now-Again/Stones Throw album, Connie Price and the Keystones step-up with a heavyweight dynamic soundtrack-inspired hip hop album. While their debut was instrumental, Tell Me Something is the opposite, featuring a marquee-filling list of quality MCs. The legendary Percee P, Wildchild from the Lootpack, Ubiquity-labelmate Ohmega Watts, Soup from Jurassic 5, Blood Of Abraham, Mykah 9 from the Freestyle Fellowship and Project Blowed, plus vocalist Aloe Blacc provide lyrics n’rhymes.
Having recently recorded an EP for Scion with Big Daddy Kane, and backing-up Slick Rick, Brand Nubian and Too $hort live, CPK decided to take their live hip hop exploits into the studio. Channeling Wu-Tang and Madlib in equal parts to Schiffrin and Morricone the album bobs and weaves through the head-nodding mellower bpms of “Put Your Weight On It” and “Pirates of The Mediterranean” to the more frantic chase-scene tunes like “Hoagies Revenge” and “Master At Work.” “Funk revivalist” and “retro” were apt tags for the music of CPK when they started out five years ago, fleshing-out raw funk 45s that rivaled the old-school collectible nuggets they were inspired by. But “Tell Me Something” incorporates much broader influences and is a product of a deeper vision.
“We have thrown all our influences into the mix, not just funk. We love funky music but to us that could mean Jorge Ben, Can, Dennis Coffey, or the Upsetters. I see us more as Hip-Hop influenced cinematic soul music,” explains Dan Ubick, one half of the main duo behind CPK. “Also, the MC’s and vocalists just make it all that much more dimensional and interesting.”
To achieve the desired fuller sound, fat bottom end and hard-hitting drums all the music was played live, then sampled, looped-up and processed to be gritty as possible. Dramatic strings, brassy horns, and a driving percussion section pack a musical punch and leave a bigger impression often missing from “live” rap records. “I approached this project as a Hip-Hop record, it was more about sounds recorded rather than full performances from the musicians. I got to use instruments that were new to me on this album, like tympani, an old ‘60’s organ with fuzz, acoustic piano, and most importantly real strings,” says Ubick. “Todd wrote some funky string arrangements for four of the tracks which our good friend Steve Kaye played to perfection. We also had some really unique percussion instruments that make each track really stand out. Most of my equipment was made 30+ years ago, but instruments just sound better to me with a little age on them. Sounds that have been good for 30+ years don’t have to be “retro”, used the right way they’re really just invincible,” he adds.
Connie Price and The Keystones was conceived as a recording project, and features music written solely by Dan Ubick, whose recording credits include Breakestra, Madlib’s Sound Directions, along with Todd M. Simon, of Macy Gray, Antibalas, and El Michels Affair fame. A revolving cast of characters from the incestuous and bustling Los Angeles music scene add flavor, including drummers: Sean O’Shea (Orgone, Plantlife, Breakestra), Pete McNeal (DJ Z-Trip, Breakestra, Cake), Davey Chegwidden (RRAS, David Holmes), Alan Lightner (RRAS, David Garibaldi), Ricardo Rodriguez (RRAS, Cecilia Noel).
“Tell Me Something” is a double CD, including one disc of vocals, and an additional of instrumentals.
Connie Price and the Keystones will play dates following their album including a Ubiquity showcase at the upcoming 2008 SXSW.
Disc: 1
1. International Hustler - download sample mp3
2. Put Your Weight On It - download sample mp3
3. High Life - download sample mp3
4. Tell Me Something - download sample mp3
5. Hoagies Revenge - download sample mp3
6. Pirates of the Mediterranean - download sample mp3
7. Master At Work - download sample mp3
8. Thundersounds - download sample mp3
9. Catatonia / Across the Board Again- download sample mp3
Disc: 2
1. International Hustler - (instrumental)
2. Put Your Weight On It - (instrumental)
3. High Life - (instrumental)
4. Tell Me - (instrumental)
5. Hoagies Revenge - (instrumental)
6. Pirates - (instrumental)
7. Master At Work - (instrumental)
8. Thundersounds - (instrumental)
9. Catatonia - (instrumental)
Connie Price and The Keystones
Tell Me Something
Release Date: March 4, 2008
Label: Ubiquity Records
now in the mondomedeusah shop.
www.mondomedeusah.net/shop
mondomedeusah recommends: The Lions
Tracklist:
01. Thin Man Skank
02. Ethio-Steppers
03. Jungle Struttin'
04. Sweet Soul Music
05. Hot No Ho
06. Cumbia Del Leon
07. Lankershim Dub
08. Tuesday Roots
09. Fluglin' at Dave's
10. Think (About It)
11. Givin Up Food For Jah
The Lions @ The Troubadour (Antibalas Release Party)
The Lions opening up for Antibalas at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, California.
Song: Ethio-Steppers from The Lions' debut LP "Jungle Struttin"
The Lions is a unique Jamaican-inspired outfit, the result of an impromptu recording session by members of Breakestra, Connie Price and the Keystones, Rhythm Roots All-Stars, Orgone, Sound Directions, Plant Life, Poetics and Macy Gray (to name a few). Gathering at Orgone's Killion Studios, in Los Angeles during the Fall of 2006, they created grooves that went beyond the Reggae spectrum by combining new and traditional rhythms, and dub mixing mastery with the global sounds of Ethiopia, Colombia and Africa. The Lions also added a healthy dose of American-style soul, jazz, and funk to create an album that’s both a nod to the funky exploits of reggae acts like Byron Lee and the Dragonaires and Boris Gardner, and a mash of contemporary sound stylings.
The Lions are an example of the ever-growing musical family found in Los Angeles. There is a heavyweight positive-vibe to be found in the expansive, sometimes artificial, Hollywood-flavored land of Los Angeles. Many of the members of the Lions met through the LA staple rare groove outfit Breakestra and have played in many projects together over the past decade. It was through discussions about The Lions taking place between band conductor Todd Simon and Ubiquity that recent releases by Orgone and Connie Price came to be.
Ubiquity
"One of the best blends of global funky elements we've ever heard...Great stuff all around, and a record that's almost more funkily exciting than all those old Jamaican platters you've sorted through trying to get a sound like this!"
- Dustygroove
"Get ready to get your skank on with the Lions' new LP...With an admirable cast of musicians, the Lions are sure to make an impression on reggae enthusiasts."
- Vapors
"The L.A. collective emerges with an outstandingly distilled, urban sound that mines dub reggae in a vintage yet completely fresh way by tastefully blending it with soul and funk."
- Orlando Weekly
"...cohesive, rhythmic, and cinematic–hardly cheesy modern reggae, and definitely worth a listen."
- XLR8R
The Lions is available now in the shop click here.
www.mondomedeusah.net/shop
Muja Messiah - Amy Winehouse- MPLS Massacre
Self-described as lyrically “abrasive,” 29-year-old rapper and Minnesota native Muja Messiah has verbally accosted his way into the national spotlight. “Since forever” is how long he dates his rapping career, but it wasn’t until recently by way of his underground hit “Patriot Act” that Muja earned national notoriety.
The song’s brazen critique of President Bush and American foreign and domestic policies — “I’m supposed to be threatened by al Qaeda when I was always afraid of America first, the birthplace of some of the worst terrorists on this earth… Should I blame FEMA or blame Halliburton? I’m’a push the envelope like Bush did the votes, like Bush sniffing coke, but hey, nobody’s perfect” — are what landed him a coveted endorsement in December’s VIBE Magazine as one of the “51 Best MySpace Rappers,” a part of their first-annual nationwide survey.
Muja’s subsequent groundswell of success has kept him working, motivating his already stringent work ethic as he vies for his next big break. Relevant, cathartic and poignant lyrics are what attract receptive audiences to his live shows night after night . And, in hip hop’s currently distressed/lethargic condition, a dose of Muja’s shock therapy may be just what the industry needs to revive itself.
“We could make up a fake government name. Call me Cecil…Cecil Whittaker.”
Early in his career, as an adolescent member of Minneapolis-based rap group the Five Percent Nation, Mr. Whittaker (or more accurately Bobby, one of the few nicknames his family so affectionately calls him) inherited the name Muja. (Mujahideen is translated as “soldier” in Arabic.)
Now, Muja (adopting other random aliases throughout the afternoon) is the foremost member of his current five-man affiliation Raw Villa, debuting a solo mix-tape titled Minneapolis Massacre due out March 20 and recording The Adventures of a B-Boy/D-Boy slated for release in April.
“No, Tony Chao… [Call me] Mr. Tony Chao…because people respect Chinese culture a lot more than mulatto culture.”
As stated, Mr. Chao, aka Muja, is of half European and half African American decent, though admittedly raised a bit unconventionally: “I was raised by my mother and my Black stepfather. I was mixed with two Black parents. My White dad neglects me, like how Black dads are supposed to.”
Ironically on this February 8 Friday night, the crowd bopping along monolithically to Muja’s opening set at First Avenue nightclub can be charged with the opposite offense — the venue appeared to be majority White. The stark contrast between Muja, dubbed as a rugged street rapper, and his pale hippy/ghetto/avant garde patrons had to have seemed odd to Muja, too. Right?
“No, the M.anifest show was almost all Black, wasn’t it?” He looks to the right at his friend, fellow Raw Villa MC Rico seated nearby, for resolution. “Well, if it’s half all-Black, then it’s all-Black,” Muja said.
The crowd’s demographics fluctuate relative to the venue, but what ultimately determines a good show for him is the vibe he receives from the audience. And, while he thoroughly exhausts his crowds in other cities (of the approximate eight he’s been to, Chicago and Toronto are easy favorites), Minnesota hasn’t been nearly as nice.
“Home is where the hate is,” Muja says. And sadly, that sentiment is overwhelmingly echoed throughout the local underground community and also evident to Rico, who nods his head at the next table over.
Unlike the South, where grassroots support fostered the overnight ascension of Southern rap, Minnesota imposes handicaps on its local artists. Success has to come from outside before an artist is acknowledged locally: Call it the Minnesota Delay.
“Minnesota is not a trendsetting city,” Muja explained. Eventually, “Whatever the United States likes, Minnesota will accept.”
So, to endure Midwest skepticism takes a bit of perseverance. A lifetime later of fighting for his dream, “Soldier” Messiah is comfortably positioned as “a staple as far as Minnesota hip hop,” he said, stepping out from amongst the 20-odd Minnesota rappers and into the ranks of local heavy-hitters like “Brother Ali, Cancer and Doomtree.”
But perseverance is only half of the story. The real catalyst behind Muja’s recent thrust into success is the buoyant springboard of social networking website MySpace.
Developed back in July of 2003, MySpace has remained a major prop for aspiring artists of all walks. MySpace’s DIY approach is credited for irreversibly crippling the recording industry and sinking music conglomerates like Sony BMG, Virgin, EMI, and Capitol, which were forced to lay off hundreds of their employees. But the industry’s travails work to the advantage of the once-starving artists who now have unlimited access to international exposure.
“I don’t know how [VIBE] heard about it, but they seen it on MySpace. That’s a good question because it helped a lot. I’ve done songs with my guy in Memphis. I got cats in Cincinnati, I got this cat in Romania that I’ll be working with… The feedback was massive.”
MySpace has a profound position in the global culture of consumerism. It has created a necessary lifeline to artists from outside the rap “hot zones” in American hip hop, which is notoriously polarized. So, for artists eyeing the elusive prize, MySpace levels the playing field.
Privy to this knowledge, Muja is adjusting his strategy accordingly. “This year I’m going platinum, a million MySpace friends,” he says in his song “Get Fresh” due out in April.
Stylistically, however, Muja’s music has no strategy; meaning he is multidimensional in who or what he chooses to rap about. “We are political playboy-gangsters” he said of Raw Villa. “We have political agendas, hustler agendas, people agendas, children agendas. We have agendas.”
This blend of interests is what he describes as “the B-boy/D-boy effect.” By abandoning rap genres like conscious or hard-core, Muja’s music instead offers an eclectic and well-rounded perspective on who he is as a person: “I know how to hustle. I know how to survive in the streets.
“This life is real. But guess what — I’m paying attention. I watch the news, I read the papers, I know what’s going on overseas. I know who’s fucking up, I know how it all started. I know all of that. And that’s what people gotta know, more than just I’m a hustler.”
That’s why a quick sampling of his work (available at www.myspace.com/mujamessiah) shows off a delightful mix of wit versus politics versus reflection. On the politically charged “Patriot Act” Muja sounds off on the state of American affairs, while only a quick fast-forward later on a track entitled “Divine Intervention” he proclaims to “love hip hop the way ballplayers love White women.”
“I’m like a mix between Malcolm X, Rick James and George Bush. Malcolm Bush. Put that as my name — Malcolm Bush.”
Malcolm Bush is finishing up the last of his lunch, a plate of Somali food, as the noon hour winds down from inside the International Market Square. Watching him field phone calls and fiddle around on his laptop, I get the distinct impression that his days of anonymity are numbered.
“I’m going on the road…probably this summer. I’m in the process of setting that up.” Presumably, Cecil Whittaker, Bobby, Mr. Tony Chao, and Malcolm Bush will all be in attendance. But among the myriad of pseudo-personalities, the main attraction will undoubtedly be Muja Messiah.
by Caroline Joseph
Thursday, February 21, 2008
John Lilly, the new CEO of Mozilla
mondomedeusah tech podcasts:
John Lilly, the new CEO of Mozilla
This week meet John Lilly, the new CEO of Mozilla Corporation. Find out what the organization has in store for 2008 and if they will file for IPO.
"The web is the essential innovation of our time. It changes everything."says John Lilly, CEO of Mozilla Corporation.
With it's success, John Lilly, the former COO and new CEO of Mozilla Corporation is focused on releasing good products that support the organization's mission - to promote choice and innovation on the Internet.
The Mozilla Foundation was founded as a nonprofit organization in July 2003, with approximately $3 million in funding. Mozilla generates most of its revenue from the Google search box that comes as a default on every Firefox browser. In 2006, the organization earned a mere $66.8 million (USD) in revenues. Today, the company that has approximately 140 million active Firefox users and has over 40 languages available for it's web browser; IE7 launched in only one language.
Will the company go public? Lilly replies, "Predicting ten years ahead is hard. But, we don't think going public is in the best interest of our mission."
click here to download this podcast.
www.mondomedeusah.net
John Lilly, the new CEO of Mozilla
This week meet John Lilly, the new CEO of Mozilla Corporation. Find out what the organization has in store for 2008 and if they will file for IPO.
"The web is the essential innovation of our time. It changes everything."says John Lilly, CEO of Mozilla Corporation.
With it's success, John Lilly, the former COO and new CEO of Mozilla Corporation is focused on releasing good products that support the organization's mission - to promote choice and innovation on the Internet.
The Mozilla Foundation was founded as a nonprofit organization in July 2003, with approximately $3 million in funding. Mozilla generates most of its revenue from the Google search box that comes as a default on every Firefox browser. In 2006, the organization earned a mere $66.8 million (USD) in revenues. Today, the company that has approximately 140 million active Firefox users and has over 40 languages available for it's web browser; IE7 launched in only one language.
Will the company go public? Lilly replies, "Predicting ten years ahead is hard. But, we don't think going public is in the best interest of our mission."
click here to download this podcast.
www.mondomedeusah.net
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Killa Records Free download: DJ K - 80s/90s MIX - Foundation Series Volume 4
click here to download
http://www.killarecords.com/djk-80s90s.mp3
1. Intro / Pure Energy (edit) - Various / Information Society (1988)
2. Pump up the Volume - M/A/R/R/S (1988)
3. Breakdance Electric Boogie (1984)
4. My Name is Prince - Prince (1992)
5. I've got the Power - Snap (1992)
6. Games (the kids get hard mix) - New Kids on the Block (1990)
7. Poison - Bell Biv Devoe (1990)
8. Iesha / Doowatchyalike - Another Bad Creation / Digital Underground (1990 / 1989)
9. Batdance - Prince (1989)
10. Beepers - Sir Mix-a-lot (1989)
11. Wiggle It - 2 in a Room (1990)
12. Get Busy - Mr. Lee (1989)
13. I Rhyme the World in 80 days - Kish (1991)
14. Quadrophonia / Twilight Zone - Quadrophonia / 2 Unlimited (1990 / 1992)
15. 2 Legit 2 Quit - Hammer (1991)
16. Opposites Attact (1990 mix) - Paula Abdul (1990)
17. Hard Day (Shep Pettibone Remix) - George Michael (1987)
18. I Wanna have some Fun - Samantha Fox (1988)
www.killarecords.com
www.myspace.com/djk31
DJ K - podcast (genre: jungle):
http://killarecords.wordpress.com
Jack Walls - A Series of Collages
Jack Walls
Exhibition: February 23 through March 22, 2008
Opening Reception: Saturday, February 23rd, 7 to 10 pm
Downtown New York legendary cult figure Jack Walls will be having a show of collages at Fuse Gallery. Longtime companion of the late Robert Mapplethorpe, Walls has taken one single image of Mapplethorpe's--"Ada"--and has transformed this single image into a dizzying array of ninety-two collages.
Fuse Gallery
93 2nd Ave (between 5th & 6th Sts, 2nd Ave stop on the F), NYC, NY.
The opening reception, on Saturday February 23rd, from 7 to 10 pm, is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Fuse Gallery at 212 777 7988. email: fusegall@fusegallerynyc.com
www.fusegallerynyc.com
Sunday, February 17, 2008
greentea designs - exclusive Asian-inspired designs
Maru Coffee tables are built with original slabs of century-old Korean flooring.
The boards are 3" thick and are constructed with Asian Pine and formed part of the main rooms and porches of aristocratic homes. They acquire the slabs in their original state and use the actual porch supports for legs. Over the centuries this wood has developed a beautiful patina and unique character, giving it a smooth feel and rustic appeal.
www.greenteadesign.com
mondomedeusah's Valentine's Day Post-War Achievements
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click here to view the post.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
mondomedeusah music recommends: DJ Karyen: Valentine’s Lovers Mix & Live Show Dates
photo: Steve Carty
Click here to download DJ Karyen
link: http://www.zshare.net/audio/7108214dbbd478
Track listing:
1. Imagination - Floetry
2. Naked - Marques Houston
3. One in a million - Aaliyah
4. Nice & Slow - Usher
5. Have You Seen Her - Donnell Jones
6. Seven Days - Mary J Blige
7. Cater 2 U - Destiny’s Child
8. They Don’t Know – Jon B
9. Movies - Ashanti
10. Bed - J Holiday
11. Tell Me - Dru Hill
12. Can We Get Down - Jon B
13. Can You Handle It - Usher
14. Anything - Janet Jackson
15. Freak me - Silk
16. Lights Down Low - Bobby Valentino
17. I Wanna Know - Joe
18. Nothing Even Matters – Lauren Hill & D’Angelo
(Running time: 47 minutes)
Upcoming LIVE Dates for DJ KARYEN that you don't want to miss:
photo: Steve Carty
FEBRUARY 2008
FEB 16, 2008 - DJ KARYEN LIVE @ ARITZIA
Where: Rideau Centre Level 2, Ottawa, Ontario CANADA - (map it)
DJ KARYEN will be spinning only the hottest Hip Hop & R&B jams live! from 2pm-5pm
FEB 16, 2008 - BACK TO THE FUTURE with DJ KARYEN
featuring DJ DUCATS (Peaceful Journey Hip Hop Radio Show CHUO 89.1FM)
Spinning the hottest Hip Hop & R&B Jams!!
Where: The Urban Well - 224 Laurier Avenue East Ottawa, Ontario CANADA (map it)
$5 cover / show starts at: 10:00 P.M / must be 19 + legal drinking age.
MARCH 2008
March 3, 2008 - DJ KARYEN SPECIAL "INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY" EVENT
Where: Babylon Night Club 317 Bank Street Ottawa, Ontario CANADA (map it)
More details TBA click here for updates
This is an event that you don't want to miss!
March 13, 2008 - DJ KARYEN ONE LOVE SPECIAL EVENT!
featuring: DL INCOGNITO Live in Concert! (Nine Planets Hip Hop - Urbnet Records)
w/ Special Guests: TECH TWELVE (Nine Planets Hip Hop - Urbnet Records - Ottawa O.G)
Where: Babylon Night Club 317 Bank Street Ottawa, Ontario CANADA (map it)
Tickets: $10 in advance: visit www.djkaryen.com
www.nineplanetshiphop.com
www.myspace.com/techtwelve
www.urbnet.com
March 15, 2008 - The Urban Well - BACK TO THE FUTURE Starring: DJ KARYEN & DJ DUCATS
Spinning the phattest Hip Hop for the B-Boys & B-Girls & R&B Jams for all the sexy ladies!
Where: 224 Laurier Avenue East Ottawa, Ontario CANADA (map it)
$5 COVER / Show starts at: 10:00 P.M.
Must be 19+ legal drinking age.
www.djkaryen.com
www.myspace.com/djkaryen
www.myspace.com/mondomedeusah
www.mondomedeusah.net
The easiest way to get noticed in the graffiti world is to paint high-profile
The easiest way to get noticed in the graffiti world is to paint high-profile.
Boosted Films.
Visit: www.revok1.com
www.mondomedeusah.net
Sunday, February 10, 2008
The Flipper Valentine's Day by Puma
Puma The Flipper Valentine's Day, Sneakers for Women
Red floral print sneaker with white rubber sole and stripe and polyester accents.
By Puma
Visit: www.puma.com
available at: www.karmaloop.ca
www.mondomedeusah.net
Sick Leave: The Drive-By Series is the random stuff that happens between the parties
The Drive-By Series is the random stuff that happens between the parties
photo by Merlin Bronques
click here to view gallery.
www.mondomedeusah.net
We Love Colors Tights
by Sheena Sood
While New York fashion designers Proenza Schouler and are adding brilliant spring-like colors to their Fall/Winter 2008 collections with sherbet colored tights and printed stockings on the runways this week, why not slip on a pair of bright leggings courtesy of We Love Colors? The quality tights are opaque and are now made from 80 Denier Nylon/Lycra MicroFiber for a thicker, softer feel. The best part though, is that the tights are available in 45 different solid colors; choose from hues such as pastel mint, olive green, neon pink, lavender, or rubine (a kind of burgundy).
by Ami Kealoha
www.welovecolors.com
www.mondomedeusah.net
The Lions @ The Troubadour (Antibalas Release Party)
The Lions opening up for Antibalas at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, California. Song: Ethio-Steppers from The Lions' debut LP "Jungle Struttin" - out on Ubiquity Records. For more information.
Visit: http://www.ubiquityrecords.com/thelions.html
www.mondomedeusah.net
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Who is Clutchy Hopkins?
"What do we know about this cat? Not much. All we know is that he keeps the booty's shaking on the dance floor and that's the most important thing. Raw and dirty beats."
- mondomedeusah creative
"What we do know about him, and it's the most important thing, is that this music is F-U-N-K-Y...The rawest, grittiest, skin-slapping this side of The Meters..."
- Okayplayer
"Walking Backwards' dense, drifting instrumentals were built on dry snare thwacks, woodwinds and gloomy, dim-lounge organs...Hopkins is a creepy one. Whoever he is."
- Remix
"The disc is chock full of slick jazz/funk fusion hip-hop beats that plays out like a soundtrack to the life of the Clutchster himself...Walking Backwards is nice change of pace from the norm as far as instrumental discs goes, with many using more samples and synthesizers than actual live instrumentation, with Hopkins apparently manning nearly all of the instrumentation. As a result, Clutchy proves that he's hipper than your average bum off the street, and he can play a mean flute...and drums, and organ, and harp..."
- URB
"The beats are so sticky-icky the record should come complete with rolling papers. 'Love Of A Woman' wins 'Best Song To Make Babies To' in 2008."
- Slug Magazine
"If I were an emcee, I would want Clutchy on my squad. Much like MF Doom he has the unique ability to make the inanimate articulate, as if his instruments could speak. Not only is Clutchy 'next up', but he's also on some next shit."
- Thick Magaine
"Is Hopkins a creation of this label's in-house roster of acts or a mysterious master of the groove arts? In the end, who cares? The 12 tracks here are slick, slow funkin' instrumentals (mostly) that will bring smiles to baristas faces everywhere that it gets spun."
- The Province (Canada)
"Slow-burning arrangements smolder with exotic instrumentation and ear-bendingly effective playing..."
- OC Weekly
"Forged of modern soul, downtempo, hip-hop, blues and electronica, this is one pimp-ass record of atmospheric beat music that throbs with mood, mystery and humor. Add in a clever, hilariously crafted persona that makes truth and fiction impossible to separate as a mascot and you’ve got a winner."
- Orlando Weekly
"Dope beats evoke the work of the RZA, or Madlib's 'Yesterday's New Quintet', and the raw drums crackle with immediacy. The moody album evokes dark, smokey rooms humming with vintage grooves inspired by old records from swap meet dollar bins. Initially underwhelming, Hopkins' style infects the brain."
- SF Weekly
"There's a spare, spacious approach here that almost reminds us of the energy that we first felt in DJ Shadow's groundbreaking work of a decade before -- a similar love of gritty, organic source material -- and an ear for putting it together with lots of dark twists and turns that balance nicely between classic funk and current hip hop production sensibilities. The flavor of each tune changes nicely -- making the album way more than just a clichéd collection of beats..."
- Dustygroove
MF Doom meets Clutchy Hopkins
Visit: www.myspace.com/whoisclutchyhopkins
www.mondomedeusah.net
Monday, February 04, 2008
LG KF510
Seoul, Feb 04 (Korea) LG Electronics, a worldwide technology and design leader in mobile communications, announced that it will debut its new LG-KF510 at the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2008 in Barcelona, Spain on February 11, 2008. LG-KF510 is a stylish, fashionable phone catering to users’ demand for slimmer phones with unique design accents.
At just 10.9 mm thick, the LG-KF510 is the extremely slim slider phone. It combines a slim style with strength created by its metal frame and tempered glass. At the center of its design are metal gradation paint schemes available in Stardust Dark Gray or Sunset Red.
This attractive looking phone is equally attractive to use. Its tactile and visually interactive user interface includes captivating animation developed based on the LG’s advanced touch technology. Users will especially appreciate the quality of the LG-KF510’s multi-function camera with 3.0 mega pixel and MP3 player.
The LG-KF510 will be available worldwide, with an initial launch in March 2008 starting from major global markets. To see the phone and find more, please visit LG’s booth at the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2008 in Barcelona, Spain from February 11 through 14.
Visit: www.lge.com
www.mondomedeusah.net
Friday, February 01, 2008
Chromeo by Merlin Bronques
photo by Merlin Bronques
click here to view gallery.
click here for more Chromeo paparazzi pics by Merlin Bronques.
Stefan Sagmeister
January 31, 2008 — February 23, 2008
76 Grand Street, New York
Things I Have Learned In My Life So Far, an interactive exhibition by Stefan Sagmeister, opens at Deitch Projects on January 31, 2008. The exhibition will include works that have a life of their own, transforming throughout the exhibition as viewers engage with them. Things I Have Learned In My Life So Far is timed to coincide with the release of a new book of the same title, which surveys Sagmeister’s illustrious career.
Stefan Sagmeister is one of today’s most innovative and influential graphic designers. His conception and application of graphic design goes above and beyond traditional notions of the practice, taking it to the realm of performative and conceptual art, painting and sculpture. Sagmeister is most widely known for his album cover artwork for bands like The Rolling Stones, Talking Heads and Lou Reed, and for books, like Mariko Mori’s Wave UFO for the Kunsthaus Bregenz, which function as sculptural objects.
