Opening Dialogue

Submitted by Joshua Pablo Ro... on Mon, 04/20/2009 - 18:24

From my perspective, my "opening" presentation was a success. I felt like I was able to put together an interesting overview of my body of work that deals with sampling and remixing, and present my project vision and the questions I'm grappling with in a way that facilitated the subsequent discussion.

And discuss we did! The attendees from the Berwick circle of folks were very generous in their feedback, offering lots of responses, questions, and great suggestions for the project. All in all it was highly stimulating and definitely gave me lots to ponder and plenty of ideas to work with.

I'm going to list here some of the thoughts and issues that came up, as best as I can reconstruct them, aided by Phil's and Bonnie's notes.

Focus on the part of me that is "Pablo" and/or create an identity as Pablo to personify in this project
There's an established dialogue about authenticity within the lyrics of hiphop already - disses, Eminem, etc - I can insert myself into it. Also, I need to talk to some other/"actual" hiphop practitioners.
Religion/orthodoxy seems like a tricky quagmire wrt identity/appropriation. Complex relationship to people's voices - giving/taking away agency
The "ecstatic moment" that I refer to in terms of lengthening the breaks/b-boying seems like it can stand in for religious ecstasy
"Fetish object" idea - should draw on ethnographic practice and investigate before choosing imagery. Try to avoid tokenizing. Look at participants in hiphop culture - what do they treat as fetish objects? I may have a role as a bridge builder.
There is a capitalist aspect to the idea of fetish objects as well. Scarcity, how copyright makes certain sounds more valuable...
Need to incorporate the context of doing the project work here in Dudley Square. What about getting in touch with Project Hip Hop? (youth program down the street)
Records in particular are used to tell the mythography of hiphop - I should make a test press/dubplate of myself telling the stories and mix myself into the sonic history
A specific aspect of the experience of hiphop music is the sound itself, meant to be played bass-in-your-face through big speakers. There is a parallel to churches and pipe organs.
A past Berwick artist did a performance with a giant speaker you climbed into. Maybe it's still around somewhere and could be used?
I seem to be preoccupied with artifacts that freeze hiphop in the past. What about current stuff happening now, especially internationally? I need to get over the idea of authenticity and ownership - there are people all over the world, including plenty of white people, who claim hiphop.
Shrines have actions you have to do to invoke the deity (James Brown?). In Shinto, you clap three times to bring them down.
Also, people leave something of themselves at shrines. Makeup, food, sounds... Opportunity for people to take over project, bring something of themselves, respond to what's triggered
About sampling: what is Clyde S's reaction? The landmark suit against the Beastie Boys found that since the sample came from an "improvised" passage it was not subject to copyright. Jay-Z re-recorded samples. Sample licensing perpetuates the haves/have nots division - only the megastars can afford to sample.
I should try to license the funky drummer sample - see how much it would cost, what it would take, "what it's worth"
In song "Funky Drummer" James Brown seems to give prophetic instructions on what to sample! Gives directions to the drummer - keep on doing what you're doing. James as Messianic figure. Ask Clyde - how did he feel when JB called that song the funky drummer? Also, what's left out the song besides thee sample? What's the 1st thing that comes to mind for people when they hear that sample? It's versatile - from NWA to George Michael!
Why funky drummer in particular? There are 1/2 dozen other beats that are just as elemental. Would be interesting to trace the lineage of each one - like family trees.
In terms of the religious connection, I could position myself as a medium - "James Brown is speaking through me!" Speaking in tongues. People "possessed with the spirit" writhing on the ground akin to breakdancing? Maybe my character is a televangelist/hiphopologist. (this kind of role gives me some of the ironic distance I'm looking for) What about a car as the shrine? with stained glass album covers of saints?
On the question of my presence/absence from the piece: the most authentic move is to put myself in as a person asking "what right do I have to be here?" Someone who's been inspired and is asking "where do I fit?" I could collect positive/negative feedback as a comment on my "right" to the content...