https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPmkVyV-x2E
Printable View
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4ozdiGys5g
I luv MUSE, Max Headroom, and Kung Fu Cyborg chicks. I luv this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXvbz8cqafM
Just get to 0.40 sec. ;)
Is Taylor Swift into Kung Fu movies? Because I'd watch My Young Auntie with her any time. Maybe it's Kendrick's influence, but I'd much rather hang with T Swizzle.
No pic but there's a vid behind the link.
Quote:
Watch Maynard James Keenan Spar, Talk Love of Martial Arts
Musician ties Brazilian jiu-jitsu training to artistic endeavors
Maynard James Keenan spars and discusses his love of Brazilian jiu-jitsu in "The Art of Work."
By Jon Blistein
6 days ago
Tool's Maynard James Keenan discusses the intricacies of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and his lifelong attachment to martial arts in the final installment of Revolver's four-part video series with the musician, "The Art of Work."
While Keenan spent previous episodes discussing his vineyard, "The Fight" offers a look at his martial arts training regimen. Keenan credits Primus drummer Tim Alexander with introducing him to Brazilian jiu-jitsu, though he also recalls the lessons he learned from his father, who doubled as his high school wrestling coach. "His take was always, 'You either win or you learn,'" Keenan said.
For Keenan, martial arts is as much about "personal growth and personal understanding and reflection" as it is about self-defense. "Maybe it'll never happen, but if you're in a situation where you have some drunken, blithering idiot, or somebody's crazy — I do it for that purpose," he said. Still, Keenan seemed most enamored with the mental and physical intricacies of top-level jiu-jitsu.
"The chess part of it, on the mat, in the gi, is very mentally stimulating," Keenan said. "If you watch some of the top-level black belt guys competing, it's half-inches. They're making adjustments that are half-inches and you're watching them try to out-chess each other, like six moves ahead to shut off where the guy's heading for the checkmate."
Towards the end of the clip, Keenan tied his jiu-jitsu training to the notion of becoming complacent and overly confident as an artist after reaching a certain level of success. He urged anyone pursuing a craft to do so with a combination of intuition, experience and constant hard work, but also cautioned: "Understand that you are on your ****ing own."
Keenan added, "Big fan of Chris Cornell – did you think about Chris Cornell this week? I didn't. I love the guy. Alan Rickman, David Bowie, there's a bunch of posts on Facebook and then you go about your way. That's what's gonna happen to you. People are gonna be upset that you're gone, and then they're gonna move the **** on with their lives. So be happy with what your decisions are. You are on your own, you don't owe anybody anything – but if you're doing your job and you're doing it accurately enough, and you're expressing from the heart, from the core, from your experiences and your intuition, other people are going to resonate with that."
Here's a celebrity from the music world.
I used this article to launch a new got qi T-shirts thread, but I posting it here too because got qi? T-shirts + music works = :cool:
Plus Tom was kind enough to forward this article to me personally. That's super :cool:
Quote:
By JUDY LYON OCTOBER 10, 2017 12:38 PM
AN INTERVIEW WITH PHILLY’S STELLARSCOPE
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Stellarscope’s latest release, ‘Standing In The Shadow Of Your Ghost’, is infused with what could easily be found in your early 80’s alternative scene with bands like The Sisters of Mercy, Joy Division, Bauhaus and The Jesus and Mary Chain. They’ve masterfully taken bits and pieces from the Post Punk era and brought them forward into today’s realm. They are Tom Lugo (guitar/vocals), Robert Deflaviis (bass), and Robert Forman (drums).
Lyrically and sonically this album shines a flashlight on humanities dark shadows that roam the horizon at dusk and puts you face to face with all of it’s ill’s, such as fear, pain and loss. “We use music to express our disappointment, our fears, our anger, and sometimes the feeling of love. It’s our way to channel our aggression, our confusion; get through depression, and be at peace with the things that we cannot control.”
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They have consistently played the East Coast of the USA & Canada for many years as well as coordinating festivals like the Popnoise Festival and the Walls of SoundFest. Their discography includes several albums, EPs, and participations in various worldwide compilations and tribute albums including Jesusland (a tribute to The Jesus and Mary Chain), Blue Skied, and Clear (a tribute to Slowdive), and many more. Their music has also been featured on MTV, Sci Fi Channel, A&E, and Discovery Channel. (stellarscopeband.com)
Torched Magazine is pleased to have had the opportunity to talk with Tom Lugo and the members of Stellarscope about their latest release ‘Standing In The Shadow Of Your Ghost’, their own record label ‘Patetico Recordings’ that, as of recently, has been releasing humanitarian efforts, and where they find inspiration plus more…
TM – Who or what are some of your creative influences?
Tom Lugo – First, thank you for interviewing us. It really means a lot to us. Our creative influences are drawn primarily from life experiences; the issues that plague us both on an individual level as well as a collective. We use music to express our disappointment, our fears, our anger, and sometimes the feeling of love. It’s our way to channel our aggression, our confusion; get through depression, and be at peace with the things that we cannot control.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music that help to rejuvenate your creativity?
Tom Lugo – Bob Forman plays tennis and hits the gym often to keep in shape and to keep him focused. Our bass player, Bob DeFlaviis, is into canoeing for its meditative properties. I have practiced Martial Arts all my life and it helps maintain me balanced, mentally and physically, and clear headed.
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TM – Are your lyrics generic or based on real experiences? Could you expand on your answer?
Tom Lugo – The lyrics I write are based on particular events or situations. When I was young I had a lot of trouble focusing due to suffering from severe ADHD and a behavioral therapist gave some guidelines on how to cope with the illness which included keeping a journal. I tried to keep a journal with no avail however I found myself writing down my thoughts in a poetic way so I started using them as lyrics. In a way, every album I have written is my diary, a window into the inner depths of my mind and my feelings. When I hear any particular song we have recorded I can feel the emotions that brought me to write the lyrics in the first place.
TM – What kind of advice would you give to a newer musician who is just starting out?
Tom Lugo – Learn as much about the business side as you can; being educated in these matters will help you avoid issues later in your career. Don’t focus on money, celebrity, or immediate success. If you do, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Music is what is there for you when everything else fails, when things go right, it’s the spark to life. There’s a quote by Bernard Shaw that summarizes it all: “Music is its own reward.”
TM – What was your inspiration behind your latest release ‘Standing In The Shadow Of Your Ghost’? Could you briefly describe the music-making process?
Tom Lugo – The album is about dealing with the aftermath of long term relationship coming to an end, dealing with the sense of loss, the despair of an uncertain future, and the sense of hope. For this album I wrote the primary ideas on bass and then jammed them with Bob Forman on drums. Once we had a general idea of how we wanted the songs to sound like I took the song skeletons to my home studio. I then I laid the guitars and recorded the vocals. The mix down and mastering was the process that took me the longest.
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TM – How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together? When and where did it all start for you?
Tom Lugo – We are more structured now than we were when we started almost 20 years ago. In the initial stages we developed most of our songs from jams we had done not necessarily focused on the song structure per se. Now we are more mindful of the song structure and the melodies. Our sounds continues to evolve with every new album, sometimes it work and sometimes it doesn’t, but we continue to push ourselves to do better than we have done before.
TM – I understand you also have your own record label ‘Patetico Recordings’ where you’ve released your own work amongst many other artists from all over the world. Can you briefly go into this venture?
Tom Lugo – Patetico Recordings started as a vanity label to release my own music. As the years went on I decided to help out other artists in different parts of the world and serve platform for them to get more visibility. I used a similar model to what I had done with the Popnoise Festivals, which primary focus was the exposure of the participating bands to a varied audience. Lately the label’s focus has been releasing disaster relief compilations to benefit victims of natural disasters around the world which include “Rock Back for Japan”, “Rock Back Animal Rescue”, “Rock Back for Ecuador”, “Rock Back for Nepal”, and we are about to release “Rock Back: Stronger than the storm” that will benefit those affected by Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, and the earthquakes in Mexico.
TM – Is there anything else that you would like to share that I may have missed?
Tom Lugo – I will have another Panophonic (my solo project) full length album released in October and it will be titled “Endlessly”. I have released two singles and the reception has been positive thus far.
Again, I would like to thank you for kindness and the interview. I wish you and your readers success, happiness, and inner peace.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxlquC3QM28
All photos and album art by Tom Lugo
Forgive my naivete about hip hop (sad, I know, because I moonlight working in the music world), but I don't know Lupe Fiasco. Anyone into him?Quote:
Lupe Fiasco's Martial Arts TV Series Scores Asian Distribution Deal
7:18 AM PST 12/7/2017 by Patrick Brzeski
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Studio SV
Lupe Fiasco
The Grammy winner's debut docuseries 'Beat n Path' follows him as he explores his twin passions of kung fu and hip hop on a cross-country tour of China.
Hip-hop star Lupe Fiasco's music and martial arts docuseries Beat n Path has been picked up for primetime broadcast in Asia by Celestial Tiger Entertainment.
CTE will air the show on its entertainment channel, KIX, which covers Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, beginning in March 2018. KIX caters to action fans with a programming mix including combat sports, blockbuster action movies, action TV series and edgy reality shows.
Beat n Path should be right at home on the channel. The show follows Fiasco as he drops everything to embark on a cross-cultural journey across China, pursuing his passion for martial arts by practicing with kung fu masters throughout the Middle Kingdom, while also taking the opportunity to dig into China’s emerging hip-hop scene.
"Beat n Path is a unique Asia-centric journey and story that we feel can strongly connect with a wide audience," Fiasco said in a statement. "The CTE and KIX team have outlined a masterful marketing and distribution plan that will allow the series to perform very well throughout Asia."
Beat n Path is the first show from Studio SV, a new Los Angeles- and Hong Kong-based content studio co-founded by Fiasco and Hong Kong entrepreneur Bonnie Chan Woo in October. The partners say the venture will seek to produce other high-end TV programming, digital content and films for an international audience, with an emphasis on projects that are edgy, disruptive and consistent with Fiasco's hip-hop persona.
“The Celestial Tiger team have a keen understanding of the audience that will love this series and are astute at reaching them in unique ways, resulting in great connectivity with viewers and a mutually beneficial relationship for our companies," Woo said of the CTE deal. "They have been down this road before, and hit home runs with many programs so we’re excited that ‘Beat n Path’ is in their fold.”
thread: Beat n Path
thread: Kung-Fu Music
Music or martial art? READ KUNG FU – The Band, Not the Martial Art by Gene Ching
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A Cali reggae jam band named Drunken Kung Fu? How is it that I don't know these guys?Quote:
Drunken Kung Fu blends rock, hip-hop, reggae into unique sound
Corina Gutierrez • February 19, 2018 • Leave a Comment
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Photo courtesy of Holly E. Renfro - H.E.R. Photography
From left, Sam Phelps, Jacob Gleason, and Matt Klee make up Drunken Kung Fu. The trio will return to Sac State Feb. 21.
Drunken Kung Fu, an “Afro-beat funk” trio, will be playing a free show at noon on Feb. 21 in the Redwood Room of The University Union.
The Sacramento-based band consists of three members: Jacob Gleason on guitar and saxophone, Sam Phelps on vocals and keys and Matt Klee, the drummer. It has played gigs as far as San Francisco, Las Vegas and Portland.
“We’ve always appreciated the support of Sac State,” Gleason said.
Having played on campus a handful of times before, he said the band is looking forward to coming back.
https://vimeo.com/187305587
“There was a time I applied to Sac State but I didn’t have the foreign language requirement so they didn’t take me,” Gleason laughed.
The three met around 2009 while playing for other bands and have tried to develop a unique sound. While Drunken Kung Fu was nominated this year for a reggae Sammie (Sacramento Area Music Award), Gleason said that he doesn’t necessarily see the band as reggae.
“We keep things funky and danceable; we weave in and out of different genres: hip-hop, reggae, jam, classic rock, ’90s music — there’s a lot of different influences at play,” Gleason said. “We’re all jazz musicians so there’s a jazz overtone plus a rock ‘n’ roll rawness to how we play. We make big sound with three people.”
Because of their eclectic style, the dynamics between the three band members are often in flux and they are forced to improvise and make alterations on the fly.
As the lead singer, Phelps said he writes a lot of the music.
“I’ll bring a song to the table as a Sam Phelps song,” he said. “We’ll hash it out and turn it into a Drunken Kung Fu song.”
Phelps said everyone in the band has an equal say and the chemistry between the three is unique.
“There’s moments in our sets that are structured and moments of just jamming and looking at each other like, ‘This is awesome,’ ” Gleason said. “It’s a lot of fun to play with these guys; they’re not just always lost in their instruments like some bands can be.”
Leaving space for improvisation during their performances allows for the creativity to flow, Phelps said.
“We want to take people to a higher place with the energy; you can feel it in the room and just like, ravage and lift off,” Phelps said. “It’s always a risk, doesn’t always take off, but that’s our goal — that’s what it’s all about.”
Even though Drunken Kung Fu typically identifies as an “Afro-beat” band, the trio incorporates many other styles and genres into their music.Quote:
Will Moon
@MoonMan0305
Sacramento-based funk band Drunken Kung Fu grooves in the University Union.
10:36 AM - Sep 6, 2017
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“I think the music defies racial boundaries,” Gleason said in response to an inquiry about negative responses from crowds considering the group is an Afro-beat band with no people of color. “I don’t think any person should limit what they listen to or play based on the color of their skin.”
Gleason said the band talks about serious topics in some of their songs, such as politics and war.
“There is a heavy, revolutionary commentary on the political stuff going on,” Gleason said. “Overall, we take opposition on war; I consider myself a conscientious objector of war.”
Looking toward the future, Drunken Kung Fu has some new songs it plans to release soon as well as shows lined up for later in the year.
“We’re currently working on a new record, we have a bunch of festivals lined up this summer,” Gleason said. “We test things out and see how the audience reacts — what it comes down to is how to make the audience dance. Hopefully people feel inspired to dance it out and feel free.”
Thread: Kung Fu Music
Thread: Shaolin Rasta - the 37th Chamber
Great fodder for my talk at RESPECT: Hip-Hop Style & Wisdom - Oakland Museum, on June 30 2018Quote:
Rob-Nasty Rocker
ENTER THE DRAGON 2: Revenge of the B-Boy Break
https://i1.sndcdn.com/artworks-00033...8-t500x500.jpg
"Theme For Enter The Dragon" written by Lalo Schifrin
Recorded on Bandhub.com
Mixed by Robert Creer
Rob Nasty Rocker (Bass Guitar)
Tony Hearn (Guitar/Keyboards)
Darryl Oriold (Trumpet)
Robert Rothbard (Percussion)
Bobby Breaks (Drums/Percussion)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg165-mZ7x8
THREADS
Kung-Fu Music
The **** Legend of Kung Fu Kenny by Kendrick Lamar
I'm scheduled to work Kendrick Lamar's show this week.
I posted about Tiesto & Dzeko's 'Jackie Chan' back in July.
Quote:
Tiesto & Dzeko's 'Jackie Chan' Kicks Way to No. 1 on Dance/Mix Show Airplay Chart
9/6/2018 by Gordon Murray
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Courtesy Photo
Tiësto and Dzeko, "Jackie Chan"
Plus, Metro & Nelly Furtado top Dance Club Songs, Bassnectar debuts & more.
Tiesto and Dzeko's "Jackie Chan," featuring Preme and Post Malone, charges 5-1 on Billboard's Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart (dated Sept. 8). The track is the third topper for Tiesto and the first for each other act.
Tiesto last led with "Red Lights" for 11 weeks in March-May 2014. The DJ first ruled in November 2009, when he spent two weeks on top with "I Will Be Here" (with Sneaky Sound System). Starting with "Traffic" (No. 21, May 2004), Tiesto has totaled 20 chart entries, including 11 top 10s.
"Jackie Chan," an ode to the famed martial arts master and actor, holds at its No. 3 peak on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, having collected 16.5 million audience impressions (up 18 percent), 8.4 million U.S. streams (up 3 percent) and 5,000 downloads sold (up 1 percent) in the tracking week, according to Nielsen Music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWz3rQQaf_Q
Also on Dance/Mix Show Airplay, Elephante elevates 15-8 with "The In Between," featuring Anjulie; the track is the first top 10 for both the DJ and the singer. Plus, Jonas Blue bolts 11-9 with "Rise," featuring Jack and Jack. It's the DJ's third top 10 and the vocal duo's first.
Anyone ask Jackie how he feels about this song yet? That's what I want to hear. Heck, he should cover it.
Quote:
Dzeko Tells The Story Behind 'Jackie Chan,' His Smash Post Malone, Preme & Tiësto Collab
9/13/2018 by Tatiana Cirisano
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Andrew Ciggs
Dzeko
Released in May, Tiësto and Canadian DJ powerhouse Dzeko's "Jackie Chan" -- a reworking of Post Malone's original Light of Day track featuring Preme -- is a splashy, trap-fueled slice of summer. And for 26-year-old Dzeko, a longtime Tiësto collaborator and former half of duo Dzeko & Torres, it's a milestone: the addictive mega-collab marks his first-ever entry on the Billboard Hot 100, where the song recently peaked at No. 57.
As the track continues to prolong summer vibes all the way into September, Dzeko (whose full name is Julian Dzeko) tells Billboard how it all came together through a spontaneous studio session, the greatest lesson he's learned from working with "godfather of dance music" Tiësto and more tidbits.
How did "Jackie Chan" come about?
I've known Tiësto for a long time. We've been good friends. I'm also from Toronto, same as Preme, so I met Preme three years ago at a Drake concert in Toronto. We were always going back and forth. One night, I went to [Preme's] studio in Calabasas, and we made a lit song for Roy Woods called "Something New."
Going back to "Jackie Chan," I've just been friends with Preme for a long time, same with Tiësto, and I know Post, and Preme was working on his album. Preme played us "Jackie Chan," his version, and we talked about how we could give it an upbeat, summery vibe. It was very spontaneous.
What stood out to you about the original, and made you want to rework it?
When me and Tiësto heard it, we were like "****, this is really cool. We could definitely somehow flip it." Not too EDM, but still dance-y. A summery vibe. The second I heard the hook, little things like "Uber out to Calabasas," I knew. I instantly knew, "this is insane."
You started DJing at age 14 after seeing Tiësto perform live. What was it like to work with him?
He was the first DJ that I looked up to when I got into DJing. He was the first person that I saw DJ -- that's what made me want to become a DJ, was Tiësto. So being able to work with him on a song together and with Preme and Post on it as well was a dream come true. It's always such a good experience working with Tiësto. He has such a good ear with melodies and sounds. When you work with a guy like him, he's been doing it, literally, for 25 years. He's the godfather of dance music.
Is there one lesson in particular that you've taken away from working together?
To really make the kind of music that you enjoy. I'm gonna explore a couple of other styles, and his advice to me was to make music you believe in and to stick to your sound. I've learned a million things from him, but I would say that's one of the top fives. I have a whole list.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWz3rQQaf_Q
Do you remember the first time that you heard "Jackie Chan" on the radio?
In Toronto, the day it came out. I got into an Uber from the airport, and it was already playing. It was like "Oh ****!" [Laughs.] I've had songs on the radio, but nowhere like this, you know? This is worldwide.
"Jackie Chan" marks your first-ever Hot 100 entry. How does that feel?
That's also another dream, and a big accomplishment. As an artist or a DJ, being able to say that you have something on the Hot 100, it's a whole different league for songs -- what's really influencing. The most legendary artists of all time, they all had something on Billboard Hot 100, you know? It's something that I've always wanted.
What do you think hip-hop brings to a dance track?
Hip-hop beefs [dance music] up, makes it super energetic. As a DJ, some of the most reactive edits or mashups that you play in your sets are hip-hop. It's cool seeing how hip-hop artists are actually collaborating on EDM tracks, too. I think it's really good. It's definitely something that is going to continue or keep growing -- hip-hop artists working with DJs. Tiësto actually did a song with Three 6 Mafia years ago ["Feel It," 2009]. I'm trying to work with more hip-hop artists, too.
You left Dzeko & Torres to pursue a solo career in 2016. What's been the biggest change for you since going solo?
It's been a lot differently, obviously, DJing solo versus being with a partner. But nowadays, what I'm learning being a solo act is that you have to keep releasing a lot of content. Two years ago, as a duo, you could release a song once in a while, but now you have to keep churning out tracks. It's a change. I'm adjusting to it, but I still enjoy everything. I love DJing, I love music, and the industry we work in.
A version of this article originally appeared in the Sept. 15 issue of Billboard.
See David Guetta & Sia - Flames (Official Video) for the vid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT26bFuze5M
My cast mate Danny Trejo. :cool:
Platinum? srsly? Well, I guess Jackie Chan by Tiësto, Dzeko, Post Malone, and Preme deserves its own thread now, independent from the Kung Fu Music thread.
Quote:
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Tiesto at Ultra - Rukes
TIËSTO’S HIT COLLAB “JACKIE CHAN” WITH POST MALONE GOES PLATINUM
KARLIE POWELL NOVEMBER 23, 2018
EDM NEWS
Tiësto‘s mega-collab with Dzeko, Post Malone, and Preme just hit a huge milestone. “Jackie Chan” has officially gone platinum — which means it has been purchased or streamed equivalent of 1 million times over.
Previously, Tiësto achieved platinum success with his singles “Red Lights” and “Feel It in My Bones” featuring Tegan & Sara. Then came “Jackie Chan,” which made waves early this year and is still making its mark. The commercial success of the hit single doesn’t only boast huge sales, but Spotify records, Billboard charts, and beyond.
The worldwide DJ/producer kept it simple with an upload on social media, “Jackie Chan is now @RIAA Certified PLATINUM in the US! Thank you.”
What more is there to say?! Tiësto has still got it! This is arguably his biggest track of all time.
Try this one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73_ivjiVQEw
This Hang drum music is one of the best I have heard in recent time to be honest!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYRdN_19DtE
This Kung Fu Music is the theme song for Wu Assassins.
I suspect there will be a music video soon. ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdyabrdFMC8Quote:
Kung Fu Groove
By Michael Dwyer
September 27, 2019 — 12.00pm
You can see the moment Bruce Lee cracks in Fist of Fury. When the Japanese imperialist bullyboys interrupt his kung fu master’s memorial, he holds it together for his brothers’ sake. But when the evil boss guy sidles up and slaps his cheek, goading him to respond, the inner struggle between discipline and honour is written on his trembling face.
https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0...cee3425c09e943
Kamasi Washington: redefining popular perceptions of jazz.
“That movie was always very powerful for me,” says Kamasi Washington. His latest album, Heaven and Earth, opens with a funked-up version of the theme song with his own spoken-word refrain: “Our time as victims is over. We will no longer ask for justice. Instead we will take our retribution.”
“It felt like that was the sentiment of the movie,” says the saxophonist and composer who has, for the last five years or so, been busy redefining popular perceptions of jazz with albums of epic length and scope, taking film cues, soul, Afrobeat and hip-hop in stride.
“I look at [that opening track] as a call to action,” he says. “I think the time of us kind of waiting for someone, whoever that someone is, to come and fix the world for us, I don’t think we can wait any longer for that. We have to become that someone. Now.”
He’s not really talking along the racial lines that underpin Fist of Fury, or recent political rhetoric in the US. For a guy who grew up in Inglewood, South Central Los Angeles, that division is “the only reality I’ve ever known. It may seem new but it’s not. It’s being pushed out more to the public but as long as I’ve been here, it’s always been like this.”
Washington was still in short pants when gangsta rap erupted out of his neighbourhood in the mid to late 1980s. He soaked it up, naturally, but at a very specific point in his mid-teens, he had a moment of clarity that rose above the sound of the streets and called him onto a more disciplined path.
“I was in ninth grade, in this band called the Multi-School Jazz Band and we played the Playboy Jazz Festival … I’d been playing music all my life, but I hadn’t really taken on the discipline, really digging in and practising, studying music the way that you have to to be a jazz musician.”
He knew there were far more virtuosic players in the horn section so when it came time for a solo, he was gobsmacked to see the band leader pointing at him. “It was in front of, I don’t know, 20,000 people and … I didn’t sound the way I wanted to sound. It felt bad. And that was the first time I had that feeling in music.
“That was the moment I was like, ‘I’m gonna practise, every day, all day, from now on’. My mum thought something was wrong with me. I stopped going outside, hanging out. All I did was practise. So that summer really changed my trajectory, as far as music.”
He did retain his passion for martial arts, of course. His latest video, for Street Fighter Mas, is a priceless kung fu movie pastiche with west-coast hip-hop style and cameos. And a What’s In My Bag? video on YouTube reveals that come shopping time, he’s equally passionate about Fela Kuti, Curtis Mayfield, Samurai and Manga.
https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0...73d30f3ffdedad
Washington retains a passion for martial arts.
“Yeah, I’m definitely a huge fan,” he says. “The idea of balance and devotion [in martial arts] always intrigued me; just the way it kind of reflects music.
“Musicians are a similar breed. We have this solitary life and we’re really trying to get in touch with our internal side and it produces this external thing that you can see, in one way, but the people that do it see it a different way. Like, most people see martial arts as violent but martial artists don’t see it as violent. They’re not destroying something, they’re creating something.”
The parallel with hip-hop was made clear by the adopted mythology of east-coast rap ensemble the Wu Tang Clan back in the 1990s. Not unlike Bruce Lee under imperial pressure, “hip-hop was people who felt like they didn’t have a voice [finding] a voice within the music to express their experience,” Washington says. “Sometimes that expression wasn’t necessarily the most peaceful, but neither was their experience.”
As a graduate of the University of California’s Ethnomusicology Department, Washington’s life experience has been more expansive than plenty of his peers. He played with Kenny Burrell, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Lauryn Hill, Chaka Khan, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar en route to his massively acclaimed solo arrival with The Epic in 2015.
Its double-CD format gave notice of grand conceptual intentions that only intensify with Heaven and Earth. "The Earth side of this album represents the world as I see it outwardly, the world that I am a part of,” he said on a visit to the Sydney Opera House last year. “The Heaven side … represents the world as I see it inwardly, the world that is a part of me.
“Who I am and the choices I make lie somewhere in between,” he added. To drive that point home, the CD package includes a third disc, The Choice, which entails a degree of cardboard surgery to unpack. The music itself, as suggested by another round of near-universal acclaim, manages to find a miraculous middle ground of accessibility that neither jazz nor hip-hop can take for granted. “I always look at it as a compliment,” he says of the critical perception that he represents some kind of new benchmark in jazz evolution, “but to me, as a musician, you can only really represent yourself. I hear people say I represent all this, or that … It’s just their way of saying they appreciate what I’m doing.”
Kamasi Washington, Hamer Hall, Melbourne International Arts Festival, October 8 and a Sydney Opera House, October 9.
THREADS
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The NT video interview is embedded but here's MagdaleneQuote:
‘Mary Magdalene’: How FKA twigs Made Her ‘Most Complex Song Ever’
It took months for the singer, songwriter and dancer FKA twigs to perfect the title track for her critically acclaimed new album. See how she got it right in the latest episode of Diary of a Song.
Video TRANSCRIPT
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The Unexpected Inspiration Behind FKA twigs’ Most Complex Song
It took months for the singer, songwriter and dancer FKA twigs to perfect “Mary Magdalene,” the title track and centerpiece to her critically acclaimed new album. This is how she got it right.
Singing: “A woman’s touch.” “Hi, twigs.” “Hi.” Singing: “A sacred geometry.” “‘Mary Magdalene’ was a bit of a pain in the ass to make.” Singing: “I know where you start, where you end, how to please, how to curse.” “I think it’s like the most complex song I’ve ever made.” “She’s the perfect person who could out me for not doing anything, because she does everything. She’s like tap dancing, on a pole, swinging swords. It’s crazy.” “What was it like the first day you guys actually sat down to work?” “She’s unlike any other artist you work with. She’ll bring a little potions and, like, readings. And she was like, do you know about Mary Magdalene?” “The original story is that she was a prostitute, and she was filled with sin. But then it came out that she had a really amazing and extensive knowledge on oils, and she was a healer, and she was in many ways what we call a doctor now. I think that that duality really excited me. That is my archetype.” “She was talking about using the story about Mary Magdalene for her music. She was very determined to go down this path.” “I’d just had some surgery. I had fibroids in my uterus. I was in a period of deep healing and rediscovering my sexuality. Mary Magdalene helped me ground myself in who I am.” “Before I knew it, we were drinking the Kool-Aid. I was believing whatever she said.” “And I think she just started singing with no beat or anything.” Singing: “A woman’s work. A woman’s prerogative.” “Cashmere, I think he laid a harmonizer behind it.” “She wanted it to sound very Gothic, but also very futuristic at the same time.” “I just thought of this melody. And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ I was like, ‘That’s crazy.’ Like ‘Mary Magdalene’ actually fits into that.” Singing: “Mary Magdalene, creature of desire. Come just a little bit closer to me.” “With her, a lot of the things we used are, like, little clicks in her voice.” “Harmonies.” “Drawn-out notes that are tuned down.” “She’ll be like, it should be like, ‘Wah, wah, brrr-rum-pum-pah.’ You know, she’ll do [expletive], and you’ll just be like, whoa, and you’re just trying to program it quick enough.” Singing: “I fever for the fire. True as Mary Magdalene, creature of desire.” “I just remember really loving this song, being at Benny’s house, realizing in that session that the name of my album was ‘Magdalene.’ And then I was working in this other house in L.A. that was haunted and quite stressful, actually.” “We just spent, like, two weeks ripping the song apart, and rebuilding it, and it not really working, and then ripping it apart again, rebuilding it again and again.” “I think I broke a lot of songs in that haunted house.” “There’s so many versions, man.” “Do you have any of those early versions you could show us?” Singing: “Yes, I heard.” “Where Benny’s version was very clear and very focused, we really cluttered it.” “Was she frustrated throughout this process or was she exhilarated by it?” “Oh, no, she’s just excited. She’s like a kid — ‘I want to try that, can we do that, can we do this?’” “I love practicing stuff. How many different ways can you do a cartwheel? You know, like can you do a slow one? Can you do it on your elbows? Can you do it fast? Can you do it with no hands?” “We sat down once and she was like, I want the sound of witches burning at a pyre. And I was like, right, O.K.“ “Do you think because it was the title track and the centerpiece of the album, you were overthinking it?” “I wasn’t overthinking it, I just don’t think I was treating it with enough sensitivity in the beginning.” “Did that end up on the record anywhere?” “No.” “Then there was another stage with Nico.” “So what did Nico do to fix this song?” “A lot.” “He did a lot.” “Is it a strange thing, like you’re coming into someone else’s house and rearranging the furniture?” “It is strange. But you know, I come from dance music. And I did so many remixes. And it’s just the same thing.” “We were in Electric Lady. It was like 3 o’clock in the morning. And we went down into the big studio, and it was where Prince had recorded all this stuff. And it had a purple board. So it felt really special.” “There’s just definitely some spirits in there, speaking through.” “With ‘Mary Magdalene,’ every other session had always been, like, a full-day session of ‘O.K., no. Mute that, O.K., no. Take it out, O.K. Put that in, O.K. Let’s try a guitar,’ you know, all this stuff. Whereas the end of ‘Mary Magdalene’ was the opposite. It was complete calm, and there was just this magic kind of like 30 minutes to an hour when Nico just, like — his energy just grew in the space.” “I remember redoing the chords. Then I started feeling a bit more like that there was a direction or something.” “As soon as it had a darker feeling, that’s when it actually came to life. He just went on his computer, and he just made all these incredible stretchy sounds.” “I had coffee, and I don’t drink caffeine. So maybe I was a little crazy.” “I just had this idea that I wanted it to bounce. It’s just like the wrath of Mary.” “He found a hardness in air. And that felt truly like evoking her spirit.” “Do you dance, do you jump around when something finally hits?” “No, I don’t think I did on that, because I didn’t want to — you know when something’s happening in front of you, and you’re just like, just nobody move, everyone stay really still, no one change anything, no one even put the air con on. Everything has to stay exactly the same. It was kind of one of those moments.” Singing: “Creature of desire. Come just a little bit closer till we collide.” “Can we kill the cat?” “Nope.” “For a little while, please?” “I just don’t know if there’s a way for me to do this and be comfortable without the cat.” “Really?” “Yeah. Yeah, I’m a little shy.” “You look so good, though.”
It took months for the singer, songwriter and dancer FKA twigs to perfect “Mary Magdalene,” the title track and centerpiece to her critically acclaimed new album. This is how she got it right.CreditCredit...Maria Jose Govea/Red Bull Content Pool
By Joe Coscarelli
Dec. 10, 2019, 5:00 a.m. ET
The singer, songwriter and producer FKA twigs, born Tahliah Debrett Barnett, is a polymath who keeps adding to her arsenal.
At 31, she has complicated her reputation as a whispery singer of sparse, deconstructed R&B songs by blowing out not only her sound but her broader creative practice: She has trained as a dancer in various underground styles (vogueing, krumping, pole work), while also working as an actor, director and even a student of wushu, a form of Chinese martial arts that can resemble sword fighting. Crucially, FKA twigs, known to collaborators for her dedication to practice and discipline, then brings all she’s learned back to her music and live performances.
The result, most recently, is “Magdalene,” her second full-length album, which was released last month and became one of the most critically acclaimed releases of the year. “In the voluptuously disorienting music she has been releasing since 2012, love has been pleasure and pain, sacrifice and self-realization, strife and comfort, public performance and private revelation,” wrote Jon Pareles in The New York Times. “Sounds materialize to destabilize the pulse, upend the harmony or just add disruptive noise; gaping silences open up, suddenly isolating her voice in midair.”
The album was named for the biblical figure Mary Magdalene, in whom FKA twigs found inspiration after undergoing surgery to remove six fibroid tumors from her uterus in late 2017. In the latest Diary of a Song episode, the singer and her fellow producers break down the intricate processes that led to writing and recording “Mary Magdalene,” the title track and centerpiece of the album. The song came together over many months in three phases, from initial bedroom sessions with the pop producers Benny Blanco and Cashmere Cat, to work in a haunted house with the British electronic producer Koreless, and finally, at the storied Electric Lady Studios in New York with the experimental composer Nicolas Jaar (and possibly with Prince’s purple spirit).
FKA twigs, who is credited along with Noah Goldstein as the executive producer of the “Magdalene” album, called the title track “the most complex song I’ve ever made.” Watch the video above to see how she did it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUvJOZfdGQg