Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky, Writer + Artist + Musician :: 120 Seconds
DJ Spooky recorded soundscapes of Antarctic ice fields inspiring him to create the composition Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica in which he applies DJ techniques to build awareness of climate change through electronic music.
Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky, Writer + Artist + Musician :: 120 Seconds from friendswelove.com on Vimeo.
DJ Spooky recorded soundscapes of Antarctic ice fields inspiring him to create the composition Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica in which he applies DJ techniques to build awareness of climate change through electronic music.
About Paul D. Miller: Paul D. Miller aka DJ SPOOKY is a composer, multimedia artist and writer. His written work has appeared in The Village Voice, The Source, Artforum and Rapgun amongst other publications. Miller's work as a media artist has appeared in a wide variety of contexts such as the Whitney Biennial; The Venice Biennial for Architecture (2000); the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, Germany; Kunsthalle, Vienna; The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh and many other museums and galleries. His work New York Is Now has been exhibited in the Africa Pavilion of the 52 Venice Biennial 2007, and the Miami/Art Basel fair of 2007. Miller's first collection of essays, entitled Rhythm Science came out on MIT Press 2004. His book Sound Unbound, an anthology of writings on electronic music and digital media was recently released by MIT Press.
Miller's deep interest in reggae and dub has resulted in a series of compilations, remixes and collections of material from the vaults of the legendary Jamaican label, Trojan Records. Other releases include Optometry (2002), a jazz project featuring some of the best players in the downtown NYC jazz scene, and Dubtometry (2003) featuring Lee 'Scratch' Perry and Mad Professor. Miller's latest collaborative release, Drums of Death, features Dave Lombardo of Slayer and Chuck D of Public Enemy among others. He also produced material on Yoko Ono's recent album Yes, I'm a Witch.
DJ Spooky's multimedia performance piece Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica was commissioned by BAM for the 2009 Next Wave Festival; The Hopkins Center/Dartmouth College; UCSB Arts & Lectures; Melbourne International Arts Festival; and the Festival dei 2 Mondi in Spoleto, Italy. With video projections and a score composed by DJ Spooky, performed by a piano quartet, Terra Nova: Sinfornia Antarctica is a portrait of a rapidly transforming continent.
Related Video: DJ Spooky's Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica
DJ Reborn, DJ + Educator :: 120 Seconds
DJ Reborn shares a humbling experience in the school system and embraces the opportunity to become a better arts educator by sparking interest in young people.
DJ Reborn shares a humbling experience in the school system and embraces the opportunity to become a better arts educator by sparking interest in young people.
DJ Reborn, DJ + Educator :: 120 Seconds from friendswelove.com on Vimeo.
About DJ Reborn: Chicago native DJ Reborn has been pleasing crowds for over a decade with her mellifluous blend of Soul, Hip-hop, Reggae, House, Afrobeat and more. Now residing in Brooklyn, NY, this creative soul is not just a party DJ. Her sounds have been heard everywhere from corporate gatherings for Armani and Calvin Klein, to MTV’s post awards party for Lauryn Hill, as well as a private birthday bash for Maxwell. She has worked with The Bronx Museum and is a resident DJ for “Uptown Fridays”, a popular monthly event at The Studio Museum in Harlem. Throughout her career, Reborn has been the opening DJ at live shows for such renowned artists as The Roots, India Arie. Common, CaronWheeler, Talib Kweli, Saul Williams and most recently John legend.
In the summer of 2003, she provided the music for the Russell Simmons annual Art for Life benefit. A highlight of the year was being selected as the DJ for the 2004 Urban Word Teen Poetry Slam Competition in New York, hosted by Kanye West. Another highlight has been Reborn’s four appearances on BET’s Rap City. She has been featured in SCRATCH,TRACE, URB and NRG magazines. Reborn was the Musical Director and live onstage DJ for the Off-Broadway Hip-Hop Theatre hit, Flow, starring Will Power. Flow continues to tour around the US and abroad and has been so successful that an excerpt from the production was featured on NBC’s Carson Daly Show. In March 2004, Flow won the Best Theatre award at the prestigious HBO Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen.
While on hiatus from Flow, Reborn was the 2004/05 international tour DJ for Russell Simmon’s DEF POETRY JAM. Reborn’s strong belief in community is what motivates her to continue her work as an educator. She facilitates creative writing and DJing workshops for New York City youth and other teens while on tour. DJ Reborn also lends her various skills to many non-profit organizations and their events. DJ Reborn’s musical versatility and enduring reputation is what makes her one of today’s most respected and sought after talents.
Seen and Heard: Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Buttacup Lounge, Moe’s, Ovation, Sol, Rockwells, Sputnik, 22 West, 40/40 Club, Anju, Apollo Theatre, Bar 13, Bar 16, Boulevard/Crash Mansion, Bowery Poetry Club, Canal Room, CBGB Gallery, China White, Crobar, Denial, Eugene’s, Faluka, Flute, Jimmy’s Uptown, Joe’s Pub, Il Bogato, Knitting Factory, Gemini Lounge, Guernica, Ludlow Bar, Naked Lunch, Nuyorican Poets Café, Remote Lounge, Shampu, S.O.B.’s, Speed, Sutra, Wetlands
DJ Reborn Links: www.myspace.com/reborn17
http://friendswelove.com/photos/album/72157622311769284/dj-reborn.html
Gilles Peterson, Music Pioneer :: 120 Seconds
Gilles Peterson of Brownswood Recordings shares the extent of his obsession with Arsenal Football Club and some insight into why he's taking a break.
Gilles Peterson of Brownswood Recordings shares the extent of his obsession with Arsenal Football Club and some insight into why he's taking a break.
Gilles Peterson, Music Pioneer :: 120 Seconds from friendswelove.com on Vimeo.
Music lover, record collector, DJ, broadcaster… Perhaps most famous for his much loved genre-exploding radio shows on BBC Radio 1 (and 17 other stations around the world including Japan’s leading commercial station J-Wave), Gilles’ insatiable appetite for new music undoubtedly lies at the heart of his success. Worldwide is 10 years young and fresher than ever – a benchmark for broadcasters the world over; global demand for his DJ sets is at an all-time high; the mighty Worldwide Festival (held annually in France and Singapore) curated by GP just gets better and better; and as for his record label Brownswood Recordings? Well, it just goes from strength to strength.
His Brownswood label recently dropped Volume 4 of the acclaimed Bubblers series and a classy second album from pianist Elan Mehler – ‘The After Suite’. A new set from singer Jose James is imminent. The album entitled ‘BLACKMAGIC’ finds him breaking new ground, collaborating with Warp’s Flying Lotus and reworking Afro Warrior Benga’s ‘Emotions’.
Gilles is actively working on remixes for Brasilian super star Seu Jorge and Brooklyn-Lagos-Paris-London based Afro surrealist Keziah Jones. He is also enthused about a bunch of brand new tracks resulting from a collaboration between Elmore Judd and two Kenyan musicians – Owiney Sigoma. The final mix is to be done in Damon Albarn’s studio in early 2010.
However, it’s Havana Cultura, an ambitious project focusing on contemporary Cuba, sponsored by Havana Club, that has the DJ most fired up. Coinciding with the 50th Anniversary of the Revolution and the easing of embargoes on Cuba, Gilles made a second visit to Havana in July 2009. He worked at the Egrem studios in conjunction with young, virtuoso, pianist and arranger Roberto Fonseca and together they have succeeded in uniting a host of young artists including rap crews Ogguere, Free Hole Negro and Obsesión plus vocalists like Danay, Telmary and Kumar. Of the older generation, it’s only the mighty Mayra Caridad Valdés, sister of piano legend Chucho, who makes an appearance in the mix. The double album, released on Brownswood Recordings, unites the dynamic and fresh studio recordings with an accompanying CD of tracks collected from Cuba’s urban underground on this and a previous visit.
Jazz is Peterson’s religion. After delving into his spiritual jazz archive in Brownswood’s vinyl bunker he has co-curated the book ‘Freedom, Rhythm and Sound: Revolutionary Art Covers 1960–78′ with Soul Jazz supremo Stuart Baker. Also on the deep jazz front Gilles confirms that the Horo catalogue – a final outpost of indie jazz which has been left untouched to date – is about to see light of day in 2010. A “deep compilation for the headz” has been crafted and mastered and is destined to get a worldwide release.
This year’s Worldwide Festivals in Sète and Singapore have proved established events and the sublime Sète Festival just down the road from Montpellier on France’s gorgeous Mediterranean coast, now in its fourth year, reached tipping point, sold out and broke even. Next year Gilles is looking to expand to Sao Paulo. October saw him in Japan for the annual J Wave Celebration Of Live Music in the mix with Khromanium, Salsa Swingoza and Quasimode. A Tokyo Heavy Hitters DJ clash at the Liquid Room included DJ Kentaro, DJ Mitsu The Beats, the legendary Muro and Raphael Sebag.
A lightning strikes three session foray into New York at the end of ‘09 will include an exclusive Q Tip party at Santos, a very special session at the Museum Of Modern Art and a Monday night on the decks at Deep Space with Francois Kevorkian.
Basically, the man’s DJ schedule is as mental as ever and over the next year he plans to explore new audiences in Kazakhstan, India (Mumbai + Calcutta) and Bangladesh (Dhaka). Gilles will touch down in Australia to play WOMAD in Adelaide in March. Nearer to home his new residency will be in the back room of a new session at Corsica Studios. Never tired of engaging with the cutting edge sounds of a new generation, this session will be a collaboration with dubsteppin’ We Fear Silence Collective featuring an awe-inspiring array of dubstep’s leading lights.
For more info on Gilles:
http://www.gillespetersonworldwide.com