Four Things #27
Welcome to Four Things #27.. First of all, thanks for subscribing to this highly irregular newsletter. I had a conversation yesterday with a friend about making music and how a lot of producers feel compelled by the public consumption grinder to constantly provide ‘content’ also known as ‘releasing music’. It’s a pressure that feeds into the insecurity of being forgotten or deemed irrelevant but I am convinced that if the music you make is very good, your listeners will still be there even if they have to wait a long time before they can hear it. Besides, if you have nothing interesting to say, it’s perhaps better to not say anything at all? There are many other ways of releasing your creativity, until musical inspiration is back at the forefront, cos it does always come back I find. I love artists who effortlessly shift between different disciplines but keep their output constant.
I have a busy month ahead: I'll be doing a mentoring session at Eaton in Washington DC on Wednesday February 8th, it’s a Work In Progress Session for local producers. If you are one, message or email me if you would like to submit music for it. Then I’m off to Europe for a short tour with a couple exciting gigs at Electric Brixton with Mala, Jubei & Sicaria Sound in London (17), Berghain in Berlin (19), my Hör debut (20), at De School in Amsterdam with Jasmín and Aurora Halal (25) and at C12 in Brussels with Bjarki (26).
Here are the Things.. I always appreciate your thoughts, comments and observations. Feel free to pass on the link to your friends, and check out my newsletter archive if you haven’t done so before. Wishing you love and health..
Martyn
Feb 5th, 2023
FIRST THING: DC & BLACK RAVE CULTURE
A topic that often comes up on my Mentoring Program is ‘Scene and Community’, what the differences and similarities are and how to navigate the often quite complicated interactions with people in both environments. As you well know most of the music world is built on relationships that balance between friendship and business. I recently did a (live) session at the wonderful Eaton DC Hotel about this very subject and while preparing for it, I considered my own relationship with this city and the urge to be able to contribute something meaningful to its music community. Especially for more experienced music people I think that’s really important, to share resources, knowledge and lift up fellow musicians in your city. For that reason I was super happy to have DC crew Black Rave Culture (James Bangura, Amal and Dj Native Sun) for our very first 3024 TAPES series of Soundcloud mixes : 3024 TAPES 001 Black Rave Culture .. I’ll be back at Eaton this month, on Wednesday February 8th for another session.
SECOND THING: THE REBELS OF BONSAI
This piece in the New Yorker about Bonsai has been on my mind for several months now. It tells the tale of the American Bonsai artist Ryan Neil who went to Japan to apprentice with Masuhiko Kimura, the so-called magician of Bonsai. I was surprised to learn that this very old art form characterized by restraint, patience and tradition also knew its fair share of upsets, even rebellion, as Kimura’s radical innovations in the field are nothing less than that. Besides that, the mental toll art can take on the artist can be massive, even lead to a person’s downfall. In that sense it’s no different than the tree itself, often struggling to stay alive as it finds its way into unusual shapes and becoming more and more withered as it ages. Worth your time - Read here.
THIRD THING: CHRIS PULMAN
London skate shop Slam City runs a great interview series called “My Board”, in which they talk to pro skaters about their setups. There is an almost infinite variety of decks (boards), trucks, wheels, grip tape, even spacers, bearings and bolts available to customize and personalize your ride. Those preferences depend on riding style, fashion (there was an era where everyone would ride super tiny wheels), size (of feet), some nostalgia and whether something looks cool or not. I’ve been following the British skater Chris Pulman for a while; besides being super stylish he’s also been very vocal about mental health and ageism (he is 48), and I highly recommend his IG for the short videos of him just enjoying skating without an inkling of pretentiousness. In his “My Board” interview he speaks about the fact that a board setup is an ever-changing constant, that evolves with your personal preferences throughout the years but always stays your own. My favorite quote: ”It’s a bit like Trigger in Only Fools and Horses (British comedy show) when he says that he’s had the same brush for ten years. It’s had ten different handles, and ten different heads but it’s the same brush [..] It’s the same but you have changed every single thing on it, the thing you are riding is not what you started off with.” Read here. And check this interview with Chris about mental health.
FOURTH THING: BIRDS (IN MY MIND ANYWAY)
Berlin artist Melissa Maristuen aka Doc Sleep was on the brink of giving up music altogether! But gladly several life events made her reconsider her relationship to the dancefloor, and instead, the process of disconnecting from dance music tempos and structures gave her the freedom to write what she wanted. The result is “Birds (in my mind anyway)”, an amazing debut album that blends the past and the present, the personal and the distant. Hit that pre-order button with a swiftness, you won’t be disappointed!