Retromania and the internet time machine

Well this post is a bit of an open ended question and one I'm not sure has an answer. I am a big retro fan but I cant help but wonder, is our constant look into the past, shutting down the opportunity to innovate or produce anything new? It seems I am not the only one who has gravitated towards this idea. In fact it has been something that has repeatedly popped up on the radio and in blogs over the last few days.

As a person who is partial to a bit of retro myself, it feels a little hypocritical to pick holes in it. I love Mad Men and the clothes of the 1950's and 60's. I like listening to Disco and Funk in fact I mainly listen to old music. Even the new music I listen to often samples music of a different time and place.

Writer Simon Reynolds discusses our cultures obsession with music of the past in his book Retromania, you can read about it in depth in this Guardian article.
I feel that this so called Retromania is effecting every part of our lives from the clothes we wear to the music we listen to, to the things we put in our homes. We get exited about things that were outdated before our time like vinyl and record players. Dancing round our front rooms to the same songs our parents listened to. Even holding in high esteem music our parents would have been ashamed to listen to. After walking into an 20 something artists studio for the 100th time and hearing Bob Dylan blasting out of the ipod docking station a voice in my head cry's, isn't it time we moved on? If we spent a little less time listening to the music of the past and invested a little more time supporting the music of the future, maybe the tween market would die down and we wouldn't be forced to listen to, yet another autotune rendition of some song that was too grim the first time round.
Like I said earlier its not like I'm a maverick myself. I'm not riding the cusp of a new wave of innovation because in my hart of harts, I'm not sure there is one. the more I think about it the more I wonder how can anyone do anything new? Even when you think you have and some sort of brain wave a quick google search turns up 100 people that are doing the same and that have done it before you! Would I be a more cutting edge if I turned off all my cutting edge technology shut my door and just got on with it?
I was talking with some friends about this earlier I asked what will define this generation if this generation is just a mish mash of things form the past? She said 'mybe that is what defines us?' 'we are the generation that takes the best its form the past and by putting them together turns them into something new' I hope she is right because if Lady GaGa is the most forward thinking and experimental person out there I might just lock myself away and be done with it!




P.S if you want to read a little more on this subject have  look at this very eloquent blog post by Ekow Eshun

I get by with a little help from my friends...

I am lucky enough to have some really talented friends and some very special people around me so I thought I would spend this week sharing them with you. First up an invite to a private view at the Josh Lilley Gallery. I haven't seen all the work yet so I wont give any opinion  but if you can go, do. You can get a feel for their works on their own websites Boakye-Yiadom  and  Hartley. 

Dancing Round The Front Room

So I'm taking things a little more personal today. Its Fathers day in the UK this weekend so without being soppy or banging on about how my dad is the best in the world. I thought I would share my favorite  memory of growing up.

So Sundays were chill out day the day you were able to stay in your pjs till really late without being told off. The day we had bacon and eggs for breakfast and the day the music would go on full blast in the front room.  We would all gather in the front room mum dad me and my two brothers and dance around in dressing gowns. My parents introduced me to all kinds of music from Motown to Ska and Blues.

So I thought I would share some of the family favorites with you.

not so much of a dancing tune but I used to be mesmerised by this song growing up with its mildly threatening nature! 

We used to go and see Nine below Zero live allot when we were kids up on my dads shoulders while he would jig around. These are all great memory's for me. In fact my dad still loves to hear new music and when I spoke to him the other day he recommended these guys so if you haven't heard of them before here are Vintage Trouble on the Jools Holland show. In fact they are playing all around the UK soon so if you like them you can check them out I'm told its only £7 a ticket for there solo shows! http://www.vintagetrouble.com/shows.html

Naked Woman Naked Man where did you get that nice sun tan?

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My love for BRIXTON never dies

It only gets stronger. I am always scared of saying to much because I have seen East London die a death and I would hate the same to happen in my area. However I think it would be wrong not to share this little Gem with you.

It was Thursday night and i was tired after a 7.30 start at work and a mission into Central London to get a blow up bed.  Oh honestly my life is so exiting you cant even imagine! On the bus on the way home I was having a snoop around facebook, as you do, and I spotted a post form TY about United 80. His facebook posts are always on point and as a musician he for me is one of the best around. So when he put up that there was a gig in my area, and a free one at that, there was no way I wasn't getting off the bus and going to check it out.
So out came the make up on went the face and off I trundled into Brixton Village Market.  The once home of my lovely but slightly smelly studio.

All I had to do was follow the music and the crowds and there it was! Have a look for yourself UNITED VIBRATIONS WERE AMAZING.

So although I would like to keep Brixton my little secret I also understand to keep all these wonderful things going I have to share it.......so I begrudgingly tell you all to GET YOURSELF DOWN THERE.

Late night openings on Thursdays and  Saturdays !!!!

Easter Island heads Paa Joe and the Circle of Life

A quick visit to the  British Museum turned some beautiful treasures from the far flung corners of the world.  Seeing these things is always a mix of pleasure and pain........I would much prefer to see them where they belong, in their country of origin but that decision is unfortunately out of my hands.

So while I cant change the world I thought I would share some highlights with you.

Easter Island heads

I have always loved the imagery of  Day of the Dead. They had an amazing piece called the circle of life in the museum. I cant find an image of it anywhere which is a huge shame. So i thought i would show you some of there sculptures instead. The one at the top shows the elements of destruction in the world and is HUGE.

I also discovered they have some of Paa Joe's coffins on display. It was good to see them in the flesh. I look forward to seeing more of them when i go and visit Kumasi, Ghana next year.

Out of this World

 

Hello everyone hope you had a good weekend.
I have a little begging to do before I start...... Allot of you read this blog regularly in fact so many of you I have had over 800 hits since it started so a big thank you to everyone!
I don't know how many of you read it to be nosey or if you read it because you really enjoy it? but whatever your motivations I would really appreciate it if you would make yourself a profile and follow it so this blog can become a little bit more interactive.
Anyway that's enough begging for one day!

So my weekend was busy. After a long week at work, my little bro (actually not so little now!) came down to visit. It was a bit of a combo of seeing allot and stumbling across some more! So on Saturday morning we woke up nice and early and headed straight off to see the SI-FI exhibition, "Out of this World" at the British Library.

Now I would never really describe myself as being interested in SI-FI. The Jetsons was about as far as it went for me as a kid. I used to draw crazy inventions, but as a young dyslexic child the words of far of unrecognisable places did not appeal to me.
However this exhibition appealed to my inner child. You don't have to be a hardcore SI-FI geek to get into it. Its primary focus was on the inventiveness of the writers of SI-FI, and how many of the things that we use today have been imagined in there entirety within some of the most recognisable science fiction titles of the last century.
I would tell you some of the top facts but that might stop you for going down there.....the exhibition if free so if you live in London you don't really have an excuse!

I loved the novels covers and illustration fantasy's of the future.

OK so this post has ended up being a little bit to long so I will write bout the rest of the things I saw over the next few days......keep your eyes peeled for my naked post!
I also wanted to give you a little taste of things to come with this radiolab  podcast about talking to machines.