music

the book versus the other plastics.

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The book is old analog.  It's technology is without a doubt, one of the most important items in the human catalog.  

Books are the enablers.  The perfect informational passing device.

Almost always a perfect gift.

Books are not CD's.  Books are not DVD's.  Although, people love to include them in there analogies of the death of physical media.  

However, those forms were never necessary to the origins of their own particular media. Cinema needs other devices for transmission.  Music the same.  These forms always change. In many ways, and even with hard earned consumer consistency, they are not standalone.  How many music delivery systems have come and gone?  

The physicality of a book includes all of it.  The written word was always meant to be passed along, in it's final form.  it duplication is always scaleable.  Not from the beginning of course, but still, it could have been duplicated somehow, with errors, money and hard work.

And even though, the scalability of music and cinema can lend itself to other product forms, they will never be perfect.  Because its delivery origins are not seamless.  Music has always been a live format.  Cinema, was birthed in exhibition.  One ticket, one play.  No pause, reverse, repeat.

The book, in it's final physicality is the delivery.  It's a perfect system.  Yes, it can have an uglier digital counterpart, but it's essence is it's form.  And, only for environmental reasons would it ever go away.  

But, that CD you're holding, or that Criterion DVD you just bought, or that new XBOX game you stole, well, that's not going to be around.  So, build your collections now you geeks and nerds.  Show them off to your kids, who will marvel at that lo-fucking fidelity that you and I loved so much.

sipping on that bullshit budweiser.

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A scary thought has been buzzing through the brain of late.  I contemplate the poor condition of pop music.  Much too often.  Then, i try to forget the thought.  I rationalize this as older man talk.  That type of shit OLD people did when they talked about The Stones, or Chuck Berry, or Zeppelin, or The Clash.  Actually, did they talk about The Clash that way?  Fine, the Pistols, or Public Enemy.  Whatever.  Enter any rugged new style that scared the fucking cardigan wearing wiseman out his granny panties.

So, let’s traverse to modern day.  We are certainly in the post-post music era.  A little bit of this, a little bit of Dylan, mixed with what Prince did in 84, and a touch of that band nobody has heard of, and a dropping of The Cure.  Yeah, that's what's up.  Repeat with looks, repeat with style.  

But Pop is a little different.  It's always been.  We always whine about it.  At this point however, mainstream is ALL STREAM ALL THE TIME for most people.  From the Rhianna to the Chris Brown shit, to Lady Gaga doing the next level impersonation of Madonna, to Justin T, the easy to digest negative 10 MJ (whom I find totally harmless and interesting at least).  To the most asinine lyric writers on earth, and the multitude of studio tricks and disingenuous manufacturing of controversy to push a BRAND.

And, of course the semblance of what was once termed HIP HOP.  The form that is finally falling of the mainstream mountain that it's held for the last decade.  I don't even want to discuss the state of that form.  It's beyond repair for the most part, which is great.  From the ashes comes the voice.  Hopefully, some of these nimrods come to understand that rich Italian designers find it hilarious that some hood brother’s ultimate desire is to be buried in one of his stores.  I mean, what reach, what determination.  

Kool G Rap talked about being a gangsta.  So does Rick the character plagiarizer Ross.  But, so did NWA.  And, that had the same effect as punk rock.  It was a reaction.  Rick Ross is not a reaction towards anything.  Who is he rebelling against?  What is his skill?  Ghostface on the other hand, is a natural storyteller.  He is skilled at something.  He is a character of his creation.

But, coming back to my point.  Am I the grumpy old man whining about the horrid state of mainstream music?  Do i not get it?  Maybe, but to my defense, first, I'm not that old.  Second, mainstream pop is horrendous.  However, at the other end of the musical spectrum, people are releasing amazing music constantly.  The niche’s are being taken care of.  So, how does this happen?

The world has entered the REALITY TV REALITY, without even batting an eyelash.  It’s cool though, SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND ya’ll!

curiosity.

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What drives us forward?  In our younger development, we were propelled towards things in large part, because of a little thing called curiosity.  The shapes, the sounds, the textures, the possibilities of the world elicited a feeling of amazement, and a need to find out.  It was a world of endless wonder.  Limitless in scope and full of options.  A simple turn of the head informed of new opportunities.  

Then we grew up.  John Cassavetes has an interesting quote about MAN when he turns of age, and in his time, it was around 23.  I can't recall it of the top of my head, and instead of accuracy, I will paraphrase for affect instead.  Basically, he says that people lose interest in discovery around their early twenties.  All that music that got you moving, or art, or literature, or movies that challenged you, or where worthy of further investigation, all gone.  You grew up.  You put on your 3 piece, and got on with life.  The pattern, set in stone.

But what happened to life?  Curiosity was exchanged for order.  It was sold to dogma.  In our time, this process happens a little later.  Maybe in your late twenties, but possibly into you're early thirties.  We give up our search, usually by blaming the lack of time.  

Now, of course priorities change.  You have a baby, we get married, we have a multitude of responsibilities.  Shit, you have to provide for yourself.  Something that our 16 year old, first world self’s usually didn’t bother with, nor fathom its complexity.  But, what happened to the search for wonder, amazement?  Where does it go?

Do we just crawl to our evolutionary predisposition?  Does biology dictate that curiosity is not of value anymore.  “I AM WHAT I AM”, we love to say, as if, cemented from the beginning of time.

Isn't that a counterintuitive remnant of our past human life?  And here, I inject blatant commercialism that might resinate, since millions of dollars where spent to get you to buy something, by first associating two very different things.  "Stay thirsty my friends."

​a light glistens.

​a light glistens.

The Rick Rubin Experiment

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I visited one of Rick Rubin's original LA home studio's recently.  Full of ancient technology, beautiful rugs and a thickly, creeping atmosphere of legend-itis.

Amid the analog gear, there exists a tiny digital corner, consisting of a Power Mac, a small sequencer, midi keys, a couple pre-amps and a compressor.  About 1/20th the size of the analogue space.  

I don't know if Mr. Rubin still uses the place, but I do know someone else who does.  And he wouldn't have a clue how to fire up the old 1000+ button board.  Must have been manufactured in the UK, I'm guessing.  Neve?  Probably.  

No,  he doesn't touch the practically priceless gear.  Doesn't need to get "that sound" that people used to talk about all day.  But he does get to work.  Granted, he is sitting in an inspired place, but, he gets to work.  And with the tools that he's familiar with, to produce results quickly, so that it can feed the loop.  

What's my point?  

KAYLA, the new MIRS single + video.

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For a limited time, you can grab the new MIRS single Kayla for free at Bandcamp, Soundcloud, and some other places before Itunes, Amazon, Spotify and torrents take over.

Also, a video comes along.  You can watch the unicolor, hifi video at Youtube, Dailymotion, or Vimeo.

Track Credits:

released 19 June 2012 
Produced by Amir Motlagh + Art Toussi 
Instrumentation, Vocals & Lyrics by Amir Motlagh 
Bass Guitar: Art Toussi 
Mix: Amir Motlagh 
Mastering: Hans DeKline (Sound Bites Dog) 
Album Art: Amir Motlagh 
Publishing & Copyrights 2012 Amir Motlagh / ANIMALS

MIRS - Fall (birds)

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Artist: MIRS
Song: Fall (birds)
Album: Spin Cycle

Director: Chris Castillo + Amir Motlagh
www.amirmotlagh.com
Produced by ANIMALS

Vamp: Samantha Robinson

Special thanks:
Sean Gillane (moth animation)
Gabe Pagtama (gaffer/grip)
Abe Pagtama
Rey Deegan
Rory Roach

MIRS is featured in the upcoming movie Los Angeles 7
http://youtu.be/suFLPNPMtD4

More information on MIRS and to purchase or download Spin Cycle:
www.mirsmusic.com
www.mirs.bandcamp.com
www.soundcloud.com/​mirs
www.insound.com/​Spin-Cycle-CD-MIRS/​P/​INS92427/​
itunes.apple.com/​us/​album/​spin-cycle-ep/​id405148227

Lyrics:

I want to sit outside tonight
taken in all the air from everywhere

Actually I want to hide tonight
blanket in all the cold inside my heart

Why do you treat me so bad
Is it because you think I’m wrong
because the birds want to eat your little bones

Why do you treat me so bad
Is it because you think I’m wrong
because the moths want to to eat your arms

I’ve driven down this road in the moonlight
I’ve seen all those peculiar sites
Makes we want to run, I want to get away from everyone

Its another night in the frozen cold
I’m a beast, I’m a lost soul (2x)

Free me so I can go (so I can go)
Hate me so I can go (so I can go)
Use me so I can go (so I can go)
Kill me so I can go (so I can go)

Running running running running (repeat)

written by Amir Motlagh (MIRS) © 2010

© 2011 ANIMALS

 

 

MIRS "Spring (bombs)" music video

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This is the just released music video (first of four) for the track Spring (bombs) of the MIRS Spin Cycle ep.  Usually, I don't go into the behind the scenes stuff, but I do want to frame this, so that it has some contextual backdrop to work from.  Initially, the video was going to be some elaborate live action piece, with some "familiar face" as the lead.  But the production was endlessly getting pushed back, weeks and weeks with no end in sight.

Now, at the same time, I had been thinking of another visual treatment, one that I had always considered more central and "authentic", but was hesitant to follow through because of this larger scale production which was already in movement, and also for the very fact that this idea lacked so called production value.

But instead of delaying yet again, and in reference to this track in particular being at times labeled as Chillwave (a genre that I was never fully aware of when I was recording this) I decided to trash the production, and go with my more honest instinct.  The general trends in music videos now(especially in these genres) is the feeling or mood of nostalgia.  But usually as it applies only in meta feeling, not in actuality, since most of these musicians weren't even born during the visual time clock that the images represent.  And the other type of nostalgia based music video of late is the home-movie aesthetics but with a clear cut narrative, rendering it to skillful artifice and craftsmanship. (ie: Mark Ronsons' I Need Somebody to Love Me" video).

So, given these distinctions, I wanted to cut of the oxygen to those particular forms of nostalgic pandering, and so I came up with this.  This is actual footage, taken many years ago, at the second renaissance of break dancing.  It includes myself, and several of my friends, when we were in a crew.  The only narration is the actual "session".  Pairing it up to the music, it renders the scene wholly different, and in my opinion, gives the music its own unqiue breathing space as well.  

MIRS "Spin Cycle" available on Itunes and Amazon

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MIRS "Spin Cycle" is now available on Itunes and if you are into collecting hardware, a limited pressing CD is available on Amazon for Pre-Order.  It officially comes out this Tuesday, the 23'rd of November, 2010.

While MIRS remains elusive right now, it won't be long before someone else tells you about it.  So, be the curator, the tastemaker, the leader of your crew.  Don't wait until someone else tells you what to listen to man.

 

 

MIRS "Spin Cycle" now available on BandCamp

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Spin Cycle is now available on BandCamp, followed by a larger digital and CD launch Novemeber 30th, 2010.

Don't waste your fucking time here, go grab it before all the digital files are gone.  I would also like to make the case that you pick up the full EP instead of singles, because they are made to go linear, and because its pretty good. 

Also, with your purchase of the album, you get a PDF translation page that will come in handy soon.

 

MIRS "Spin Cycle" Release Dates

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"Spin Cycle", the first release from MIRS comes out Tuesday, November 2nd on BandCamp as a digital only (MP3, Wav), followed by a limited edition CD pressing & full digital release (including Itunes, Amazon, Etc.) November 30th, 2010.  The EP includes the following four tracks:

01. Spring (bombs)

02. Summer (farahavar)

03. Fall (birds)

04. Winter (little tokyo)