Lou Winant
Ethnoid Mac Geek Papa
Junglist Popster Eclecticist
I'm curious. Aren't you?
updated 2/20/2005
Happy visitors counted since 6/22/2004
Gimme a shout and let me know you dropped by at my Guest Book, or...
Just take a look
Allow me to introduce myself...
Formal Curriculum Vitae
Informal Bio and CV
Who is Lou?
Specialties:
| Electronic
Dance Music |
Jungle/Drum'n'Bass |
 |
 |
| Atlantic
Apart: (18,272 words on hip-hop and electronic dance music) |
Global Massive: The Glocalization of Jungle/Drum'n'Bass |
| Popular
Music Studies |
Subculture |
 |
 |
| "Give the DJ
Some" KEXP Bob Dylan series ("Another Side of Bob Dylan") |
"There
is a Future: Subculture from Punk to Rave and Beyond" |
| Globalization | Chinese
and Chinese-American
Music |
 |
 image courtesy Clarion Music of San Francisco |
| "The
Dragon Has Nine Sons, Each One Different:" On the Divergences of Chinese-American Musical Identity |
The Lou Mixes:
Electronic Music:
 |
 |
| Nag
Champa (October 2005) |
Swinomish
Dusk (February 2006) |
Poetry (coming soon?)
Friendly and/or Professional Links:
Eliot Bates: Cal
Ethnoid, oud player, and fusionist (Tribe profile)
Jon Caramanica: someday he's gonna kick my ass
Daphne Carr: appraising the world of sound at 1:00AM
Renee Drellishak: friend since Cal, now pursuing an EdC on college health
Andrea Emberly: Elmo goes to South Africa
Experience Music Project: a mighty big boat to float
Ethnomusicology Students Association: otherwise known as the UW Ethnoid Crew
Rebekah Farrugia: girls can deejay, too, dammit
Sasha Frere-Jones: the Brian Eno of music criticism
Kariann Goldschmitt: it's all about the body
John Gastil: a Grossmont High grad like me, but who never really gave up on Speech & Debate
Amy Kramer Hawks: partner of Harvey and Massage Missionary
Harvey Kramer Hawks: compatriot almost continuously since Berkeley, 1988
International Association for the Study of Popular Music: my other set of peers
Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music: just try to understand
Kerri Kuczma: self-styled rock star (Tribe profile)
Tim Lawrence: party like it's 1974
Ann Powers: ex-EM friend and pop crit celebrity joins the blogosphere
Prudence Mouse: cat thug (Tribe profile)
Society for Ethnomusicology: 50 years old...and showing it?
Gabe Strand: musically blogging up the Mekong!
University of Washington Ethnomusicology: friends and mentors
Oliver Wang: a good Cal man, whose blog I can only aspire to
Tamara Weikel: my usher into drum'n'bass, but so much more
James Whetzel: ex-Ethnoid gone wild (Tribe profile)
More fun...than the Apple Store!
Come see me at work...
Jon Caramanica: someday he's gonna kick my ass
Daphne Carr: appraising the world of sound at 1:00AM
Renee Drellishak: friend since Cal, now pursuing an EdC on college health
Andrea Emberly: Elmo goes to South Africa
Experience Music Project: a mighty big boat to float
Ethnomusicology Students Association: otherwise known as the UW Ethnoid Crew
Rebekah Farrugia: girls can deejay, too, dammit
Sasha Frere-Jones: the Brian Eno of music criticism
Kariann Goldschmitt: it's all about the body
John Gastil: a Grossmont High grad like me, but who never really gave up on Speech & Debate
Amy Kramer Hawks: partner of Harvey and Massage Missionary
Harvey Kramer Hawks: compatriot almost continuously since Berkeley, 1988
International Association for the Study of Popular Music: my other set of peers
Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music: just try to understand
Kerri Kuczma: self-styled rock star (Tribe profile)
Tim Lawrence: party like it's 1974
Ann Powers: ex-EM friend and pop crit celebrity joins the blogosphere
Prudence Mouse: cat thug (Tribe profile)
Society for Ethnomusicology: 50 years old...and showing it?
Gabe Strand: musically blogging up the Mekong!
University of Washington Ethnomusicology: friends and mentors
Oliver Wang: a good Cal man, whose blog I can only aspire to
Tamara Weikel: my usher into drum'n'bass, but so much more
James Whetzel: ex-Ethnoid gone wild (Tribe profile)
More fun...than the Apple Store!
Come see me at work...
VISIT THE UK BLOG
News and Blog
2/20/2006:
MEANWHILE...
Whee, THREE MONTHS! Hold on for the Super Report:
Pop, Meems, and I celebrated Thanksgiving here in Seattle. Things were more than a mite tense, honestly--Pop's health, my unemployment--but we still had a good time having the big meal (at Yankee Grill), walking among the Fall leaves in Ravenna, and making a gingerbread house.
Within the first week of December, three major shifts happened. One, having gone pretty damned far pretty damned fast, Christina hit the "uncomfortable" button, and I became solitary again. Two, I learned--after the fact--that my divorce with Lisa was finalized. And, three...
All, of course, just in time for Christmas.. As I relived the rush I once had at the Natural Selection back in SLO, our own Christmas happened, too. Bev went to San Jose first, then joined me, Pop, and Meems here. Keeping everything in line, my big present was a primo 60GB iPod which I had been ripping CD's for continuously for weeks. Probably favorite present was a generically Chinese doll of a book character named Dan Long, but bigger entertainment came from a puppet theater with custom puppets by Meems. For me, however, the highlight of the time was a trip to the Seattle Aquarium and a new favorite store--naturally enough, Pirate's Plunder.
January saw a post-holiday rush, but gradually everything fell into a routine. Thankfully this routine is one that allows me to be a night owl (I usally work from 11:00AM 'til close at 7:00PM), and thus also pursue creative endeavors in my natural time. The first to be completed was a Lou Mix initiated during the post-divorce, pre-work days called Soundtrack for Solitude. Details for this can be found on the Lou Mix page.
The second to be completed was an other ambient piece in Reason. Back in February 2000--weeks before Bev was born--Lisa and I took a getaway to the little port town of La Conner, Washington. While there we visited a wildlife refuge on the Skagit Delta, and I was armed with DAT. Six years later, I finally took the recorded birds--ducks, geese in flight--got them onto my Powerbook via Digital Performer, chopped three loops, and added some synths and reverb in Reason. The result: "Swinomish Dusk." Note also that my electronic pieces now have a permanent home above.
And still time for a few movies. In the last three months I've only seen only two movies in the theater. The most anticipated was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but the fact is as a fanboy I was a bit disappointed. It was too choppy and lacked the two things that make Prisoner of Azkaban my favorite Harry movie: emotional depth, and a deep John Williams score (4 out of 5). The second, very much on a similar tip, was The Chronicles of Narnia, or more accurately The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. I know, I know: It's not fair to compare it to Tolkien. But kids-cum-royalty just ain't the Fellowship, and tho' there are cool creatures, Narnia just seems so small compared to Middle Earth (4 out of 5). But there have also been videos. Two back with Christina: Monsoon Wedding, which makes up for Mira Nair's contrivances in Kama Sutra with cutting, modern reality (5 out of 5) and Dogma which is equally brainy and rude, brilliant and amateur, in otherr words perfect Kevin Smith (4 out of 5). Three with Bev: Madagascar, which ain't Pixar but can exist solely for the guerilla penguins and Sacha Baron Cohen's King Julyan lemur and his insanely infectious "Move It" song (4 out of 5); Robots, which definitely ain't Pixar, and pretty much squanders both Ewan MacGregor and Robin Williams (2 out of 5); and the now ubiquitously-praised March of the Penguins, which really does manage to make a National Geographic special into a moving feature film (5 out of 5). And, just as of today, the pirate chestnut Cutthroat Island, which doesn't have the wit of Depp's Jack Sparrow but does have the lusty attitude of Geena Davis and some darn good action (4 out of 5).
Almost lastly, a few nights ago I reentered the jungle scene via coworker Melody, whose boyfriend Rob Noble had started a new night with old d'n'b stalwarts Zacharia and Slantooth at Jai Thai ion Belltown. Mel gave me the info, Tribey Michael gave me the ride, Tribey Tushara gave me some company, the bar gave me $3 Long Island iced teas, girls gave me smiles, and I had the best night I'd had in months.
Am I getting any dissertation work done? Uh, no. Am I still an Ethnoid? Hell yeah; I did two days of lecturing on Tejano last week, and me old heavy metal happened last quarter and will again this Wednesday. Am I a day-to-day Papa? No. Am I still an active presence in Bev's life? Hell yeah, every other weekend, whether errands or cartoons, games or Legos.
And that's where things stand. Will I get this blog back in regular action? I think so!
11/22/2005: OH GOOD GRIEF:
Yes. it's been three weeks since my last blog. At the risk of this page once again turning into the Bev Page, here's an update:
11/1/2005: HALLOWEEN 2005
WRAP-UP:
'Twas busy 'n' fun 'n' marvelous:
10/24/2005: THE LIFE, PT. 2:
10/24/2005: THE LIFE, PT. 1:
click for wallpaper
10/7/2005: THIS AIN'T AUBREY'S NAVY:
click for larger image
10/5/2005: THE LOU MIXES:
10/5/2005: BIRTH
OF A VENUE:
10/3/2005: AMBIENT
SKETCH:
Whee, THREE MONTHS! Hold on for the Super Report:
Pop, Meems, and I celebrated Thanksgiving here in Seattle. Things were more than a mite tense, honestly--Pop's health, my unemployment--but we still had a good time having the big meal (at Yankee Grill), walking among the Fall leaves in Ravenna, and making a gingerbread house.
Within the first week of December, three major shifts happened. One, having gone pretty damned far pretty damned fast, Christina hit the "uncomfortable" button, and I became solitary again. Two, I learned--after the fact--that my divorce with Lisa was finalized. And, three...
I got a job, cashing in
on nearly two decades of decicated Mac geekiness. The Seattle Mac
Store (nee "THE Computer Store") has been around a lot longer than
the
corporate, more upscale (and snooty) Apple Store
just over the hill at
University Village. We do service. We answer our
phones. We're also almost as a rule creative folks outside of
works, and I'm very happily
surrounded by other electronic music headz. OK, I have decided to
NOT blog on work. It's the biggest part of my life right now; I
hold a delicate balance between maintaining a strong, mature work ethic
and knowing that this is not my career.
For more info, check the link I've added permamenttly above...or drop
by.
All, of course, just in time for Christmas.. As I relived the rush I once had at the Natural Selection back in SLO, our own Christmas happened, too. Bev went to San Jose first, then joined me, Pop, and Meems here. Keeping everything in line, my big present was a primo 60GB iPod which I had been ripping CD's for continuously for weeks. Probably favorite present was a generically Chinese doll of a book character named Dan Long, but bigger entertainment came from a puppet theater with custom puppets by Meems. For me, however, the highlight of the time was a trip to the Seattle Aquarium and a new favorite store--naturally enough, Pirate's Plunder.
January saw a post-holiday rush, but gradually everything fell into a routine. Thankfully this routine is one that allows me to be a night owl (I usally work from 11:00AM 'til close at 7:00PM), and thus also pursue creative endeavors in my natural time. The first to be completed was a Lou Mix initiated during the post-divorce, pre-work days called Soundtrack for Solitude. Details for this can be found on the Lou Mix page.
The second to be completed was an other ambient piece in Reason. Back in February 2000--weeks before Bev was born--Lisa and I took a getaway to the little port town of La Conner, Washington. While there we visited a wildlife refuge on the Skagit Delta, and I was armed with DAT. Six years later, I finally took the recorded birds--ducks, geese in flight--got them onto my Powerbook via Digital Performer, chopped three loops, and added some synths and reverb in Reason. The result: "Swinomish Dusk." Note also that my electronic pieces now have a permanent home above.
And still time for a few movies. In the last three months I've only seen only two movies in the theater. The most anticipated was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but the fact is as a fanboy I was a bit disappointed. It was too choppy and lacked the two things that make Prisoner of Azkaban my favorite Harry movie: emotional depth, and a deep John Williams score (4 out of 5). The second, very much on a similar tip, was The Chronicles of Narnia, or more accurately The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. I know, I know: It's not fair to compare it to Tolkien. But kids-cum-royalty just ain't the Fellowship, and tho' there are cool creatures, Narnia just seems so small compared to Middle Earth (4 out of 5). But there have also been videos. Two back with Christina: Monsoon Wedding, which makes up for Mira Nair's contrivances in Kama Sutra with cutting, modern reality (5 out of 5) and Dogma which is equally brainy and rude, brilliant and amateur, in otherr words perfect Kevin Smith (4 out of 5). Three with Bev: Madagascar, which ain't Pixar but can exist solely for the guerilla penguins and Sacha Baron Cohen's King Julyan lemur and his insanely infectious "Move It" song (4 out of 5); Robots, which definitely ain't Pixar, and pretty much squanders both Ewan MacGregor and Robin Williams (2 out of 5); and the now ubiquitously-praised March of the Penguins, which really does manage to make a National Geographic special into a moving feature film (5 out of 5). And, just as of today, the pirate chestnut Cutthroat Island, which doesn't have the wit of Depp's Jack Sparrow but does have the lusty attitude of Geena Davis and some darn good action (4 out of 5).
Almost lastly, a few nights ago I reentered the jungle scene via coworker Melody, whose boyfriend Rob Noble had started a new night with old d'n'b stalwarts Zacharia and Slantooth at Jai Thai ion Belltown. Mel gave me the info, Tribey Michael gave me the ride, Tribey Tushara gave me some company, the bar gave me $3 Long Island iced teas, girls gave me smiles, and I had the best night I'd had in months.
Am I getting any dissertation work done? Uh, no. Am I still an Ethnoid? Hell yeah; I did two days of lecturing on Tejano last week, and me old heavy metal happened last quarter and will again this Wednesday. Am I a day-to-day Papa? No. Am I still an active presence in Bev's life? Hell yeah, every other weekend, whether errands or cartoons, games or Legos.
And that's where things stand. Will I get this blog back in regular action? I think so!
11/22/2005: OH GOOD GRIEF:
Yes. it's been three weeks since my last blog. At the risk of this page once again turning into the Bev Page, here's an update:
- A full weekend with Bev over 11/4-6. On Friday, a "family dinner" at school, themed for New Orleans: red beans 'n' rice (and coffee with chicory), Mardi Gras masks for the kids to make, and some Professor Longhair piano...by Ashley Young, a brunette former Ethnoid at U Michigan! On Saturday, I introduced Bev to Princess Bride, and "twoo wuv" instantly became a catch phrase. On Sunday we finished the 550-piece Lego Durmstrang Ship from (the then still unreleased) Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire.
- On 11/10, Lisa, Bev. and I all saw Finding Nemo: On Ice. Like the Princesses before, it was an odd combo of Disney, Broadway, and figure skating. Fortunately they stuck to the plot and almost completely to the original dialogue. And Bruce the shark skating was cool. Little did I know it, but the next day Auntie Dina's surprise for Bev and Lisa was a trip to Disneyland! MASSIVE jealousy here.
- OK, you ask, what about me? Job search continuing. Every waking home hour ripping tracks to iTunes in anticipation of a 60GB iPod for Christmas; as of now, 8:37P, I have over 7500 tracks, over 25 days of music in my library. But most importantly...
- I've got a girlfriend:
Christina. Nutshell? Here's the PG version... Mother
of two, divorcee, Assistant Director of a childcare program, geek,
smartypants, cutie. We met on Tribe, then had drinks, and within
about a week we were 'official.' Now, counting back through my
Journal, 15 of the 22 days thus far this month I've been with Christina
some or all day. Kids and meals and videos (Kingdom of Heaven, aka Legolas
Defends Helm's Deep By Himself) and burlesque...oops, I meant
to keep this PG! Well, we are adults after all. The
point: We make each other smile, and so we try to be together as
often as possible. And, to tie all the threads together, this
past weekend Bev and I joined Christina and her kids for an IKEA run.
- No job, but happy! And now you understand
why blogging hasn't 'zactly been a priority.
In an literally
all-night session on Reason,
I finally not only made first drum'n'bass track but also found a use
for my never-ceasing musical crush on "Grim Grinning Ghosts" from
Disney's Haunted Mansion.
Rip a bunch of samples, record the melody and chords, make a bassline,
program some drums, add some more synths. The result: "Grim Grinning Beats."
Saturday with Bev:
The "Pumpkin Bash" at Woodland Park Zoo.
"Enjoy a repertoire of animal behavior as...animals crunch, smash or
stomp pumpkins." Best art was the bears...The sloth bears (lured by
honey), slashed 'em with their long claws. The sun bears (lured by
jam), slashed and then sucked 'em with their phenomenal tongues. And
the grizzlies (lured, yes, by JELLO) bounced up and down on 'em and
then ate langorously.
Sunday with Bev: In the morning, I did all the work on making an "angry" Jack Skellington, working from a book source and some sketch practice but no template. In the afternoon, Corpse Bride, which was entertaining but NOT Nightmare Before Christmas in music, scope, or charisma. Tho' I've heard it's better on the second viewing as you'll be less likely to compare.
Sunday with Bev: In the morning, I did all the work on making an "angry" Jack Skellington, working from a book source and some sketch practice but no template. In the afternoon, Corpse Bride, which was entertaining but NOT Nightmare Before Christmas in music, scope, or charisma. Tho' I've heard it's better on the second viewing as you'll be less likely to compare.
Monday afternoon with
Bev: A pirate I'd been before, but not a dead one; putting on the makeup was
fun. Then over to Bev's school for the parade, .i.e. just a bit
off chaos as all of the classes took turns in the central hall.
Tho' she was supposed to be a hula dancer, Hell if I could tell, and
afterwards she put on her wings and was a fairy. Then the best
part: trick-or-treating around the stores of Fremont. I
ended up scout/leader, leading an ever-growing group of Kindergarteners
around the neighborhood with the cry "Follow the pirate!" By the
time we quit (and landed at Dad Watson's for dinner), Bev's bag was
almost too heavy for her to carry.
I love this holiday...
I love this holiday...
I didn't get to bed on
Friday night, er, Saturday morning, until 5:00AM. That's 'cause I
was dancin', drinkin', and carousin' at Pangaea, the "global dance"
night at Club Contour.
Tho' I had fun, it wasn't really because
of my direct involvement with the vibe. I went with Tushara, a
fellow Tribey and an old-school Seattle Junglist. The Asian
Underground that they were playing (or rather, DJ Anup, who started),
was based on a straight 4/4 house beat that Tushara and I quickly
mocked. The music got more interesting when DJ Advent took the
decks (or, rather, the CDJ's), as he was mostly about a bhangra
beat. But then the true nature of the night seemed to reveal
itself: South Asian guys showing off themselves, their machismo,
and their knowledge of the music. I couldn't compete with that,
so I settled into observer mode...the crowd, the fog machine and the
strobes, the mojito in my hand. and bellydance by Troupe
Hipnotica. I actually had more
fun sitting outside, observing, yes, but also chatting with people both
weird (a homophobic albino Russian) and interesting (Masil, aka Lisa
M.). I don't really expect I'll be back there, but I'm thankful
for the good time...
[Lastly, I archived September]
[Lastly, I archived September]
click for wallpaper
It would be easy to say
that "Firefly" doesn't need
any more props, but given the number of people who I've
enthusiastically tried to start conversation with about, only to find
that they've never heard of it, some prosthelytizing seems in
order. It's no big surprise it slipped people's radar: the
show didn't even last a season. But then it was created by Joss Whedon, the fellow behind
"Buffy" and "Angel," so although "Firefly" is not about vampires and
slayers, it had a built-in fanbase.
And different "Firefly" most definitely is. 500 years in the future, humanity has expanded into the galaxy, peppering habitable planets with settlers. But the settlers are the have-nots, while the core worlds, and their scarily idealistic government body the Alliance, are the haves. A Civil War is fought, and naturally the haves win. Mal Reynolds was on the losing side of the war. Now he and his crew fly the galaxy in their junker of a ship, Serenity, taking whatever jobs they can, big or small, legal or illegal, to keep flying. In the outer settlements, people live with very little; it is the frontier, complete with horses and pistols and yokel syntax, tho' everybody curses in Mandarin. Thus "Firefly" is an idiosyncratic mixture of Science Fiction and Western. But it works, partly because Whedon has a compelling and complete vision, but mostly because, just like the Buffy-verse, Whedon is a master at creating compelling characters, scripts that are at once witty and moving, and characters that are just plain fascinating. It's good stuff.
So I borrowed the DVD set from Andy, and in a few short days I'd watched all 14 episodes. Then, yesterday, Alan and I saw Serenity, the movie that continues the tale. Serenity, however, is different. The universe (or, rather the 'verse) and the characters remain, but the Old West aspect is downplayed for the Sci-Fi. That's because the plot centers on the character River, a girl who had been made by the Alliance into a girl who is both a schizophrenic and a human weapon, rescued by her brother and now on the run aboard Serenity. Fortunately, this story is great, and the Whedon touch remains on the big screen. Plus, it's slam-bang. It's good stuff.
So, if you're willing to wear your geek badge, I implore you to do as I did...watch the show, and then see the movie. And pray for more.
And different "Firefly" most definitely is. 500 years in the future, humanity has expanded into the galaxy, peppering habitable planets with settlers. But the settlers are the have-nots, while the core worlds, and their scarily idealistic government body the Alliance, are the haves. A Civil War is fought, and naturally the haves win. Mal Reynolds was on the losing side of the war. Now he and his crew fly the galaxy in their junker of a ship, Serenity, taking whatever jobs they can, big or small, legal or illegal, to keep flying. In the outer settlements, people live with very little; it is the frontier, complete with horses and pistols and yokel syntax, tho' everybody curses in Mandarin. Thus "Firefly" is an idiosyncratic mixture of Science Fiction and Western. But it works, partly because Whedon has a compelling and complete vision, but mostly because, just like the Buffy-verse, Whedon is a master at creating compelling characters, scripts that are at once witty and moving, and characters that are just plain fascinating. It's good stuff.
So I borrowed the DVD set from Andy, and in a few short days I'd watched all 14 episodes. Then, yesterday, Alan and I saw Serenity, the movie that continues the tale. Serenity, however, is different. The universe (or, rather the 'verse) and the characters remain, but the Old West aspect is downplayed for the Sci-Fi. That's because the plot centers on the character River, a girl who had been made by the Alliance into a girl who is both a schizophrenic and a human weapon, rescued by her brother and now on the run aboard Serenity. Fortunately, this story is great, and the Whedon touch remains on the big screen. Plus, it's slam-bang. It's good stuff.
So, if you're willing to wear your geek badge, I implore you to do as I did...watch the show, and then see the movie. And pray for more.
click for larger image
Tribeys givin' me the
hookup: Johnny,
who works at Seattle's Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI), got a bunch of us to
a free lecture
by Lorraine
McConaghy. The topic was the USS Decatur,
a sloop-of-war that came to Seattle 150 years ago to deal with the
"Indian problem," and arrived just in time for the "Battle
of Seattle." This was down-'n'-dirty history, at a time when
Seattle, as McConaghy liked to put it, was "clinging to the edge of the
continent," only 30 residences clustered around Henry Yesler's
sawmill.
Now I came for the maritime angle, knowing full well what McConaghy said at the beginning of the talk: Seattle history is inseparable from maritime history. I was not dissapointed. From her research at the National Archives, looking at (often original) logs and journals, she painted a colorful but not very pretty picture of life on board (and off) the Decatur. It was a challenging time...the antebellum, but with the threat of Civil War looming; a time when the "old fogeys" of the Navy were giving way to a new bravado defined by personal ambition and the righteousness of Manifest Destiny; a time when the days of sail were giving way to the days of steam; a time before modern medicine; a time when world travel was not at all educated by anthropological relativism. And so life aboard the Decatur was one of discipline problems, alcoholism among both the officers and the enlisted, rampant disease, and perpetual trouble keeping the ship itself afloat. Thus while the Decatur brought the safety of arms and supply to little fledgling Seattle, it also brought trouble. And in the end the Decatur limped back to San Francisco and was decommisioned less than five years later.
Cool stuff, and a good time with new friends; we headed to ye olde College Inn afterwards. Plus a new phrase for the lexicon: "French leave," which in this historical context meant slipping into the woods for a nip!
Now I came for the maritime angle, knowing full well what McConaghy said at the beginning of the talk: Seattle history is inseparable from maritime history. I was not dissapointed. From her research at the National Archives, looking at (often original) logs and journals, she painted a colorful but not very pretty picture of life on board (and off) the Decatur. It was a challenging time...the antebellum, but with the threat of Civil War looming; a time when the "old fogeys" of the Navy were giving way to a new bravado defined by personal ambition and the righteousness of Manifest Destiny; a time when the days of sail were giving way to the days of steam; a time before modern medicine; a time when world travel was not at all educated by anthropological relativism. And so life aboard the Decatur was one of discipline problems, alcoholism among both the officers and the enlisted, rampant disease, and perpetual trouble keeping the ship itself afloat. Thus while the Decatur brought the safety of arms and supply to little fledgling Seattle, it also brought trouble. And in the end the Decatur limped back to San Francisco and was decommisioned less than five years later.
Cool stuff, and a good time with new friends; we headed to ye olde College Inn afterwards. Plus a new phrase for the lexicon: "French leave," which in this historical context meant slipping into the woods for a nip!
10/5/2005: THE LOU MIXES:
I hope I'm not gonna
regret this... I have added a page dedicated to my mix
CD's. I hesitated for a long time, thinking that by letting an
ole Web browser see my catalog, I might be getting myself into
trouble. Yet those mixes are a big part of who I am, and that's
what this Web page is about, right? So, peep it above, or HERE.
It has actually been
several months since drum'n'bass stopped at the Baltic Room (see February's
archives) and moved up the hill to the War Room. It took
me this long, however, to get there; thanks go out to Tribey Michael for company and a
ride. I have to say, I was pretty disappointed. Don't get
me wrong... The beats were slammin'. The place was cool;
dark woods and red lights and a Doctor-Strangelove-esque
throwback portrayed in murals by the now rather ubiquitous Obey Giant. Staffers from
the Baltic had come over. It was a nice hangout. But that's
all Michael and I did...we hung out.
The difference was the crowd. For the first hour or two it was almost strictly the cap-and-hoody crowd--in other words, all guys. Even when girls did show up, there were such oddities as two girls in high heels--at a jungle night???--and a girl carrying a cigarette but never smoking it. Some sparky people (thanks for the adjective, Michael) danced with such energy that it made me think about what I've read of Northern Soul in the UK and its athleticism. But otherwise the floor was empty. And thus the biggest problem become clear: everybody was young. Like 10-15 years younger than me, young enough to be kids in 162. Somehow the crowd had totally switched when the venue changed. Gone were the old stalwarts, and by this I mean my old DJ acquaintances like Zach and Terso. In were the kids who had once gone to "all-ages" shows, but now they were 'grown-up' enough to come in the club.
It was disappointing, distressing, and...fascinating. On one hand, the youth made me feel...old. On the other hand, I could sit back, drink, and observe, fully in Ethno mode. (I forgot my notebook, tho', and had to borrow a pen and register tape from the bartender!). On one hand, Michael and I never danced. On the other hand, I could actuallly check out the dancers and their different styles and moves, from that athleticism to the "my-boyfriend-is-behind-me" grind and some sort of junior b-boying. On one hand, there was no one I could appropriately flirt with. On the other hand, I could just chill!
So when d&b Tuesdays moved to the War Room, did the scene evolve or devolve? Is this the breakup of the scene or the infusion of new blood? My judgment is that it's too early to judge. Clubs are like pubs in at least this way: a big part of the vibe is how storied the place is, how filled with the spirit of accumulated experiences. This is in the truest sense how the War Room is young. I guess, like a Papa, I'll just have to watch it mature.
The difference was the crowd. For the first hour or two it was almost strictly the cap-and-hoody crowd--in other words, all guys. Even when girls did show up, there were such oddities as two girls in high heels--at a jungle night???--and a girl carrying a cigarette but never smoking it. Some sparky people (thanks for the adjective, Michael) danced with such energy that it made me think about what I've read of Northern Soul in the UK and its athleticism. But otherwise the floor was empty. And thus the biggest problem become clear: everybody was young. Like 10-15 years younger than me, young enough to be kids in 162. Somehow the crowd had totally switched when the venue changed. Gone were the old stalwarts, and by this I mean my old DJ acquaintances like Zach and Terso. In were the kids who had once gone to "all-ages" shows, but now they were 'grown-up' enough to come in the club.
It was disappointing, distressing, and...fascinating. On one hand, the youth made me feel...old. On the other hand, I could sit back, drink, and observe, fully in Ethno mode. (I forgot my notebook, tho', and had to borrow a pen and register tape from the bartender!). On one hand, Michael and I never danced. On the other hand, I could actuallly check out the dancers and their different styles and moves, from that athleticism to the "my-boyfriend-is-behind-me" grind and some sort of junior b-boying. On one hand, there was no one I could appropriately flirt with. On the other hand, I could just chill!
So when d&b Tuesdays moved to the War Room, did the scene evolve or devolve? Is this the breakup of the scene or the infusion of new blood? My judgment is that it's too early to judge. Clubs are like pubs in at least this way: a big part of the vibe is how storied the place is, how filled with the spirit of accumulated experiences. This is in the truest sense how the War Room is young. I guess, like a Papa, I'll just have to watch it mature.
After a long time of
just noodling with Reason,
I decided there was nothing wrong with creating little mini-projects. THIS
is the first result, done in the space of about three hours: two
samples from the Gyuto Monks, some
stacked synths, and lots of reverb and delay. Yes, it's really just one
long pattern repeated three times (but I'm sure Eno would approve of
that method). Nothin' fancy, just a sketch.
When I made it, I simply saved the file as "improv100205." After sleeping on it, however, the logical name was "Nag Champa," the well-known incense. The piece was at least partly inspired by last Saturday night at the last-ever Tandav (described before), where, since I had no musical role (and no one I saw to flirt with), I took it open myself to make the club fragrant with said incense.
There will be more like this to come.
When I made it, I simply saved the file as "improv100205." After sleeping on it, however, the logical name was "Nag Champa," the well-known incense. The piece was at least partly inspired by last Saturday night at the last-ever Tandav (described before), where, since I had no musical role (and no one I saw to flirt with), I took it open myself to make the club fragrant with said incense.
There will be more like this to come.
News and Blog Archive:
9/2005:
including "Vacation '05," Tandav, Bumbershoot, Ginger, d'n'b, loads of
DVD's, Bev, discipline, and more
8/2005: including living low, good things, Eternal Sunshine, and Tribe
6-7/2005: including chapters, the new Captain's Quarters, Nortec Collective, Brazilian Girls, Batman Begins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Q&A, and more
THE U.K. BLOG, 5-6/2005
3-5/2005: including Bev's fifth, King Arthur, Ph.D. exams, and Revenge of the Sith
2/2005: including globalization, jazz standards, Zhang Yimou, SEMNW aphorisms, the end of Baltic d'n'b, curling, Heffalump, His Dark Materials, Oscar notes, and more
1/2005: including the holiday season, resolutions, KEXP Live, the rise and fall, and Sirius
12/2004: including urban identity and sore muscles
11/2004: including Halloween, Dubya, and bigups to things that keep me going
10/2004: including motivation, objectification, when you're tired, IASPM Virginia, pumpkins, real time, Bob, and glocalization
9/2004: including North Coast, Metalheadz, and the Push
8/2004: including Dan & Katie, Tana Tani, and They Might Be Giants
7/2004: including 4th, ID Summer Festival, more Junglist lit, Fripp & Eno, "LOTR Symphony," powwow, and 34th
6/2004: including Amazon reviews, Folklife, Peter Pan, 18,272 words on hip-hop and dance music, Spring Tea, Father's Day, Andy, summer, and Junglist lit
5/2004: including sailing, ESA CD and concert, videos, caffeine, morning, and politics
1-4/2004: including folk music, Dad, Victoria, road, EMP, whisky and chocolate, videos, history, doom, and Playskool
10-12/2003: including rebirth, Halloween, fuel, Disney, duty, Christmas, and gaita
8/2005: including living low, good things, Eternal Sunshine, and Tribe
6-7/2005: including chapters, the new Captain's Quarters, Nortec Collective, Brazilian Girls, Batman Begins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Q&A, and more
THE U.K. BLOG, 5-6/2005
3-5/2005: including Bev's fifth, King Arthur, Ph.D. exams, and Revenge of the Sith
2/2005: including globalization, jazz standards, Zhang Yimou, SEMNW aphorisms, the end of Baltic d'n'b, curling, Heffalump, His Dark Materials, Oscar notes, and more
1/2005: including the holiday season, resolutions, KEXP Live, the rise and fall, and Sirius
12/2004: including urban identity and sore muscles
11/2004: including Halloween, Dubya, and bigups to things that keep me going
10/2004: including motivation, objectification, when you're tired, IASPM Virginia, pumpkins, real time, Bob, and glocalization
9/2004: including North Coast, Metalheadz, and the Push
8/2004: including Dan & Katie, Tana Tani, and They Might Be Giants
7/2004: including 4th, ID Summer Festival, more Junglist lit, Fripp & Eno, "LOTR Symphony," powwow, and 34th
6/2004: including Amazon reviews, Folklife, Peter Pan, 18,272 words on hip-hop and dance music, Spring Tea, Father's Day, Andy, summer, and Junglist lit
5/2004: including sailing, ESA CD and concert, videos, caffeine, morning, and politics
1-4/2004: including folk music, Dad, Victoria, road, EMP, whisky and chocolate, videos, history, doom, and Playskool
10-12/2003: including rebirth, Halloween, fuel, Disney, duty, Christmas, and gaita
