Jul 2009
Evolutionary Psychejuju
27/July/09 | DJ
Playaduster |
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40-some days until the 2009 Burn, y'all > here's a mix from Radio DBM that is full of serious world-beat psychejuju to keep your preparations for the playa moving along on the good foot.
I was meditating on evolution while spinning out this set, particularly how species develop at different paces in different places around the planet. I love how one bird species, for example, will look and behave totally different from continent to continent, morphing form and behavior to match the physical ecosystem. But I also appreciate how all of life shares a common foundation, animated by the mysterious cosmic spark.
How does any of this apply to "Evolutionary Psychejuju"? Music is both universal as well as totally local. It begins with the heartbeat, and evolves in to a groove, a language every human can understand. I love how indigenous music is fitted to a particular place -- how the heat and aridity of Mali, the rhythm of the waves in Jamaica, the humid fecundity of Columbia have each inspired their own musical traditions. And I also love the ways in which some artists combine and blend those traditions in new and surprising ways. Musical evolution on a global scale. That's some of the thinking going on behind the scenes here at Radio dBM in the production of this here mix.
xo, DJ Playaduster
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destinationburningman@gmail.com
www.DestinationBurningMan.com
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Blame it on the Boogie : A Tribute to
Michael Jackson (Part 2)
08/July/09 | DJ
Fundiduster |
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Part 2 of my Michael Jackon Tribute series picks up where Part 1 ends, delving back in to the "Thriller" era before committing to an extended appreciation of "Bad" and then dropping in on a fast-paced, booty-rockin' exploration of MJ's underappreciated Late Period. I had no idead he was still putting out such amazing and ground-breaking music post-"Bad," tracks like "Scream", "They Don't Care About Us", "2 Bad", "Xscape" and "Jam." Like Part 1, this mix tells the MJ story through nontraditional tracks: home demos, remixes, dubs and rare tracks. I've been listening to both constantly these past 2 weeks, with mad appreciation for MJ's gift of groove to the world.
Against my better judgement, I had to start a third (and hopefully final!) installment in the tribute series. As I was mixing this one up, I kept finding amazing remixes and rarities online, but I wanted Part 2 to come in at under 80 minutes so it could be burned to CD, and the incoming rush of MJ music had to spill over in to a 3rd mix. A Michael Jackson "Trilogy" was unplanned when I first started out, but that is what this process has naturally evolved in to, so there it is. The man just put out too much great music -- blame it on the boogie!
To download, subscribe to the dBM podcast feed via iTunes.
destinationburningman@gmail.com
www.DestinationBurningMan.com
Blame it on the Boogie : A Tribute to
Michael Jackson (Part 1)
01/July/09 | DJ
Fundiduster |
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What could Burning Man and Michael Jackson possibly have in common? No jokes about how his hair exploded in to a flameball during the filming of that Pepsi commercial, please. I'm being serious here, and have thought about this question hard over the past week since learning of the King of Pop's passing to the other side. I've been thinking about the things I appreciate most about Burning Man -- freedom of expression, originality, devotion to creativity, genuineness, heart and soul, being brave enough to fully embody one's true self -- and feel like these qualities all came together in MJ and his music.
I felt moved to celebrate the gifts he gave to this world by making a musical mix that explores the evolution of the artist from his early career to the end. This musical journey starts with some selections from the Jackson 5, of course, before exploring Michael Jackson's early solo career, with a multifaceted look at "Off the Wall" and his original melding of disco grooves with Motown soul. Eventually, we reach "Thriller," looking at half of the album's hits from various different perspectives, before running out of time at the 79:45 mark -- just the right length to be able to burn this mix to CD. Part two, to be released in a couple of weeks, picks up with the second half of Thriller and runs through various side projects and the most intriguing sounds from his later releases.
Now, those listeners looking for a run-through of his greatest hits can, well, purchase or dig out his many "Greatest Hits" collections. In other words, this ain't your mamas Michael Jackson. The mix is built on alternate takes, mash-ups, early home demos, interviews and, especially, remixes. There are many, many remixes of Michael floating around out there in cyberspace, and I chose a wide variety of reinterpretations: some ready to bump your booty, some corny and others just plain weird.
I reveled in the wide, creative diversity of remixes that MJ inspired, and listening to them over the past week, it dawned on me just how universal his music was -- there was an essential DNA of heart, soul and groove in just about everything he performed, and those core elements were able to be fit in and reprogramed in all kinds of musical scenarios. House, reggae, grunge, glitch, ambient -- Michael's words and voice sounded natural in so many different genres and environments, in part because it was so real. And I guess that is why he was loved the whole world over -- his gift of song was universal. It touched the heart and moved the booty, no matter what culture or creed.
To automatically download dBM podcast when they are posted, and to receive access to all past dBMcasts, subscribe to dBM feed in iTunes via links in the sidebar!
(More commentary after the jump...)
(One other BM-MJ connection: I couldn't
have made this particular mix had I not spent time smashing down
arbitrary musical boundaries on the playa. My time spent in Black
Rock City has greatly expanded my musical horizons and I hope that
this set is reflective of that in the varied versions of his
classic hits. I hope it surprises you, makes you smile and inspires
the breakout of a thousand dance parties, alone or with
friends.)
Michael Jackson's great success in moving so many people killed him in the end. His superstardom took over his individuality and he gave himself away to our collective desire for hero-worship, gossip and judgement. In doing so, Michael lost touch with himself and then with reality and that's when the freak show began. I try to withhold judgement for all his oddities and naivete -- I feel like society pushed him in to the corner he was trapped in and we have no right to judge him. Especially now that he is gone and cannot respond.
Instead of getting swept up in the media frenzy of the past week -- the endless analysis of his finances and prescription drug use and relationship with his family and fate of his children -- I have turned to the music to remember. Just as I imagine millions of other fans are too. And my full immersion in Michael's glorious art -- "I'll Be There," "Ease on Down the Road," "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough," "Billie Jean," "Smooth Criminal," "Jam" -- has reminded me that MJ was, ultimately, a bright light, brighter than most of us here on Planet Earth. He was born to sing and dance and make people happy. His soul was made of pure light and he came to us a bodhisattva, giving of himself to ease the suffering of humanity. "Let me fill your heart with joy and laughter," he sings, "Togetherness is all I'm after."
MJ fearlessly became one with his creative expression, merging his life with his gift, and all of us are that much better off because of it. He performed with selflessness, devotion, generosity and an amazing amount of courage. I might be getting carried away now, but hearing him sing the bridge in "Human Nature" makes me feel like Michael, in his heartfelt surrender to his muse, was channeling the divine spirit. He opened up for us and the bright light of something sacred poured forth. He made it more beautiful to be a human being. We won't ever experience another musical being like MJ in our lifetime.
This musical mix, to be released in two parts to keep it manageable, is my tribute to MJ and all that he gave. Like I said, it is exploratory and sometimes experimental, but hopefully reflects even just a little bit of the shine that Michael gave to the world.
To download, subscribe to the dBM podcast feed via iTunes.
Rest in peace, Michael Jackson. You've earned it. And thanks for all the amazing music!
destinationburningman@gmail.com
www.DestinationBurningMan.com
Michael Jackson's great success in moving so many people killed him in the end. His superstardom took over his individuality and he gave himself away to our collective desire for hero-worship, gossip and judgement. In doing so, Michael lost touch with himself and then with reality and that's when the freak show began. I try to withhold judgement for all his oddities and naivete -- I feel like society pushed him in to the corner he was trapped in and we have no right to judge him. Especially now that he is gone and cannot respond.
Instead of getting swept up in the media frenzy of the past week -- the endless analysis of his finances and prescription drug use and relationship with his family and fate of his children -- I have turned to the music to remember. Just as I imagine millions of other fans are too. And my full immersion in Michael's glorious art -- "I'll Be There," "Ease on Down the Road," "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough," "Billie Jean," "Smooth Criminal," "Jam" -- has reminded me that MJ was, ultimately, a bright light, brighter than most of us here on Planet Earth. He was born to sing and dance and make people happy. His soul was made of pure light and he came to us a bodhisattva, giving of himself to ease the suffering of humanity. "Let me fill your heart with joy and laughter," he sings, "Togetherness is all I'm after."
MJ fearlessly became one with his creative expression, merging his life with his gift, and all of us are that much better off because of it. He performed with selflessness, devotion, generosity and an amazing amount of courage. I might be getting carried away now, but hearing him sing the bridge in "Human Nature" makes me feel like Michael, in his heartfelt surrender to his muse, was channeling the divine spirit. He opened up for us and the bright light of something sacred poured forth. He made it more beautiful to be a human being. We won't ever experience another musical being like MJ in our lifetime.
This musical mix, to be released in two parts to keep it manageable, is my tribute to MJ and all that he gave. Like I said, it is exploratory and sometimes experimental, but hopefully reflects even just a little bit of the shine that Michael gave to the world.
To download, subscribe to the dBM podcast feed via iTunes.
Rest in peace, Michael Jackson. You've earned it. And thanks for all the amazing music!
destinationburningman@gmail.com
www.DestinationBurningMan.com
