Festival Musica Electronica Latina 2009 and Inspiration

Hoy, This Day, Today, I sit here, drafting these words, a rejuvenated man. The FMEL, or Festival Musica Electronica Latina (Latino Electronic Music Festival), began last eve. The Chicago Cultural Center hosted the kick-of events, and kicked it off they did.

To begin, the Theater in the Chicago Cultural Center is a marvelously wondrous venue to host any event. However, to have seen Balún, the opening act, in this theater was magical. The lights and music, together, proved to be quite a moving experience, and a welcome surprise to say the least. More on this further on.

I hadn't the slightest idea that this type of thing existed. To admit that fact is somewhat embarrassing for reasons twofold. First, I have been neglecting my Mexican heritage. Secondly, I consider myself a ravenous consumer of music. In fact, music is, arguably, the only 'thing' that i truly spend my money on. Nevertheless, I fortuitously came across a copy of Extra, a bilingual Chicago magazine. It comes as no surprise that the "Electronic Music Festival" tag line captured my eye. Thus, I grabbed the rag and told my wife, "I am going to this, all of it."

So, Thursday night, I grabbed the journal, a knapsack, and the umbrella and headed down to the Cultural Center. Very few people were in the theater when I arrived. However, Balún was warming up when I entered. If their set-up portended the night's events, I thought, this rainy eve was sure to entertain, delight, and inspire. As it came to pass, most of the people in the room, when I arrived, were to serve on the panel that evening, and/or play at the evening showcases. The panel consisted of the following people (and I will give a brief description of each), from left to right. This seemingly useless bit of information may or may not be important, yet it seemed to effect the discussion.

1) Angel Sanchez Borges from Otrasmusicas.org- This man is quite intriguing. He began the evening speaking English, and then switched to Spanish. I understood, more or less, everything. I actually found it easier to follow while he spoke Spanish. Understanding less language from fuller ideas trumps understanding more from thinner conveyances, if that makes sense. He had Enrique translate for him, stating "I have a hangover and it's just much easier for me to think in Spanish." Though Enrique did translate quite well, much was lost.

Nevertheless, I did not know what to expect from Angel. He appeared to be quite uneasy with some of the topics and, thus, a bit aloof. I hadn't been aware that he would be performing.

When he took the stage with compatriot drummer, after Balún, they blew my mind. Sadly, I did not catch the drummer’s name. If anyone knows, please, hit me up. I am unsure whether Angel alone is 'Antiquo Autómata Mexicano,' or whether this is his collaboration with the drummer. Despite my ignorance I was thoroughly impressed with the music. The visuals added much to the experience. Angel, stood face to face with his drummer, only the machine and the drums separating them. Behind the two was an orange, white, any yellow mix of semicircular digital images swirling about as they performed was stunning.

The music, and I apologize for the comparisons, reminded me a combination of old acid-jazz from the Irma label, and Trans Am without guitars, and Can's droniness. At moments, the music provided such sparseness that the immediacy of moments of chaos was arresting. I am very much looking forward to purchasing AAM compact discs at the National Museum of Mexican Arts tonight. Had I planned appropriately, I would have attended with more funds. Striking and lovely music continued throughout the event.

2) Enrique Jimenez 'Ejival' from Statico Discos in Tijuana. A border town man uniquely situated to participate in three different cultures. Enrique is a product of American, Mexican, and pidgin culture indigenous to border towns the world over. I have not yet had an opportunity to listen to any Statico Discos artists live. However, Enrique did provide a drop card with a free download mixset by Cubenx entitled Blended Stock. I am downloading this mix as we speak and can barely contain my excitement of all of these new discoveries. Qué Felicidades!

P.S. It appears as though Enrique is distributing AAM's newest album 'Chez Nobobdy.' This was the album I wanted to purchase last night, and that I will purchase today. Again, I am overflowing with anticipation to dig through these sites. Check it out here...http://www.staticdiscos.com/

P.P.S. Enrique has for our aural pleasures provided a free mix set by Cubenx, which I mentioned above. What I did forget to mention is that y'all can download it as well at www.staticodiscos.com/blendedstock.


3) Nohemi Rodriquez from Verdigris also in Tijuana, and I believe, Enrique's wife. Verdigris is, the sister label to Statico Discos, and apparently a more 'feminine,' in Nohemi's words, label. I am quite curious to listen to their music. This woman beamed goodness and wore a wide smile the entire evening. She reminded me why I love music so much and the joy that a music discussion can bring. Here is the link to the Static blog...http://www.staticdiscos.com/blog/

If she can direct me to where I may find some of that Verdigris 'good stuff' I will be more than happy to go to that site, otherwise I will begin digging later. Gracias.


4) Manrico Montero Calzadiaz from Mandorla Records in Distrito Federal (D.F. or Mexico City). What can I say about this man? Clearly, Manrico reads much in the English language. While he is certainly used to speaking in his mother tongue, his grasp of English vocabulary and its nuances is superb. Manrico, just with a cursory glance of his site...http://www.manricomontero.com/index.php?/project/news/... produces and lives in the vein of Can, Neu, Hendrix, Stephen Stapleton, Genesis Porridge and their ilk.

As concerned with life as art as much as he is with the construction of sounds, his site is awash in photographs, links to sounds, etcetera. Decidedly, I am attending his performance this eve. I am yet unsure whether life imitates Manrico or Manrico imitates life. I will not expect anything, but if this is what I believe it will be, it should be illegal for Manrico, the milanesa at Nuevo Leon, and the rotating art installations at the National Museum of Mexican Arts to be in the same vicinity at the same time.

For more of his music check his myspace page at...http://www.myspace.com/mandorlalabel

In addition, check out a distributor of his music, Klangstaub, at http://klangstaub.com/shop/index.php?main_page=checkout_success

5) Luis Flores from Antenna Discos - Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. There is a special place in my heart for Monterrey because my Pops hails from there, Nuevo Leon, what, what? Anyway, I have to get a card with his information on Saturday night at Sonotheque. Hells yes. I am very excited to see this man play and hope that he is in attendance tonight so that we may engage in some jocular banter sobre los adentros y afueras de musica electronica.

Now then, these folks discussed the difficulties in extending awareness and delivering their music to a wider variety then merely the locals involved in their individual scenes. With the exception of Manrico, the group seemed to lament not only the lack of awareness of their music outside of Mexico and even their limited spheres but also the lack of social and governmental support of their music. Angel, in particular, made comparisons of the business community in Catalan supporting musicians and artists in an attempt to attract the Olympics to their city. He also made mention of hosting festivals live Sonar to generate finances for the city and how governments, business leaders, and social groups support these types of events and how this is lacking in Mexico throughout. This fact was reiterated to some extent by Luis and Enrique, however, in my opinion; this may not be the only answer.

For example, I am unsure if the Detroit Electronic Music Festival, while supported by the City, generates much revenue for it at all. If this festival generates revenue for Detroit, I don't see it, personally. Also, who knows how much support there is for DEMF, but people make it happen. My complaint is this, if these talented Mexican artists are making music like what I heard last night, and expect to hear for the remainder of the weekend, why aren't they playing at DEMF?

It is the lack of exposure for these Mexicanos? Is it Detroit promoter’s failure to look much beyond Germany and Montreal for non-Detroit artists, or even Detroit for that matter? Is it lack of communication? What is it?

The panel made mention that their projects became lost in the greater festivals when they participated in the past. In response to this, any publicity is good publicity when you are looking to expand your listener ship. However, expansion should not come at the cost of the artist's integrity. I myself would find it to be fantastic to see a greater diversity of international artists at festivals like DEMF or Mutek. Furthermore, while jacking-ass, face melting techno has its place in my heart and within the overreaching lexicon of electronic music, it need't be promoted at the expense of other types of electronic music, but rather together. If you love, we love, I love electronic music I should not be made to cannibalize electronic music for the sake of Detroit techno, or Chicago House, or New York IDM, or Argentine tango-electronica, or Mexican Nortec, or German Tech-House. You get the point.

What is the prohibitive variable that prevents artists coming together, playing together, forming alliances, and moving forward to evolve electronic music? It certainly must be the inability for us all to communicate instantaneously, or the lack of means to cross the Atlantic Ocean, or perhaps the language barrier. You see how ridiculous these excuses can be. Primarily, my hope and expectation is to open dialogue. Secondly, I wish to play out more and produce more music. Thirdly, I plan to make connections with artists whose music I enjoy and would like to hear and play with. Finally, by doing those things, we can expand the range of music we hear and decrease the perception that the community is insurmountably vast.

That being said, a supremely high note for me was Balún's performance. Secretly wishing for everything and hoping for nothing is my creed, and has been, for as long as I can recall with any accuracy or clarity. Expect the worst, no? This way you will never be disappointed. I believe that something changed for me last night on a cellular level. I have been making music in my basement for some time, often at a glacial pace, and only infrequently with my wife. What we do and what we strive for can be best described not with words, but with a good listen to a live performance by Balún.

Originally from Puerto Rico and now living in New York these latina/o electro troubadours with the beautiful visual backdrop conjured audibly induced visions of Pinocchio's Pleasure Island before (the island before everything went weird). Listening to their one hour set of joy made me think of My Bloody Valentine, Bjork, The Books, Stereolab, and much, much more. They are their own band. By my account, in moments of lucidity when the music released me from its warm embrace, I noticed an electric ukulele, (I think I couldn't tell if was 4 stringed or 8 which would be a mandolin right?) bass guitar, guitar, Casio keys, unidentified machine, electric violin, electric accordion, bells, melodica, egg shaker, keyboard, laptop with unknown software (logic I suspect), a small device which when cranked runs a programmed piece of paper through generating music box like sounds.

Oh my good heavens, Nora, Leo, Angelica, and Jose played. What is more they played with grace and humility, in synch with one another as if they had done the very same thing one million times before. Yet, last eve was the first time they performed together, on stage, in their current incarnation. Nora played the Ukulele with a slide, the high notes piercing the drone and accentuating Angelica's voice. How appropo a name for the lead singer, who in fact, sounds angelic. Her's and Leo's voice, at times unintelligible, supplemented the array of sounds as if they were instruments in themselves, which they are, and should be.

Leo changed from Casio to guitar provided further rhythms for the band. Angelica, as the others did as well, switched effortlessly between her voice, the violin, the egg, and her accordion; Nora between her bass and ukelele. Jose conducted the ebb and flow of his machined sounds. Every member, a talented multi-instrumentalist, expertly adjusted velocity and start and stop time as if machines themselves. Truly an indescribable joy to experience that hour with them, I just wanted to wrap them up in a multi-colored tapestry and take them to the beach and invite all of my friends to watch the sunset to music well suited for such things. The music was beyond beautiful and has inspired me all over again to make brilliant sounds.

This is sufficient for now. I will have more to report from the second day of this festival. As I said before, I am super fired about musique concrete from Manrico and whatever other gifts this day seems fit to toss my way.

Cheers

weareallmachines.

Clandestinely lurking about during the twilight hours

As I sat docilely awake on the cusp of the weird hour of waste-oids, the digital workforce, and those manual laborers arising from their slumbers to start their toil as the youth just get into their full swing of super sensory non-sense, I felt strangely at peace. Now, under other circumstances, this may seem odd. To me, though, peaceful states are more aberrational than they are normal.

Had the specific job that I was working on fallen to pot, perhaps I would have unwittingly changed my tune. Not receiving that late night call from a client frantically professing the end of their world is all the thanks I require for a job, not well done, but not done poorly. I needn't be lauded, I simply need not be disturbed when successfully completing a job.

Nevertheless, at that hour, nearing ungodly to the overly dramatic, I accepted my current circumstances. Albeit less than ideal, I will manage with the present situation, for now.

My existence lies in a rather fragile groove, like a roughly hewn, 90 gram vinyl. I sit precariously on a ledge from which I may become unmoored at any instant. My self imposed pressures, and externalities, combine to form an invisible psychic weight that I constantly try to shake. Strides have been made, triggers defended against upon recognition, and growth. Oh, the growth. I have learned to let the a$$holes of the world slide on by on their proverbial 'slip 'n' slides' of feces. I cannot control a$$holes. The reason that most a$$holes cannot be controlled is because: A) They do not recognize that they have a problem; B) They are inconsiderate the feelings of others, and thus would not modify their behaviour if they recognized that they were, in fact, a$$holes; and C) There exists a strain of a$$hole, that knows they are an a$$hole and agitate people simply for kicks. I work with several C) variations. They suck. Yet, they are wonderful training tools. I view their function in life as an entity that forces me to regulate my blood pressure and test my patience so that I evolve into a being of perpetual calm.

So, for now, I am at peace. I intend to remain this way permanently. I will not always be under the exertion of these vile conditions. Perhaps the circumstances grow worse, perhaps they improve. If my microcosm and the daily reports from the world outside are any indication, a$$holery is on the steady rise. Thus, I will need to remain permanently calm to effectively face the daily world. I am doing my best. Gives us a hand would you? Don't be an a$$hole.

Here are some small gestures that one can easily accomplish...

1) Hold a door open. If the person doesn't thank you, tell them that they are welcome, loudly. Condition humans to be considerate again.

2) If someone cuts you off or honks at you, stare them in the face, smile, and give them a thumbs up. Even, and especially, a$$holes need positive encouragement.

3) If someone offends you with an off-cuff comment, explain to them that they are rude, that their parents failed them or that they have forgotten pertinent teachings from their youth, and pat them on the back. Show em' who is boss.

At any rate, I hope this helps you. This is the product of a lucid day vision adapted from a moment of clarity from deep within the peace of night. Cheers.