Welcome to the first installment of Argentina Thursdays!! For the next several Thursdays I will be showcasing tracks I did while in Buenos Aires, Argentina during a study abroad in 2009-2010. Many of the tracks are collaborative efforts with local artists and the period was a truly enjoyable time of personal growth and cultural exchange.
I am proud to present the first track of Argentina Thursdays, Pista 21
Como un tizón encendido
ardiendo dentro mi sangre
tu sombra viene conmigo
y no la puedo arrancar.
As if it were a charred coal
burning inside of my blood
your shadow comes with me
and I cannot get it out
Pista 21 is named for the file of the song in my itunes I used to sample. The real name of the original track is “Zamba de un Amor en Vuelo,” or “Song of a Love in Flight,” a folk tune written and performed by Tamara Castro.
Tamara’s track is an awesome example of Zamba, a popular folk music in Argentina.
My version includes a guitar sample from the original, piano from my talented friend Leopoldo Obrégon, and vocals by my girlfriend at the time.
Has anyone else found that music or art or something else has enabled him or her access to cultural exchange? Music is one of my primary languages of reflection and response, what are some of yours?
I made Bed Bugs when I first visited Vicken in Brooklyn in August 2010 as V and his girlfriend Megan successfully avoided the bed bug scare that had become a problem in the borough that fall. Sometime during my stay at their apartment I had V say some things about bed bugs into my laptop’s microphone. Then I made a beat around that sample.
Liftoff. Folks, today we’re super excited to debut the LIFESTYLE Feature series with the one and only Samuel Bostick, a true homie, and family to us. Samuel is a multi-talented craftsman, and just an all around genuine and creative cat. Always an inspiring presence.
We are honored to present Samuel’s project titled Swagg: Reclaiming Space and Time. These days the word Swagger seems like it’s constantly, and often carelessly, dropped in a lot of different contexts. But what does this do to the word and the concept? What is Swagger? In this project, Samuel takes a critical look at what the essence of Swagger is all about.
Multimedia. First, an interview with the man himself, followed by a documentary he created as part of this project. Digg.
Swagg: Reclaiming Space and Time
Leading off with some basics, where are you from? And where are you at?
SB: I am from a small rural town known by the name of Atwater. I’m a country kid. When I say country I’m talking people still working in fruit factories and on farms; that’s what makes the city go round. Right now I’m in a transitional stage of my life, I just graduated college and got my degree in Ethnic Studies. Honestly, I am making my way through the world one day at a time.
What does Reflection and Response mean to you?
SB: Reflection and Response is a way of life most definitely. It’s a system that connects the self with the surrounding world. It is a relationship of function. The earth has a divine way of moving and keeping balance; it is up to us, you and me, to reflect on what we feel, hear, sense etc going on around. For instance the recent news and incidents concerning Troy Davis, the Irvine 11 or even on a global scale the reality of the Gaza strip and the Israeli invasions and occupation on Palestine, these are just some examples, the list is endless. Reflect and Respond appropriately, ask yourself what’s really going on? Where are you and What are you doing?
How does Swagg: Reclaiming Space and Time fit in with that definition?
SB: This past year at school I did my undergrad research on Swagger, through the lens of reclaiming space and time. We all carry an energy, an aura you can say, and this is something that can be felt by people, animals, plants, beings around us. Where this aura comes from is lived experience, personal mentalities, and the way you feel and interact with your surroundings. All this put into each step we take, the words we speak, every smile we break, the cities or regions we claim with pride, THAT is where it becomes SWAGGER. It is honestly a soulful thing. It is not a new thing either, it is something that has developed and evolved over time to become what we recognize as swagger today. It has a genealogy, a lineage of predecessors, there is a history, more so a traceable culture of undeniable stylo and interpersonal gusto!
Check it, Swagger is strongly connected to Hip Hop and Rap culture. Am I Right? Now follow me, Hip Hop’s grandfather is Jazz in the OG spectrum of funky música. Stick with me cuz here imma take it to church–In the golden days of Jazz people may not have been known for having the “meanest Swagg” per say, but I do know that they were diggin vibe off the “Coolest Cat” around, no jive. Can I get an amen?!? Cool is to Jazz as Swagg is to Hip Hop. It’s a formula of aesthetic production rooted in a subculture of sensational expression!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Hip Hop is the only space of artistic expression that presumes Swagg. No. What I am saying is Hip Hop is where the popularization of the term swagger was established. Further, Hip Hop is one of the main sources of how the word SWAGGER became a sign and a signifier for something so deep and soulful as we recognize it to be today. Warning: pay attention to how the word is being stripped of its essence and being commodified as a tool to appeal to and hook the masses by the powers that be.
So I say all of this to illustrate the function of how swagger fits into the philosophy of Reflection and Response. It is a visual sign and readable text that REFLECTS a unique experience that is moving forward in time and space. RESPONSE is the platform of what we do with our reflections of life and how we carry ourselves, how we develop the code of conduct about our SWAGGGGGER.
What else have you been working on recently? What are you looking to work on next?
SB: Lately I’ve been planning a book I’d like to write and work on in the near future. Right now I’m in the super early beginning stages and development of this project but I’m excited nonetheless. Also I am looking to get into the Swagg distribution industry à barbershop, clothing, etc we’ll see where my journey takes me as I find my place in the world. More personally I have been working on maintaining peace and balance in myself and my life all together. It’s a battle but I’m aiming for the nothing less than GREAT and I have some bomb support around me so I expect GREATNESS. I hope yall stay tuned ;).
Who or what inspires you?
SB: My Family is a Grand source of inspiration, that’s my base and that is something never to change. One day my Grandpa said “Samuel, if anyone asks ‘why are you the way that you are?’ just answer them ‘I can’t help it, being cool runs in my blood. It’s just what we do.” Haha, I have to laugh but I am forever grateful for those words and for having him as a strong figure in my life. Next to family is my close homies. They may not be large in number but in support and Love they’re more than enough to keep me grounded and all that. Besides that, Traveling and seeing dope people in different situations and scenes inspires me. Lastly I’d have to say that music is a direct inspirational source of what I do on the daily.
Is there anything else you would like the Collective to know?
SB: I just want people to recognize that each of us is a powerful being and have a destiny and stakes in this journey of life, do well with yours. Stay positive, dare to dream and be bold enough to chase your dreams! Never forget how to laugh from your soul, don’t trade your beauty in for anything in the world. Go 100% hard at what you do.
Shout out to…?
SB: Shout out to my Lord, my Family, including the Acklins and the Grijalbas. People and things that have inspired me, Gene the Barber, 5andaDime, GPPR, just to name a few. Shout out the homie Ricky G. a dope artist out here about to come up! They’re all doing dope biz in the world no joke. Of course big ups to Big V. and P-Mu of R & R! I’m humbly honored by this opportunity! And last but not least a special shout out to my lady who has helped me realize a lot of things about art, myself, and life in general.
First of all, thanks for the ongoing discussion drawn from Spark This Shit Flaming (see below). It’s really dope that the collective part of the LIFESTYLE is starting to come together and that folks are feeling the idea that this is a place where we can all discuss what art and music and reflection and response means to us.
Stab comes from 2010. I’ve always thought Duke Ellington and John Coltrane’s’ In A Sentimental Mood would be a fun sample. So I tried it out. I chopped the sample and added drums and some live bass I played on my homie David’s fender he rescued from a basement some of us remember at 4508 19th Ave in Seattle. I added some acoustic guitar soloing at the beginning. I haven’t posted too much solo guitar stuff, but I will soon.
Full Track
A capella
Some of you listen to rap music/ I use it for therapy/ Psychologists say we’re crazy beats endanger their job security/ Go therapeutic stupid lose sight of what’s near to me/ But I find truth in the groove scoot near to what’s dear to me/ Get lost throw up spaghetti like Em did/ Put this shit on table take your social capital and spend it/ Sick of giving a fuck/ My sinuses have had enough/ Watch my friends make more green then I sneeze and cough up/ I can tell your mind is wyling/ You’ve got your issues friend/ Recently I made my mind up I’ma stab these issues dead/ I can tell your mind is wyling/ You’ve got your issues friend/ Recently I made my mind up I’ma stab these issues dead/Make records fuck that I want to break records/ Usain’s crazy cousin insane bolt jolts the stretcher/ Oceans of letters me greenlake’s alphabet soup/ Werewolf status my souls a savage as I howl at moons/ growl at crews used to think so cool to be you/ 200 dollar jeans make the gleam of her stylish shoes/ So many piles of poo/ Cover the ground defile the truth/ It took a while for me to see the meek inside your cool.
Over the next week, I’ll be dippin a little further back in the archives to take a look at some work from 2009. Gran Via is part of a series of pieces I created based on photographs I took while studying in Barcelona in 2008. Stay tuned for more from this series…
Spark this Shit Flaming is a song that is over 5 years in the works. When I was in high school in Berkeley I used to practice with my band in my parents’ basement. One day I recorded myself playing a simple drum line thinking I might use the recording sometime in the future. Over 4 years later in 2010 in Seattle I cut up the drum line and had the homie Clarke play an organ part. I also added wah-wah guitar and a bassline. I wrote the verses in Spring 2011. I finished and recorded the chorus on the day of posting on September 19th, 2011 in Madrid, Spain.
Here’s the finished track. You can find the instrumental and a capella version below.
Instrumental
A capella
Search for the spark to start this shit flaming/ Burn the house of cards down all in and sick of playing/ Then flip the table over all the chips fall down/return to the night before the dawn clouds
I was sure she was like the nicest one around/ Both in a new place but from the same town/ So we stood that night spoke on the steps/ But she wavered sometimes just hope for the Best
And it’s like that/ and repeats the same way/ Fight back with verses I gain strength/ High above the surface shed its dang weight/ free of the smog of this bog we call days/ unlearning how to feel down forget she’s not calling/ Replace the brain better thoughts like fresh poppies/Turned into narcotics/ File failure away/ Collects dust like prophets who silently strayed/ Levitate with predicates hooked on phonics/ The subject takes a hit/ Adjective’s awesome/ rather be that then vapid/ Or hide my love away like cup cakes and fat kids/ but I’m breaking down the door to fatness/ Thinking these 20-minute runs put muscle where flab is/ Feel pain right where the calf is attached to the feet that beats down this path in
Search for the spark to start this shit flaming/ Burn the house of cards down all in and sick of playing/ Then flip the table over all the chips fall down/return to the night before the dawn clouds
I was sure she was like the nicest one around/Both in a new place but from the same town/ So we stood that night and spoke on the steps/ But she wavered and sometimes just hope for the best
Something I used to believe/ Everyone else is doing great/ Sandra comes up and into her arms she shakes/ She found love and so did Sandra/ They’re happy with their plugs and poka-dot bandanas/ And thank god they are/ They prefer the charm of happiness for those drama and scars/ Pharmaceutics preferred by college students/ Campus is a water bed designed by dr. Seuss’s/ Green eggs and ham themed fraternity party/Roman attire twisted to turn naughty/ sophomores perform Pilates on dance floors that tomorrow be more sticky than potties/Half the house wakes up with no belongings/ Cell phone been in that bowl since he texted that hottie/ Passed out before he send it now she’s off to Johnny’s/ She’s lost forever and his hangover’s throbbing
Search for the spark to start this shit flaming/ Burn the house of cards down all in and sick of playing/ Then flip the table over all the chips fall down/return to the night before the dawn clouds
I was sure she was like the nicest one around/ Both in a new place but from the same town/ So we stood that night spoke on the steps/ But she wavered sometimes just hope for the Best (x2)
After exploring some quick studies in Part 1, followed by a more extensive piece in Part 2, this final figure drawing piece is an intensive 3 hour study. Graphite on newsprint (Part 3, here) is a whole different game than conte crayon on newsprint (Parts 1 and 2, below).
BIG ups to the live model who held this pose for the full 3 hours with just two or three short breaks!!
I wrote Shake This Maze in spring 2011 after getting a job at Duke’s Chowder House in Seattle. I wrote the chorus some 6 months earlier and never found a home for it until Maze.
Shake this maze to the core with chords and verses
Mix genres like cops johns whores and virgins
Turn the source of hurting into a sense of pride
Find the gold on the shipwrecks of life
Maybe she works Sunday we’ll play afterwards/ I need to stop writing this play and this wack verse/ Can’t stand when she’s there can’t stand when she’s away/ Go home like I don’t care?/That lie’s pathetically fake/So please break break break the spell she’s got me under/ Under the weather as I am under the covers/ Already tried to wake up/ But I pressed snooze/ prefer this pillow/ This wait sucks I’ll sleep through/
Two weeks ago everything normal/ soon to graduate sky high orbital/ now crash landed/ Everybody see it/ Ramble meaningless nothings/ without reason/ Who knew such blues/ Would creep in this season/ The sun’s out/ Sweat crowds the breathing/ She walks chest out/ I think or am I dreaming/ Naps for twenty minutes every other evening
Shake this maze to the core with chords and verses
Mix genres like cops johns whores and virgins
Turn the source of hurting into a sense of pride
Find the gold on the shipwrecks of life
We make our way through twisting journeys
Roadmap gets written as life’s occurring
We fight for courage she’s a test of the burden
Success the only option no way this back’s turning
So now three weeks later we each have a break/ And it’s nice outside so we walk beside the lake/ For forty five minutes we conversate/ Suddenly all the angst evaporates/I guess I agree with her better off friends/ Besides Spain seems to boast decent women/ So finally I can act normal again/ only awkward if we make it so, I horribly did
But now we grab lunch /Jokes “such a lovely date”/ Behind glasses eyes fluctuates/ Talk of family for seems great lengths/ About drugs and pain and fortune and thanks/And we return to the work/ From whence we came/ She tends bar as I clear plates/ Great feeling having a clean slate/ Now we start again but in a different place
Shake this maze to the core with chords and verses
Mix genres like cops johns whores and virgins
Turn the source of hurting into a sense of pride
Find the gold on the shipwrecks of life
Make our way through twisting journeys
Roadmap gets written as life’s occurring
We fight for courage she’s a test of the burden
Success the only option/ no way this back’s turning
(x2)
Shake This Maze Remix
I did the Shake This Maze Remix the same day as posting, on September 15th, 2011. I liked the sound of the vocals on the chorus on the acapella version, so I cut some stuff from that for the first part of the remix. For the second part, I felt inspired by Dj Premier’s ability to craft whole choruses from samples of other tracks. So I took some lines from the track itself and came up with the following line.
Who knew such blues/ Drugs and pain
In a different place/ find that/ fortune and thanks.
How do people feel about sampling? Does anyone have a favorite track that samples something yet makes it completely new?
the LIFESTYLE 