Micah Lindberg Portfolio
- Aug 25, 2010
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Micah Lidberg has a wonderful artist portfolio, full of illustrations, patterns, and hand-rendered type. The artist uses a variety of media, including digital, to produce these incredibly detailed works.
Cash Hathaway Interview
- Aug 24, 2010
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Here's one from the vaults.
Tucker and Bloom caught up with Music City hip hop instrumentalist, record collector, and tambourine shaker, Cash Hathaway. He has been avidly thumbing through records, filtering space gunk onto samples, and chopping drums for years.The man stays in the studio doing push ups on drum pads. The resulting sound? Well...we will let him fill you in on the details. - THE BAG MESSENGER
THE BAG MESSENGER:Name, age, where are you from?
Cash Hathaway: I go by Cash Hathaway. I'm 27 and I live on the East side of Nashville, TN
THE BAG MESSENGER:How did you get involved in making beats? How long have you been doing it?
Cash Hathaway: Oh man,I started djing at age 16. Buying records with every dollar I had. From there, I started to get into the classic samples, bought a 303 and began the beat journey. Been doing it 9 years now... I remember the first time I walked into a studio. It was at a friend's house. His father owned a construction company and he built him a small room off of their house. I ended up sleeping in there the first night, learning what I could while I could. That was when I knew I had to start getting equipment. I've been at it ever since.
THE BAG MESSENGER:Where does it come from? Do you remember first finding your passion for music?
Cash Hathaway:For me creation is a spiritual experience. Art, music, dance, beats, rhymes, it all comes from the creator. I enjoy creating freely, with no expectations. There is a level of submission required of one's self to reach past our limits. Many times I find the best stuff usually happens by accident. Art is a process
THE BAG MESSENGER:What kind of sounds do you like to work with? How would you describe your sound?
Cash Hathaway: I work with a lot of samples. My sound is on some offbeat, crunchy, organic, spacey stuff.
THE BAG MESSENGER:What are the tools of the trade? (whats in the bag)
Cash Hathaway: I enjoy having limitations. I believe it forces me to be more creative. Therefore, I use only hardware. I use a MPC 3000. Drums, Fender Rhodes. Korg Poly 61. Microkorg. Roland Juno 60.Fender Bass. Tambourines. Shakers. Technic 1200's. RECORDS. RECORDS. RECORDS.
THE BAG MESSENGER:Where do you find inspiration to create?
Cash Hathaway: Inspiration is found in everything: people, emotion, space, incense, colors, design, mood, nature, history, records, shapes, sound, everything. Life is inspiring to me.
THE BAG MESSENGER: Favorite producers?
Cash Hathaway: Oh man. I listen to a lot of music. Producers I'm feeling....Dilla, SA-RA, King Tubby, Spacek, and Janiero Jarel.
THE BAG MESSENGER:What are you listening to these days? Any projects we should be looking for?
Cash Hathaway: I'm digging a lot of Latin and Brazilian Music these days. Bossa nova, and Afrobeat. The new Jay Electronica stuff. Again Janiero Jarel is dope. Shafiq Husayn, Bob Dylan, Bibio, Radiohead, Dilla Beats, and Camp Lo. I tend to mix it up. I am working on an album of beats, called Vibrations, to be released summer of 2010. Stay tuned at http://www.myspace.com/cashhathaway.
Cash Hathaway: Knox
Keep digging for more music.Fit a laptop, records, and more. Get the designer North To South Messenger bag here and be the envy of all your friends. Plus you can use coupon code (pa1101) at check out for 25% off any bag purchase at http://www.tucker-bloom.com ....because we like you.
DJ FORTY FIVAN Brazilian Leisure Mix
- Aug 23, 2010
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Here is the link to DJ FORTY FIVAN's Brazilian Leisure mix he did for our mixtape contest a few months back. The man has a lot of really great records, and he know's how to use them. Enjoy
-THE BAG MESSENGER
Summer Pasta Recipe
- Aug 19, 2010
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Summer Pasta
If there is anything about this time of year to remember it is the bounty of great fresh vegetables from the garden. Some good friends of ours had us over for dinner as a spur of the moment thing the other day, and this is what they served. It was a perfect summer meal, and it is pretty easy to make. Enjoy! -David
Ingredients
3 cups coarsely chopped red cabbage
1 lbs Linguine
3 large Tomatoes
½ cup fresh basil olive oil Fresh Mozzarella (diced into ½ strips)
Parmigiano salt and pepper to taste
Process
Cook the pasta until tender (or done to your liking)
Mix in the rest of the ingredients
salt and pepper to taste
KENNY MEEZ (Federation Sound) Interview
- Aug 17, 2010
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Jamaica's musical history runs deep. It is constantly evolving, shifting in speed, and redefining in sound. Since the 1960's and the inception of Ska and Rock Steady, the DJ has held a strong hand on the island. With the power to define and spawn new genre's the DJ with the largest sound system was king. Over time the term sound has been redefined, whittled down, and focused. A large sound no longer just means size. The speakers still rattle and the people still dance, but new sounds are tools carefully tailored for contest, empowered with the power to create or destroy. These new sounds compete for size, the Federation Sound is one of the largest in the world. DJ Kenny Meez founding member of Federation has his hands on the volume with a grin on his face.
-THE BAG MESSENGER
THE BAG MESSENGER: How did you get into DJ culture? When did you get into shopping for records?
KENNY MEEZ: I used to work at armands records on 11th and Filbert here in Philly, and also after the move to chestnut st. Early before working at a record store I would also come into the city on the weekends to shop. We hit Armands, Sound of market (RIP RANDY FLASH) and Funk-O-Mart. I got into DJ culture early on. I would make remixes (what youngsters call mash ups now), press them on wax, and sell them across the country and around the world. I released my first 12 inch in 1995 and then a slew of 7 inches and 12 inches from there.
THE BAG MESSENGER: When did you first get involved with playing Reggae records? Who got you into this? What was life like for you before Reggae?
KENNY MEEZ: I first got involved with reggae after hearing this Beenie Man record called "Stop Live In The Past" (was renamed Memories for the U.S. release). I heard Cosmo Baker play it this one night in NYC and the next day I went out and bought the 12inch. Before reggae I was a Hip Hop djing playing that and R&B (for the ladies).
THE BAG MESSENGER: How did the Federation come about? Can you explain what it is?
KENNY MEEZ: Federation is an American and Jamaica Sound System that was started by Max Glazer and Cypher Sounds and myself. Federation is now Max Glazer, Kenny Meez (me) and Disco D (R.I.P.) in America and Alric & Boyd in Jamaica. A sound system these days is a group of dj's who come together under one name to promote music. The biggest part of what makes up a sound system is cutting dubplates. We get a custom recording of a song where the artist bigs up our crew (most of my dubs say federation sound and big up all the dj's in our crew). We have hundreds of these. Most Sound Systems pay upwards of 1,000 us dollars for one song, so you can imagine the investment that is made in just getting started.
THE BAG MESSENGER: What was your first trip to Jamaica like? Any specific memories?
KENNY MEEZ: If your into Jamaican music I would say going to Jamaica is similar what a Muslim does when they make a pilgrimage to Mecca. Its just something you have to do. Often it becomes a regular trip either once a year, or sometimes once a month. I love Jamaica and could tell stories for days! Lets just say my first trip involved voicing dubs with Elephant Man.
THE BAG MESSENGER: How has it been getting involved so deeply in Reggae culture without having direct ties to the island? We're people always accepting?
KENNY MEEZ: In the beginning I used to question it. Not long into my career I began to grow with the culture, and really felt connected to the place. Eventually I was accepted as a Jamaican and no one really questioned me.
THE BAG MESSENGER: What's up with Sound Clash? Can you describe how the event goes down?
KENNY MEEZ: Sound Clash is a battle between two or more sound systems. They battle for who has the best dubplates, who can counter act the opposing sounds dubplates, and in many cases they cut dubplates with custom lyrics dissing the opposing sounds. These dubs may only play the night the clash is going on. It's a big deal.
THE BAG MESSENGER: What's the clashing scene like? Who are some of your favorite artists to work with?
KENNY MEEZ: AGGRESSIVE! I like working with Chino, Laden, Stephen Mcgregor, Freddie Mcgregor, Big Ship Records, Aidonia, Bounty Killer, Vybz Kartel and El Feco
THE BAG MESSENGER: When did you first start getting dubplates? How does that process work?
KENNY MEEZ: We started voicing dubs from the start of Federation Sound. Our first artist was capleton. In those days you went into the studio worked out the business with artist (the money), then cut the dub to a dat tape. Usually we split with the instrumental on one track, and vocals on the other track. From there we mix it down and cut the dub to a acetate plate to spin it out.
THE BAG MESSENGER: Who's really doing it at Sound Clash? What has been big in the past? Who's hot in dancehall right now?
KENNY MEEZ: Their are always new sounds coming up. Some of the best are King Addias, Bass Odessy, Black Kat, Mighty Crown, Stone Love. I would say Vybz Kartel is hot in the dancehall right now
THE BAG MESSENGER: You travel a lot, whats the key to packing?
KENNY MEEZ: For me its always about simplicity. One bag for clothes etc. and one bag for my computer/mobile studio.