Electronica backing to a Bukowski poem. (1 Viewer)

[workproductions]

Hey everyone!

I'm new to the forums, yet have been reading "Hank" for over a year now.
I can't get enough.

Actually, I'm so excited by our dear belated friend's work that I wrote, recorded and produced two songs, in which I sampled (yet did not alter) Hank reading his own work, over a "beat."

I rather enjoy the tracks, although most people who are unfamiliar with Bukowski don't seem "to get it."

I hope some of y'all enjoy it!

Edit: Old link removed at request of poster.

Thanks.

 

[ROC]

Maybe I'm in a good mood, but I listened to Death of an Idiot and I think it worked.
You seem to have some sympathy with his rhythm... your stops (breaks) sit right.
I'm listening to Hot now and... likewise.... good timing.


Reminds me a bit of MC 900 foot Jesus at times.

I reckon you could free up your time a bit.
This kind of music permits polytonalty and is comfortable with 'found' sounds and 'noises'.
When will it free time from the 4/4 shackles?

 

[ROC]

Actually... listening to Hot again, I realize how much music is in B's reading.
His voice always struck me as musical (after I got over that initial shock).

The way he says "Miriam". It's a scream! :D

 

[jose leitao]

I think it's a good effort, but not exactly my cup of tea.
For me the electro beats distract too much from the voice inflexions and the essence of the poem. I prefer to listen to the voice alone. When you add music to it, it changes the nature of the voice, I think. It becomes... decoration, accessory.

That said, hey as long as you have fun doing it, I'm sure there will be people who think it is moving and works for them. Keep at it.

 

[workproductions]

Hank Reading over Electronica

Check out the opening track at:

http://www.myspace.com/workhop

I layered a little electronica behind Hank's reading of a piece of his entitled "Earthquake."

 

[mjp]

I layered a little electronica behind Hank's reading of a piece of his entitled "Earthquake."

Why?

 

[workproductions]

I call it art.

 

[bospress.net]

Yeah, the music does not work with the poem. I'm sure that it would work with other poets and other poems, but the music over this Buk track is like Chocolate and Peas.... Both are good on their own, but not so much together.

Bill

 

[mjp]

I call it art.

How is it art?

 

[hoochmonkey9]

he just calls it art. maybe he meant "as in short for Arthur.

 

[Purple Stickpin]

One of the great disappointments in my life is that Buk didn't use Sean Penn to forge a reading with Madonna. Just think of the implications. "Like a Virgin, fucking a 300-pound whore for the very first time..."

I guess we need to just suck up and deal with the meager stuff Buk left us with. Let's let the teenagers improve upon it.

 

[gorgona]

..you took the words out of my ass, purple stickpin, thank you..now gimme your onion.

:)...to our immortal souls, full of art
and fart
going down
the sewers.

 

[ROC]

Oh hell... I can't resist.

Now, I'm the biggest music snob out there and this ain't art...
but it works on some levels.

Now we can screw around with this...
Every now and then
I see her
in the things
she's left behind.

Every scar, every bottle,
every hang-over, reminds me of her. . .
the pale fish tank, the credit card,
and the ten dollar black shoes.

But the things that meant the most to us
have fallen from her hands

To die, now.

Or to breathe diesel air from
ragged pipes of rusted steel.

and call it fun and games.
Why not workproductions shit?

I think he's done very little harm to the words... none actually.
The timing of the groove is chosen to match the rhythm of Buks reading and the stops are well placed.
It doesn't add anything to the words and I'm not rushing out to buy an album but, hey, why not?
If you have to have this sort of disposable music, I'd rather it with words that meant something (unlike so much crap that's out there). And Buks words mean something with or without the music so, as I say, why not?
Keep fucking around with it workproductions... see if you can't get somewhere.

 

[mjp]

I think he's done very little harm to the words... none actually.

Well, he cant harm the words. If VALERIAN couldn't kill them, they can't be killed. That's just science.

I think what I'm trying to say in a wholly inappropriate and unconvincing way is that the young generation disappoints me. They are utterly devoid of any kind of creativity and humor, and are happy to simply squirm around ironically aping previous generations. They have, so far, created absolutely nothing that I can point to and say, "God damn, these kids are crazy!"

Electronica? Eh, they did that in the 1960's, dude (and it bored everyone then too, only they were bored on different drugs). House, techno, drum and bass, any other things you want to call it, well that's just what we used to call disco, partner. The sappy ballads of Mariah Carey and her ilk, that's all so 70's (they called it MOR) it isn't funny.

Listen, I know it's hard to create something new. But DJing (a.k.a. playing records) ain't art, hip hop ceased being art 15 years ago (it's devolved into a bland, mass produced commodity), and I dare say that it is not art to noodle around on a synthesizer behind a tinny old poetry reading.

I know it's not art because it doesn't excite me in a good way, or irritate me in a bad way. That's my standard, you have to get a reaction out of me, then you're doing something interesting. Whether I like it or not doesn't matter at all. But if I'm bored I think you're missing the mark somehow.

Of course most people are not that demanding, so you can become a millionaire making boring or cookie cutter art. In fact, it's proven for centuries to be much more lucrative to make less challenging art. But don't expect to change anything with it.

And if politics has taught us anything, it's that change is good, right? Ha.

 

[workproductions]

My motivation for creating this post, was not to sell albums, represent a generation of individuals, project a political outcome, or even seek to defend my definition of what is, and is not art.

My motivation was to share, with this Community, a little something that I enjoyed creating, and thought y'all may be able to appreciate given it's subject.

If you don't find it interesting, or are not "impressed" with the piece... You are welcome to voice that disappointment.

Yet, your entertainment was not my goal.

My goal was to incorporate Hank's reading, into something which may bring other's who had not heard of him, nor would normally be interested in listening to a spoken word reading, a brief introduction into the mind of Bukowski.

Call it, label it, define it, hate it as you will.

 

[bospress.net]

It is true. Many fans are brought to Bukowski by different means. Some listen to Modest Mouse and seek Buk out. Some stay, some don't.

Hell, if you trace my interest in Buk back, it came through reading Burroughs and before that hearing Burroughs (Which is better than reading Burroughs). I started reading burroughs after getting a promo of a sampling of Burroughs voice over a Limbomaniacs song. Limbomaniacs was like Digital Underground with a little more funk.

Who knows, maybe Electronica will bring some people to the mix.

Bill

 

[workproductions]

One of my first experiments with this technique was based upon a Burroughs reading :)

 

[bospress.net]

Burroughs CDs, especially "Dead City Radio" were addictive. The only other person that they seemed to mix the music with the reading SOOOO well was Steven Jesse Bernstein "Prison". That was amazing.

www.bospress.net/bernstein.m4a

and keep in mind that the author had committed suicide before th music was mixed, so this was worked around a recording.

Bill

So that I don;t get sued by Sub Pop, I suggest that if you like this, that you pick up the CD. If you like this, you'll love the CD. If you hate it, probably you'll hate the whole CD...

 

[workproductions]

I'd like to hear it...

 

[Purple Stickpin]

I certainly don't hate it, so don't get me wrong. It's just that, to me, Buk's words are his, not ours. We may borrow them in printed or recorded form, and even own these things, but we do not own the words. The words are forever his and not ours.

So, when we borrow something, we don't write our name on the inside page, because it is not ours. If you find it valid, then it is valid to you and that's the most we can hope for when performing an action.

As for ROC's comment, the difference here being that those words in the Buk.net poem, although similar in some way to Buk's style, are our words, not Buk's words. So we are creating, be it good or bad, not embellishing the already extant and sacrosant.

This has been a reading from the Letters of Potsie to the Tuscaderos. ;)

 

[Black Swan]

Should I bring to your attention
that Bukowski has not yet been read with
the gazoo or the bombard

:D
:D
:D

 

[mjp]

Call it, label it, define it, hate it as you will.

I didn't listen to it, so I can't hate it, nor could I (or would I) attempt to label or define it. I wasn't going to comment at all, but you didn't answer my question, so I was left to entertain myself.

 

[workproductions]

What is your question?

How is it art?

Yes, yes... That is a difficult question for any artist, of any medium or genre.

Defining art to a spectator of the process, is like defining color to a blind man.

Factor in attempting to establish common ground with someone who may never have created anything of their own expression, ever... And I'd suspect the entire process would be akin to defining a color to someone who has never seen light.

 

[hoochmonkey9]

wow.

I haven't listened to your stuff, and it may be fine, but you can't say, "Factor in attempting to establish common ground with someone who may never have created anything of their own expression, ever..." to defend putting some music under someone else's words who wasn't a collaborator or agreed to the process.
you may be a fine musician and interested in putting music to poetry, but find a poet who's there and wants it done. or write your own poetry and put music to it.
I don't know.
but seriously, good luck to you and finding your voice.

 

[workproductions]

I was not defending myself at all.

I was attempting to answer the proposed question through metaphor.

 

[hoochmonkey9]

ah, I see.
well in that case, good luck chasing your tail.
put some music under that one.

 

[mjp]

I was attempting to answer the proposed question through metaphor.

No, you were attempting (and failed) to insult me through the use of a metaphor. But you don't even have the balls to say so, which is only sad.

In fact, it makes me so sad I am going to go to Best Buy and pick up a computer program that makes synthesizer noises and record them under my subdued, soft sobs.

The track will be on MySpace later tonight.

Thanks for the add!

 

[workproductions]

he just calls it art. maybe he meant "as in short for Arthur.

No, you were attempting (and failed) to insult me through the use of a metaphor. But you don't even have the balls to say so, which is only sad.

In fact, it makes me so sad I am going to go to Best Buy and pick up a computer program that makes synthesizer noises and record them under my subdued, soft sobs.

The track will be on MySpace later tonight.

Thanks for the add!

This is an insult.

My response to the question "what is Art?" was an honest response and in no way to be taken personally, or as an insult to your inquiry or you as a person.

It was a sincere and honest response, albeit metaphorical.

I'm sorry you took offense.

 

[mjp]

This is an insult.

Well, it was meant as an insult. Because when you say:

Defining art to a spectator of the process, is like defining color to a blind man.

in answer to the question of why you consider something you did "art," it insinuates that whatever idiot posed the question is no more than a mere spectator to your artistic wonderfulness and doesn't have the skill or temerity to attempt anything remotely close to what you have achieved.

It comes off as really arrogant and condescending, and maybe I'm crazy, but I think a lot of people would consider it an insult.

Anyway, if you didn't mean it that way, all I can do is take your word for it and say mea culpa.

 

[hank solo]

Okay, now let's shake and make up.

 

[Father Luke]

This is an insult.

You say that like it's a bad thing. ;)

Look. Check out this guy: Krinski

This fellow was a topic of discussion around
here for a while.


Honest question:

What do you think of him,
and of his work?

 

[esart]

looks like i missed a good one here. if you were women and i was a certain kind of man, i'd make that "reeoow" sound to insinuate a cat fight. but no one ever does that when men have these exchanges, and i won't start. that wouldn't be ladylike, now would it? fuck no.

 

[ROC]

... this ain't art...
but it works on some levels.

I say again... Taking a dead poets poetry and putting a beat to it doesn't fall into any definition of art I'm comfortable with.
But hell, that should not stop you noodling around with the form... as long as you get whatever permission you need.

I think what I'm trying to say in a wholly inappropriate and unconvincing way is that the young generation disappoints me.

I'm with you there... but I now feel very old.
Don't get me wrong... I don't blame you.
Rather, I blame the fact that I'm old.

As for ROC's comment, the difference here being that those words in the Buk.net poem, although similar in some way to Buk's style, are our words, not Buk's words. So we are creating, be it good or bad, not embellishing the already extant and sacrosant.

Yeah, but it was still so bad that it made me squirm. But hell, that should not stop you noodling around with the form... as long as you get whatever permission you need. ;)

Should I bring to your attention
that Bukowski has not yet been read with
the gazoo or the bombard

I'm on it.

 

[ROC]

Oh, and workproductions... you really should have called this thread Electronica over Hank reading instead of the other way around.
Because he didn't... and you did... if you know what I mean.

 

[roni]

if you were women and i was a certain kind of man, i'd make that "reeoow" sound to insinuate a cat fight.

good point.

 

[Rekrab]

I'm away for a half a day and it descends to this. Like leaving the kids at home while I go by graham crackers and coming home to find they have painted the dog green.

mjp is right that electronica is nothing new. I bought my first electronic/computer generated LP in college, circa 1967. It was kind of interesting then because it really was new, but nothing too exciting.

As to using a famous dead poet's words in your music: all I know is I get mad when I hear Hendrix recordings being used to sell luxury cars and this is kind of the same thing although no money is involved. I would much rather hear a young living poet like, say, John Dorsey, reading over some innovated music and he knows it's being done and is okay with it. Bukowski didn't okay this project and I'm sure his estate didn't give perimission. Time to move on and try something else.

 

[hoochmonkey9]

I guess the point I'm trying to make is the difference between this (which I despise, adding beats and noodling to a dead jazz artist who can't say anything about it. sucking the soul from it without remorse. taking away from any original intention.), and (which I'm fine with, can even enjoy. two far removed generations coming together and creating something of some artistic value).

my last rant on this subject.
YAY!!!

 

[Gerard K H Love]

looks like i missed a good one here. if you were women and i was a certain kind of man, i'd make that "reeoow" sound to insinuate a cat fight. but no one ever does that when men have these exchanges, and i won't start. that wouldn't be ladylike, now would it? fuck no.

So in a very very nice ladylike way ( with all due respect to esart ) you are calling us bitches.
I say us because I agree with Hooch and R O C and the rest. But I made the mistake of listening to a bit of the slackers recording the other day. Vodka helped to get the buzzing out of my head.

I like a good laugh too.

 

[Rekrab]

...As to using a famous dead poet's words in your music: all I know is I get mad when I hear Hendrix recordings being used to sell luxury cars and this is kind of the same thing although no money is involved. I would much rather hear a young living poet like, say, John Dorsey, reading over some innovated music and he knows it's being done and is okay with it. Bukowski didn't okay this project and I'm sure his estate didn't give perimission. Time to move on and try something else.

Jeez, I sound very cranky here. I must have been in a sour mood this morning. My apologies. I didn't intend to get mean-spirited or to pile on.

 

[Gerard K H Love]

Don't worry about it. This has turned into a venting thread. I think you make a great point about Hendrix music on car ads.