scarcity is the budget...

yesterday afternoon i found out that Black Sheep would be performing later in the evening at a local venue named Cheerleaders. i was kind of surprised. i didn't know this spot hosted shows like this. i wanted to check it out, but i had to consider Tastytreats ft. Pete Rock at Fluid tomorrow night.

having already planned to catch Tastytreats made the decision a little less difficult. the nature of the dilemma reminded me of the definition of economics as it was explained when i took micro at Temple.

as a student at TU i decided that i would take at least 1 business oriented class each semester. econ was 1 of the 1st. it was like learning a foreign language in many ways. i did well enough w/it. 1 of the concepts that stuck w/me from micro was that econ is primarily the study of decision making based on the scarcity of resources.

this would seem to be an everyday thing for most of us, but very few people appear to actually have a solid comprehension/awareness of econ. i've had to deal w/scarcity quite a bit as an independent creative, so it's hard to ignore such things.

as it is, i'm looking forward to Tastytreats...

PEACE

...be calm...

just to be clear...

Deep Crates - Documentary Film Dedicated to the Art of Beatdiggin'

i am a hip-hop head. it has never been & never will be a passing phase for me. the culture is a very significant part of my way of expression as a creative.

IMO the commercial aspects of hip-hop are not reflective of many of the cultural aspects that make me proud to support the culture. there is really nothing that i can do about this except not actively feed into it. as w/most things in life, it's an ongoing process.

part of the process is studying history. last week i peeped Deep Crates 1 & 2. the content was not what i expected, but this was a good thing. i learned quite a bit from a number of cats that i have a great respect for. overall, Deep Crates 2 was a little more powerful to me than 1. it was really interesting to see/hear these cats express some of their frustrations as creatives.

Deep Crates 2

the biggest thing i came away w/is the importance of establishing your own creative voice/presence. copping the same gear &/or vinyl as whoever is not going to put you in a position to emulate what they do. that's a mentality i can't relate to for at least 2 reasons:

1. you're not that person
2. it's not what you use, it's how you use it

studying the technique of the greats can be helpful, but ultimately they are considered great because their sounds &/or contributions have been unique/innovative in various ways.

being unique/different isn't something i have to work at. it seems to just be a part of how i function. that likely has a lot to do w/why Refinery fuel does not sound like hip-hop. it sounds like what it sounds like. it is heavily influenced by hip-hop, but for the most part, i would not classify it sonically as hip-hop. genre classification is not really something that i focus on as a creator anyway.

what do i focus on?

creating fuel that sounds interesting. improving my ability to create fuel that is sonically proficient. creating fuel that expresses whatever it is the universe presents me w/as inspiration in ways that will inspire others.

i'm not trying to be like this guy or that guy. i'm working to be the best guy that i am & there is always room for improvement. for me it is not enough to just experience the creative energy of others. i have energy of my own that i have to get out. creating + ways to do this is my goal. that's what i have to work at!

it's definitely not easy, but in the end what is easy that is worth having/doing?

PEACE

...be calm...

the mediafeast...

the effort to maintain the creative flow in the Refinery continues...

you will now find a banner just below the blog title for the mediafeast!

watisit?

the mediafeast is a store where you can find various media that is recommended by the Refinery. the store is powered by Amazon. this means that Amazon handles the transactions & maintains the store stock. the Refinery receives a small percentage of the sales revenue generated by any purchases from the store. the better the store does, the more time i can spend focusing on the creative output of the Refinery.

for the moment there is audio & video media. more will be added as time passes, if the interest is there. [UPDATE] paper media has been added as well.

so, check out the store & cop some media!

as always any support of the Refinery is greatly appreciated...

NOTE: some of the media in the store may be hard to find or rare. the prices on such media may be high, or no price will appear. in any case, please be aware that ALL PRICE POINTS ARE SET BY AMAZON!

PEACE
...be calm...

back in the lab...

the Refinery system is up. it still needs some work, but at least it is functional enough to perform many of the tasks it was designed to perform.

the last few weeks were spent cleaning & rearranging some of the hardware inside the system to get rid of what appeared to be overheating issues. it's beginning to look like the issues w/the recording function(s) of the audio interface will require that it be replaced. the search for a solution will continue, but being unable to record is not working for where i am creatively. that means some alternatives will be getting explored.

the challenges of making creative ideas physical & productive are not to be minimized.

the work continues...

PEACE
...be calm...

i was there, where were you?

there was supposed to be another meetup this month...

i am the only 1 who showed up! i went to Percy Street Barbecue for what was supposed to be a 9P meetup. upon arrival, i discover that the dining room closes at 10P & nobody called to let the venue know a group was going to be coming.

uh-oh...

since i said i would be at the venue, i grabbed a squat at the bar to see watitdo w/any potential stragglers. this gave me the opportunity to try some vegan chili, guacamole salad, & a few brews. the vittles were mega solid. the Dock Street Bubbly Wit & Abita Turbo Dog were as well.

after a while it became quite clear the meetup was no haps. while i was waiting i ended meeting this cat named Tony who was unfamiliar w/South St. he said he was from Cali. since he was looking for something to eat i showed him where Ishkabibbles & Copabanana were. i hung out for a few then i called it a mission.

all considered, it worked out great because i met some new peeps & hung out a bit on the "new" South St. being in the Illadelph for 20+ has allowed me to witness some interesting changes to the cityscape. the effort to change the social patterns on South St. seems to have worked.

PEACE
...be calm...

who killed the liner notes?

Black Sheep - From The Black Pool Of Genius

i don't consider self a purist. however, i do dig certain things a certain way. for example, i value album art & liner notes.

i like what digital media has done to favor the artist's ability to get themselves an audience w/o being encumbered by the various leechy intermediate entities that have historically made this relationship difficult to establish/maintain. this seems most beneficial to new &/or independent artists, but in terms of earning for your work IMO it benefits all artists.

w/digital audio i have had a fear that album art & liner notes would take an L (loss) as digital media became more acceptable. i like physical media. my preference is still vinyl when it exists & CD's for physical portability. what now often happens is artists are completely skipping physical releases. this is extremely cost effective. i can't complain about that, because cost is a constant issue for me as an independent creator. what is kind of salty is when there is the option to cop a physical copy of a digital release. it would appear there are no liner notes created for such releases.

i can't say this happens for all physical versions of digital releases. thus far, this is the only 1 that i have in the collection. if this is to be standard procedure, i'm going to miss reading the liner notes. at least there is still Discogs...

R.I.P. liner notes...

PEACE
...be calm...

did you see that?

as a self-proclaimed hip-hop head, the primary elements of the culture will forever be interesting. i say primary to distinguish the idea of 5 elements. i've heard other presentations qualifying more elements, but i maintain w/the 5. these cultural elements have consistently drawn on my attention over the years.

clearly i dig audio, so the DJ isn't really hard to tell. the MC as the communicator is also not much of a stretch. b-boying i enjoy for the energy of the movement & beatboxing is just an amazing form of creating rhythmic audio. graffiti is something that appeals to me through my appreciation of visual expression, abstract imagery, & the fact that i try to read damn near anything i see. i am not an active creator in all elemental aspects, but that fact does nothing to negate my appreciation.

when i got my 1st dcam (digital camera) 10+ years ago, i decided it would be a great idea to capture images of the various work i see around the Illadelph. while i have yet to do this as extensively as i would like, i have been able to get what i feel is a small sample of what this urban gallery has to offer the eye of someone who appreciates the art.

this activity is more important to me now because of the abatement department that goes around buffing. they buff any & everything. there used to be some thorough pieces all around 30th St Station as well as Girard Ave near the zoo. some of those pieces had been there since before i even moved to the Illadelph. now they're all gone. this is why i try to catch what i can when i'm out in the street. if i can't catch it when i 1st see it, i make an effort to come back for it. you never know if the dudes in the vans are going to come around 1 day & ruin the show...

click to see more images...

PEACE

...be calm...

watitmean...

a while back i began closing certain communications w/be calm. this might seem a bit redundant after using PEACE.

why do this?

it serves primarily as a reminder to self. it is something that i feel i need to see often. i can get quite hype about certain things. those who know my different faces might know this. there are those that would consider me relatively quiet. they probably don't know me all that well. i can be extremely quiet, but i can also be quite boisterous. it usually depends on company, circumstance, & setting. generally i'm very contemplative though i can be quite passionate about the things i dig.

be calm represents a realization i had a few years ago while considering the human condition in relation to our infinite reality. being calm is a useful state of mind. this is especially true in conflict situations. this does not mean be docile or submissive. it means it's best to maintain & keep the mind clear to make choices that do not create new obstacles.

easier said/thought than done, but extremely necessary for forward progress...

being calm is a desired state of cognition. perhaps it is redundant to use w/PEACE, but i will continue. it is a message to self & hopefully other humans as well.

it's like A.B.B. = Always Be Building

PEACE
...be calm...

house music in my life...

i was introduced to house music around '88. i went to a party the night i 1st dropped out of college. the DJ(s) played nothing but house in the mix. changed my ears for life...

living in the Illadelph for over 20 years now i've had the experience of not really ever hearing the types of house mixes i dig at local clubs. most of the spots i have been to played old, uninteresting, or styles that i don't dig. i've made do by either copping mixed tapes/CD's from NYC (the Village), or listening to commercially released CD's from labels like Global Underground.

i was going to the wrong spots! never settle...

i checked out the Shakedown event this past Friday at The Barbary. i was expecting to hear something decent because i had heard Carl Michaels mix a while back when i used to work in the Owl Cove at TU. oddly, i didn't know all these years that Rob Paine mixed/produced house. i've always associated him w/reggae &/or dub. my bad. everything sounded mega solid & my expectations were easily slaughtered.

i haven't heard new vibes sound this good at any club/event i can recall during my years here. i will be going to the next event in March. Shakedown is official on the list for house in my ear.

thaswatsgood!

PEACE

...be calm...

what? no pics...SMDH!

Wednesday night was a great night out at Kraftwork. had a chance to sample a new brew & met w/some fellow SoundClouders from the Illadelph area. the venue is real comfortable & the staff was very accomodating to our group. i have to emphasize this as the location originally suggested did not seem to be interested in hosting our group. [SHRUG]

the meetup was quite solid. it looks like we'll be making this a monthly thing. i'm excited about the prospects of building w/other creatives. my whole purpose of creating a presence on the web was to create awareness & promote building w/other creatives. building will always be a part of the Refinery's mission.

somehow i did not capture any digital media from the meetup. i brought the P&S dcam & a tripod, but shot not 1 pic. i have to say i was too interested in interacting w/the other peeps in the group. next time i'll have to be a bit more photographically diligent!

the next meeting is being planned at Meetup Everywhere...

PEACE
...be calm...