Blog Archives
Dire Straits (Walk of Life)
Dire Straits is the most iconoclast 80s band; particularly in regard to a Pommy cock-rockin‘ new wave genre. The founding members, Knopler brothers Mark & Dave, musically constructed their claim to the advent of the 80s -perhaps contenders as the continental mirror of a pre-pubescent Talking Heads. Walk Of Life first appeared on the UK Single for So Far Away; the acclaimed seminal track from the Brothers In Arms album. However, the track‘s upbeat pop-blues appeal was such that Walk Of Life is itself became so renowned as to warrant its‘ own music video; partly shot in the London Underground:
The introduction to this track dispels, though, the inferiority of the musical production values employed by Dire Straits. Although we must, authentically, evaluate the Straits as a fantastic pop music achievement: it must be said that their simplistic and characteristic 1-4-5 arrangements epotimise their drab rhythmic endeavours.
Other Cinema
Hailing from San Franciso‘s Mission District Other Cinema (or ‘OC‘) is an alternative film & video production, performance, and distribution network that brings a voice to the Media Arts community. This counter-cultural outfit has been operating for nigh on 30 years, and it continues to spearhead Fine Arts film-making. Craig Baldwin established this vanguard of ‘underground cinema‘ under a range of names from 1978, because he “didn’t see anything coming up from the ground that ended up on the screens”. Since then, OC has developed into an artistic collective led by a dedicated team of curators and artists. Other Cinema continues to enhance Film & Media Arts projects in the Bay Area; which of course flourishes elsewhere due to the renowned esteem of OC.
Currently, Other Cinema is in the midst of a Benefit initiative, to raise money for their operations. As part of the fund-raising effort, they have compiled the video below, to engage with the public in what the OC has going on:
Binkis Recs
Binkis Recs is a vanguard of the true underground hip-hop. The label hails from Atlanta, Georgia in the States. Their websites boasts the label “was created due to a lack of creative and honest Hip-Hop music. The mission is to express original, honest and fun music” and they do it hard and heavy-hitting. I recently scored an interview of epic proportions with one of the founders, the main mang Flux. See this transcript for details…
RTB: Hey Flux, I’m Rock The Boat from INFX
FLUX: What up Champ! That’s a dope long name! HAAAA! I bet the ladies love that!
RTB: Great to meet you too
FLUX: Good to meet you as well. Appreciate you wanting to write up this article on yours truely and the Binkis Fam! FANG, FANGGG! SPRAGGGGGGG!!!!
RTB: Binkis is the real underground hip hop, rockin the crowds down Atlanta -but it wasn’t always that way… Where did it all begin?
FLUX: Well damn… that’s a long trip. HAAAAAA! BINKIS was started in 1997 between Jax and I. He told me he wanted to start a record label. We already was building a T-Shirt company but at the time… I think he made his career change. He was into Business management and I’m a Graphic Artist. We was also part of a crew called NEBLOS from 1994 till the present so our rhyme game been in effect for 4 years at that time. So The label at the time consisted of Jax as a Solo Artist, Me (Fluxwondabat) as a Solo Artist, The Old Souls (Spice the Black Hooded, Mike Self, Dj Drama), Lumbajak, Werd Da A.O.S, Rob Sloe and Vertigo(NEBLOS). We put together a compilation and Got our first show through Dres the Beatnik with 4Kings. Killed that show and it was on ever since. However… that show wasn’t until 1999 so it took us a while to build our sound. HAAAAAA!
RTB: Binkis was formed by yourself and the late Jax -how did Killa Kalm and DJ Mafioso get on board?
FLUX: Binkis the Label was formed by me and Jax but BINKIS RECS the group wasn’t formed until Killa Kalm came aboard. This was after a time where other members of the label went to deal with their lives. HAAAA! Cats was following their dreams so some had other careers to make actual instead of rappin’. My man A.O.S. bounced back to B’More. Killa Kalm was with us before Binkis as well as everybody else in NEBLOS. We were crew. Killa was the only one left out of Vertigo and still wanted to do it. Me and Jax stayed recording and Killa would slide through. Jax had the idea that it was just gonna be us 3 and The Group would be called BINKIS RECS. Naturally he fit. It was nothing different than what we always have been doing. This was like 2002. We was using different Dj’s and one show where we didn’t have one Mafioso was spinning. He filled in for us and dude was FANGTASTIC!!!! He didn’t even know our songs and all the drops was on point and the blends. By the time Me and Jax got to the rest we was like… Maf was dope. Like real on point. He was the Dj for MurdaOne and after they went their separate ways, Jax step to him about being our dj. This was also around the time we was working on “The Reign Begins” Album in which we recorded at his studio. We just clicked and that was it. A Spanish kid and 3 black guys! HAAAAAAA
RTB: A lot of your clips, raps and associated gear is dedicated to the late Jax -I’m sorry hear about his death last year
FLUX: Yeah it was a tuff thing to deal with. This was our brother. I knew Jax since 1990. My best friend. We all watched each other grow and just when we was getting back into a rhythm. He goes. He was about to have his wedding Celebration later that month. Him and his wife didn’t even get to live the married life for a month yet. We did a lot of tributes in 2009 cause it was well deserved. People needed to understand how he effected the community. More than some realized. We still spreading the word in 2010. More to come.
RTB: How does crime and street life relate to your music and what do you think of that way of life?
FLUX: Crime and Street life only relates to my music specifically my music on a level of seen experienced. I’ve seen a few things. Know a few people that did things but for me… I realize the emotions behind it all. Some things are done smart and some are not. People make their own choices and it’s nothing I would suggest. Everybody has their own path to walk. Crime goes way beyond street Life though. This society here in America that began with the European immigrants was found on crime, lies and Death. In some cases continue to be corrupt on levels the average person wouldn’t believe because it’s so deep. They call it conspiracies. HAAAAAA!
RTB: That’s it, man. Who are your biggest influences as far as rapping, producing music and the development of the label go?
FLUX: Of Course the greats had a heavy influence on me as far as an MC but it was always people that I was close to that inspired me. Early around 88/89, it was some brothers aaround my blocks that got me interested in writing. # to be exact. A brother by the name of Billy and two others… Junie and Jermaine. The later 2 was always kicking verses and freestyling and that shit was amazing. Then the dude Billy was writing a rhyme and I inquired about it. Told him that I thought about writing one and he said “Do it!” That’s all it took. I only wrote a couple just to see if I can do it. After a minute… I just put it down. The second time around it was because of another trinity(HAAAA), Jax, Uncanny/Silver Sterling and Paydues(Universal). That was about 93/94 and I just stuck with it. Started to become theropy. HAAA!
Production wise… It was 2 dudes, Nic @Nite and The Crow! The main producers in the Crew called NEBLOS. Both of their styles was way ahead of time. I mean… These cats was incredible. Nic @Nite taught me how to put a beat together and Sample. It was like 95. When Binkis Got our own equipment in 97, Jax Started producing and it was on right there. We started the Binkis Sound. HAAAAAA!
Record label… You gotta say Rawkus and Co Flow(Def Jux). We just wanted to do our own thing. We was both bent on controlling our situation. Plus… before a record label, we had a T-Shirt company so we always wanted to running shit! HAAAAA! This just felt better being that we was in the mist of a lot of musicians.
RTB: Who do you admire most, either as family or in the public sphere?
FLUX: Funny, I admire a lot of people. All for different reasons. Some for their perspectives, Others for strength, compassion, selflessness, and courage. A lot of them are friends and family. I guess because I know them personally.There is never like one person that I admire most.
RTB: Binkis Records (or Recs) states that you aim to please the ‘real fans’ and wake up the public -how has this mission gone?
FLUX: The Mission is going well because it’s contiuous. Whenever we perform somebody is getting BEAT IN THE SKULL CAP! Or hear us on the radio or hears us on someone else’s CD. There is always someone who doesn’t know so the opportunity is there. People recognize what we bring into the field especially stage wise. A lot of energy and fun energy at that. We enjoy ourselves on stage. We Pride Binkis on that. You never know what we gonna do but you know it’s worth seeing. HAAAA! So things are going real well. When we get the new music ready to present, we’ll have more chances to get busy! FANGGGG!
RTB: Can you elaborate on what you want the public to be ‘woken up’ to?
FLUX: Definitely! Wake up to yourself. Find the glory in expressing yourself and enjoy it. That’s what BINKIS has always been about. Celebrating the individual as well as the whole. You don’t have to be a certain way. Make your own way. Have fun. Not all things are serious. Everybody doesn’t have the same path. Be yourself and be proud! Of course you may need to be aware of things but who said you have to go about it like Jay Z. Who said you have to be Huey P or Malcolm X for that matter. Lauryn Hill or Lil’ Kim. Obama or Kobe. You don’t have to do it like none of them. Sure they can be inspiration but look into your own self for some of that. Not all Hip-Hop music is ghetto shit. Not all Mcees are ignorant, players, or thugs drug dealers or whateva people tend to classify it under. It’s that and more. Just because you may entertain… doesn’t mean that you lack intelligence to achieve any thing else. There is so much more but we’ll be here forever. HAAAAAAAA
RTB: Are there any new acts that you’ve signed up or looking at taking in?
FLUX: Not really. I know me and Jax had a plan before he passed but right now it’s about getting the latest music out Then we can take it from there. All this was unexpected! HAAAA!
RTB: Thanks for your time, Yo
FLUX: No doubt boss. I appreciate you taking the time to inquire about the brothers this way. As well as wanting to share your opinions about us with everyone else. Anytime! FANGGGGGGGGGG!
RTB: All the best for the future
FLUX: You do the same. Look out for more BINKIS music later on this year. Videos Interviews etc. SPRAGGGGGGG, BOKAP, BOKAP, FANG< SPRAGGGGGGGGGGGGG! TING!
Check the link among INFX Cohorts to sample some of the goodies…
-Rock The Boat
Too many Freeways?
As an avid spectator of cartography, admirer of the aesthetics of freeway design and a Melway enthusiast; I am certainly hard-pressed to critique the development of a limited-access road.
However, with VicRoads’ latest release of an Outer Ring Road survey comprising imminent land acquisition, I am in awe of the proposed engineering feat while sceptical as to the worthiness of the project. The freeway, spanning the Donnybrook-Sunbury-Rockbank-Werribee urban sprawl (or chasm) has spurred my thoughts thus: Non-plussed in the extreme.
Certainly, Melbourne’s freeway network is already (and only recently) at its apex? A second Western Ring Road and the accompanied Footscray Westlink tunnel, also coupled with the mooted North-East Link tunnelling below the Greensborough Highway and Heidelberg would turn Melbourne into a cesspit of thoroughfares which would do nothing to complement the social and indeed civic fabric of our revered communities.
VicRoads says: “The Outer Metropolitan Ring / E6 Transport Corridor is being planned to accommodate a 100 kilometre long high-speed transport link” -could 100 km of new freeway with multi-tiered junctions with the M31, M79, M8 and M1 really be justified in the face of chronic public transport crises, as even now the train network is at capacity and severely lacks in maintenance, infrastructure and investment? Surely, the money (as that of the failed Myki card) could be better spent on establishing a rapid transit system; a high-speed underground train network planned entirely from scratch.
Images Courtesy of The Age
In short, too many freeways can be a bad thing. Ask Londoners about their brush with epic Motorway disaster.
Map of the proposed Ring Road here: http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/RoadProjects/PlanningAndProposals/Melbourne/OMRE6DetailedDesignMaps.htm
