Comments on: Derrick Ashong on Music

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The boundary between counterculture and coporate music is especially blurry these days. I am still bowled over when I hear the likes of Mogwai, Of Montreal, and other “indie” bands on commercials. I used to be enraged by this, but now I see there’s a positive and a negative side to media saturation. On one hand, there’s a certain level of hypocrisy when artists belie the principles they purport to embody for the sake of money. On the other, there is so much music about social change out there that would never before have had the exposure it has now. These days it’s not only the counterculture that is against being an ‘American Idiot;’ the proliferation via Napster, YouTube, and product placement in commercials and T.V. shows, of underground hip hop, indie rock, electronica and other alternative styles, is creating a sense of excitement and idealism among this generation’s mainstream that hasn’t been seen in a while. People are being unified across traditional boundaries in a really interesting way as diverse sounds and ideas become acceptable–and inevitable– in the mainstream. For instance, the last time I went to the CD store I definitely picked up both Avril’s new album (don’t tell) and an old Dead Prez…

By: adesideratozgmai

adesideratozgmai — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Derrick somehow forgot to mention that he’s part of that super funky band “Soulfege”.

By: JaiDesigned

JaiDesigned — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

When people start turning away from the pop-culture that’s forced at us through media, we’ll start seeing that change is all around us.

By: robbie_whelan

robbie_whelan — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

hi derrick --

you dropped this really nice punchline on us, from one of your "peers" in west africa:

“How could your car determine your strength of character / Or the chain around your neck make you freer than the next man?”

...and based on the merit of that line alone, i'd like to hear the artist/song/album that it came from. you forgot to mention who it is!

please enlighten us!

-rw

By: chrissycolemanzg

chrissycolemanzg — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

‘nough said.

By: felalefe

felalefe — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

This is the first essay I have read of good magazine, and I joined right away.

The only question I had after reading this was: now that I know I’m not alone, what’s next?

By: rufanna

rufanna — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I agree with you that there are big changes in the air. This "Shift of Consciousness" expresses itself first in art like music, but also in some movies, litterature or painture etc and also in technology like computers which become more and more virtual.

For me the music of this shifting is ambient and new age style. These often strange sounds translate for myself best the strong movements in consciousness.

New sounds in a new world! -)

By: DerrickAshong

DerrickAshong — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Hi y'all. Thanks for the comments! Here are some thoughts in response:

-Jennifer: there definitely is a blurring of the lines between corporate & countercultural these days. Corporations are actively trying to market "counterculture" which is kind of hilarious when you think about it...but is nothing new when you look back to the 60s & 70s. I think artists need to be smart about both their creative & commercial endeavours or we will just be singing into the wind. If you can make good music & make money I say go for it!

-Audbot: HA, ha, thanks for the shout-out! Here's a link to Soulfege & some of our videos.

-Jai: Word life. And that change is speaking to us in a thousand different languages across the globe...

-Robbie: Thanks, glad you dug the line. But I think you slightly misread. "I" wrote that line about how US Hip Hop is impacting my peers back home in W. AFrica. That track features some phenomenal artists and will drop this Fall along w/ a series of collabs from MCs overseas and some heads you know from over here. Stay tuned for the science on that project...

-Felafe: Welcome aboard! If you want to get down w/ our movement to change pop-culture check out the Sweet Mother Tour. It's a collab between cats in US, AFrica, Caribbean & Europe to flip the script on how the media depicts global youth culture.

-Rufanna: New sounds, new sights, new flavas all around. WME & Greenpeace have just launched a new project to amplify the voices of powerful artists who are putting a new spirit into that "Shift." Peep the [http://www.weaponsofme.com]announcement[/url].

That's all for now. Stay up and stay strong folks. We are just gettin' started...

Peace & AFrobeats,
D.N.A

By: SaraMaria

SaraMaria — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I am overjoyed and beyond proud to be a part of the youth/art/political positivity movement of today…and I think the key to moving in the right direction is finding a balance in our art and intellectual endeavors. Music, painting, dance, whatever, combined with intelligent and purposeful action is the very best we can do. I purport to being a media-critical painter with a classical cello training, majoring in sustainable agriculture. Take action socially, make art communally, think globally and eat locally.