paris DJs

This website has changed the way I listen to music.

Every week, different DJs publish a new 30min DJ mix on parisdjs.com, and these mixes are available for free for download straight from the site or as a podcast via iTunes. The styles and influences vary widely, often including obscure artists from different origins, which makes it an amazing platform to discover new music. From Blaxploitation era soundtracks to Nigerian Afro-funk, from Soviet Latin Jazz to 70s Turkish psychedelic rock, this stuff is guaranteed to push your boundaries...

I see it as the equivalent to the mixtapes we used to have in the 80s and 90s, except these ones are made by people who have an amazing musical culture, giving you the opportunity to discover artists you would never have heard about through popular media.

The mixes are available for download (including setlists) right here:
http://www.parisdjs.com/index.php/category/Dj-mixes

Tribute to the recently deceased Gil Scott-Heron

lucien ginsburg

Gainsbourg - Vie héroïque

 
I finally managed to watch "Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque)", a movie on the life of provocative French singer Serge Gainsbourg. The movie in itself is original, integrating strange visions reflecting Gainsbourg's twisted personnality, and really shows how controversial his work was at the time his most famous songs were released. The main actor, Eric Elmosnino, does a remarkable job interpreting the physical degradation and progressive loss of touch with reality of Gainsbourg, slowly turning into his dark alter ego, Gainsbarre. I grew up hearing his songs on the French radio, and remember the awkwardness whenever he would be live on television or radio. It took me some time to appreciate his music, but today he is one of my favourite French musicians.


2 of his most famous songs: "Je t'aime, moi non plus" with Jane Birkin and "Initials B.B." for Brigitte Bardot.

the origins of breakdance

pea art

 

 

 

kaff-eine

One of the things I love about Melbourne is the profusion of street-art in its various shapes and forms. Inner-city laneways are full stencils, graffitis, posters, etc... Exposed to the weather, the colours fade & the paper slowly tears off, creating strange combinations & textures which only add to their charm.

Fortunately new artists emerge daily, and these strange streetscapes evolve permanently. It has now become a habit of mine to regularly go on a photo tour through this open-air museum of ephemeral art.

One my last tour through Fitzroy, I stumbled across 4 pictures from the same artist, signed "kaff-eine". They have a quality you would expect to find in the graphic novels I mentioned in my previous blog entry, and I wish I would know more about this guy/girl.

If you like these, you can check out my flickr set here:

read this

Growing up in France means reading BD or "Bande Dessinées" (cartoons, graphic novels) before even knowing how to read properly. You start with Astérix & Obélix, Tintin, Spirou & Fantasio, Lucky Luke, Gaston Lagaffe... and as you become older, you start reading BDs dealing with more serious topics.

BDs are recognised as being an important part of French litterature, and adults read them as much as children. In fact, my grand-father is the person I know who owns the most BDs! More then 350 on the last count...

Graphic novels follow the same idea, but do not stick to same constraints as conventional BDs: different formats & sizes, not necessarily structured in strips, full page art & most often in black & white, not colour.

Here a couple fine example from France, Japan & the US. Click on the legend below the image to access the author's blog.

Trois Ombres by Cyril Pedrosa

Haruka-na machi e (遥かな町へ) by Jiro Taniguchi

Blankets by Craig Thompson

I just finished reading "Blankets" and really recommend it. Fantastic artwork & great - but dark - story. Graphic novels seem to be a great way of expressing emotions which are not well conveyed when they are just written down in words...

why a blog?

Another waste of time in front of the computer? Or is it just attention-seeking narcissism? Is anyone even going to read this? Not sure, but I want to find out if it allows you to express yourself without the constraints of a social network.
We'll see...