Peace Is Dub (Vocal Mix) by Worker Ant
Peace Is Dub...a mutation/synthesis of Jamaican dancehall and Korean folk music. Awkward blend, eh?
The focal point of this track is peace. Spragga Benz & Dopehead Zo both wrote songs about the desire for peace and at the same time defining peace. New definitions of peace.
By bringing these two songs together into one dub, I feel like I'm giving that message more emphasis: peace is what peace requires, just like war is the social setting that war requires. The requirements are variable and ever-changing, just like the definitions of war & peace.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
모습
모습 by Worker Ant
Producing like cooking: a sound surgery entrée served with lyrical salad
모습 is a dub combining two different original tracks into a synthesis of sound. The original tracks are Korean pop ballads from the 1990's with sad & romantic lyrics. I decided to intertwine vocal samples from both songs between lyrical bars in my dub version. The vocal samples are weaved into a new basket of lyrical content, messages & conversations.
This dub puts a malicious twist on current digital remix culture: re-appropriation & reform of existing content to create new content representing my own interests & desires. It's the pleasure cleaning up old bookshelves & replacing books with recreations of their own contents. It's a new species of Frankenstein, created with limbs of humans & machine organs.
Synthesis dub is not a subgenre or recreation of something original, but a mutation of contents, a becoming-block-of-expression. This mixed salad of a dub track can't represent my expression or a clear singular message, but it represents multiple representations of messages coming from multiple sources. The outcome of synthesis dub makes these sources abstract and oblique by becoming new sound, in a constant transition.
Unlike my first synthesis dub ("Communicate Dub"), 모습 doesn't have a common lyrical theme that brings the original tracks together.
Producing like cooking: a sound surgery entrée served with lyrical salad
모습 is a dub combining two different original tracks into a synthesis of sound. The original tracks are Korean pop ballads from the 1990's with sad & romantic lyrics. I decided to intertwine vocal samples from both songs between lyrical bars in my dub version. The vocal samples are weaved into a new basket of lyrical content, messages & conversations.
This dub puts a malicious twist on current digital remix culture: re-appropriation & reform of existing content to create new content representing my own interests & desires. It's the pleasure cleaning up old bookshelves & replacing books with recreations of their own contents. It's a new species of Frankenstein, created with limbs of humans & machine organs.
Synthesis dub is not a subgenre or recreation of something original, but a mutation of contents, a becoming-block-of-expression. This mixed salad of a dub track can't represent my expression or a clear singular message, but it represents multiple representations of messages coming from multiple sources. The outcome of synthesis dub makes these sources abstract and oblique by becoming new sound, in a constant transition.
Unlike my first synthesis dub ("Communicate Dub"), 모습 doesn't have a common lyrical theme that brings the original tracks together.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Communicate Dub
Communicate Dub by Worker Ant
I'll just tell the whole story of this track. One day I was riding the bus and listening to my mp3 player. I heard three different tracks in consecutive order: Nigga Please by ODB, The Light by Common and Luva Changer by Living Legends.
All three of these tracks had some rhymes about one thing...communication. ODB rhyming about how well he communicated, Common and Living Legends rhyming about the importance of communication.
I was really feeling those rhymes. Only by chance, I heard the three songs in consecutive order.
Then I started thinking about intertwining all three tracks into one dub track. After listening again, I noticed that all three had some breaks I could sample and the BPMs were similar. So I decided to make my first synthesis dub.
"Synthesis dub" is the only term I could come up with. Most dub tracks are versions of ONE single track. Communicate Dub is a version of several tracks. My definition of "synthesis dub" is when one or more original tracks are versioned into one dub track. Communication is the lyrical subject that ties these tracks together, serving as the focal point of synthesis or mutation.
I've finished two more synthesis dub tracks, currently working on a fourth and will continue to produce more of these tracks in the future.
I'll just tell the whole story of this track. One day I was riding the bus and listening to my mp3 player. I heard three different tracks in consecutive order: Nigga Please by ODB, The Light by Common and Luva Changer by Living Legends.
All three of these tracks had some rhymes about one thing...communication. ODB rhyming about how well he communicated, Common and Living Legends rhyming about the importance of communication.
I was really feeling those rhymes. Only by chance, I heard the three songs in consecutive order.
Then I started thinking about intertwining all three tracks into one dub track. After listening again, I noticed that all three had some breaks I could sample and the BPMs were similar. So I decided to make my first synthesis dub.
"Synthesis dub" is the only term I could come up with. Most dub tracks are versions of ONE single track. Communicate Dub is a version of several tracks. My definition of "synthesis dub" is when one or more original tracks are versioned into one dub track. Communication is the lyrical subject that ties these tracks together, serving as the focal point of synthesis or mutation.
I've finished two more synthesis dub tracks, currently working on a fourth and will continue to produce more of these tracks in the future.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Dumpstered Noise
Dumpstered Noise by Worker Ant
This is the sound of dumpster diving.
I recorded various trash sounds for all the percussion samples. The insect & bird noises were recorded in a mountain - because dumpster diving can include foraging useful and/or edible things in the mountains too.
The track is supposed to capture the process, the feeling and the action of dumpster diving - finding useful things in the trash. Like a soundtrack for the experience, or the habit.
I hope this track could be used as a riddim for someone who wants to put some vocals over the top of it too. Anyone in Seoul or Seattle, let me know if you're interested in that.
This is the sound of dumpster diving.
I recorded various trash sounds for all the percussion samples. The insect & bird noises were recorded in a mountain - because dumpster diving can include foraging useful and/or edible things in the mountains too.
The track is supposed to capture the process, the feeling and the action of dumpster diving - finding useful things in the trash. Like a soundtrack for the experience, or the habit.
I hope this track could be used as a riddim for someone who wants to put some vocals over the top of it too. Anyone in Seoul or Seattle, let me know if you're interested in that.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Changez Changed
Track on SoundCloud:
Changez Changed by Worker Ant
Track on YouTube:
I dubbed this track for a few reasons:
1) I like the original track (Ce'cile - Changez). I think it's a classic...a female deejay dissing all the top ranking male deejays in dancehall music. It's by far the best song on the Chiney Gal Riddim.
2) Some of my friends also like the original track.
3) I like the riddim, so i sampled a break from it, removed the bass and played my own bassline & melodies over the top of the break. Also added some perc echoes.
4) I wanted to take out all the diss vocals (that diss specific deejays by name) and leave behind almost all the other vocals.
As you can hear at the end of the track, she said "everything cris yo mi nah diss no one, all a we a friends so we still can jam..." I'd like to put emphasis on that. The dancehall scene is full of songs dissing and violently threatening other artists. The conflict between the Gaza and Gully camps has led to various fights and shoot outs. I think dissing should be a fun and playful thing that doesn't have to boil down to real violence. So i really dig the way Ce'cile said that near the end of the track.
The Chiney Gal Riddim is one of my favorites also. As far as i know, this riddim hasn't been released in an instrumental version. I decided to make my own instrumental version by sampling some breaks. My version is definitely less smooth, more filthy, obnoxious and bass-heavy. However, my goal was not to dub the Chiney Gal Riddim, but to make a dub version of Changez by Ce'cile.
Take a listen and let me know how it sounds.
Changez Changed by Worker Ant
Track on YouTube:
I dubbed this track for a few reasons:
1) I like the original track (Ce'cile - Changez). I think it's a classic...a female deejay dissing all the top ranking male deejays in dancehall music. It's by far the best song on the Chiney Gal Riddim.
2) Some of my friends also like the original track.
3) I like the riddim, so i sampled a break from it, removed the bass and played my own bassline & melodies over the top of the break. Also added some perc echoes.
4) I wanted to take out all the diss vocals (that diss specific deejays by name) and leave behind almost all the other vocals.
As you can hear at the end of the track, she said "everything cris yo mi nah diss no one, all a we a friends so we still can jam..." I'd like to put emphasis on that. The dancehall scene is full of songs dissing and violently threatening other artists. The conflict between the Gaza and Gully camps has led to various fights and shoot outs. I think dissing should be a fun and playful thing that doesn't have to boil down to real violence. So i really dig the way Ce'cile said that near the end of the track.
The Chiney Gal Riddim is one of my favorites also. As far as i know, this riddim hasn't been released in an instrumental version. I decided to make my own instrumental version by sampling some breaks. My version is definitely less smooth, more filthy, obnoxious and bass-heavy. However, my goal was not to dub the Chiney Gal Riddim, but to make a dub version of Changez by Ce'cile.
Take a listen and let me know how it sounds.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Vybz Kartel - Wah Some Grades (Worker Ant Remix)
Vybz Kartel - Wah Some Grades (Worker Ant Remix) by Worker Ant
I heard the original track on NotNice Productions' Birthday Riddim and eventually found the acapella sometime last year. I knew i had to remix this track for a few different reasons:
1) Kartel is voicing exactly how i've been feeling in this track (i'm in south korea and there's no herb here);
2) I like the track;
3) I felt like the track needs a better riddim...something to make it feel more like a ganja song.
In the original track, you'll hear a woman saying "in gaza" throughout the track. Gaza is another term for Portmore city, Jamaica where Vybz Kartel is from. I'm living in South Korea where nobody smokes ganja and not many people want to smoke because everybody thinks it's a dangerous drug. Don't ask me "how did that happen" because it baffles me too. I decided to replace the "in gaza" with "in korea." My friend spoke that part for me.
I'm leaving Seoul and moving to Seattle in less than a month, but I really hope that there will be more ganja and ganja-smoking in the future of Korea. Many everyday Korean people seem so stressed, uptight and conservative. I think that people just need to relax and smoke some highgrade sensi for a difference. By the way, that's what Kartel means when he sings "grades"...high grade ganja. "Wah Some Grades" means "I want some high grade chronic" basically.
I heard the original track on NotNice Productions' Birthday Riddim and eventually found the acapella sometime last year. I knew i had to remix this track for a few different reasons:
1) Kartel is voicing exactly how i've been feeling in this track (i'm in south korea and there's no herb here);
2) I like the track;
3) I felt like the track needs a better riddim...something to make it feel more like a ganja song.
In the original track, you'll hear a woman saying "in gaza" throughout the track. Gaza is another term for Portmore city, Jamaica where Vybz Kartel is from. I'm living in South Korea where nobody smokes ganja and not many people want to smoke because everybody thinks it's a dangerous drug. Don't ask me "how did that happen" because it baffles me too. I decided to replace the "in gaza" with "in korea." My friend spoke that part for me.
I'm leaving Seoul and moving to Seattle in less than a month, but I really hope that there will be more ganja and ganja-smoking in the future of Korea. Many everyday Korean people seem so stressed, uptight and conservative. I think that people just need to relax and smoke some highgrade sensi for a difference. By the way, that's what Kartel means when he sings "grades"...high grade ganja. "Wah Some Grades" means "I want some high grade chronic" basically.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
New Blog
I'm starting this blog to write about my music and share it. I also might write random blogs about anything from time to time.
I'm pretty new to this blogging website, so I haven't figured out how to make my own templates, upload my own background images, etc. I hope it's more customizable than it appears to be.
Worker Ant: I've been producing multi-genre experimental electronic music for several years. Many of my tracks tend to be remix/dub versions of other track(s). Some of my tunes might be called "dubstep" maybe. Not too sure about genres and often don't feel comfortable categorizing my tracks into established genres, but I try.
I'll use this blog space to give updates on my tunes, the meaning and purpose for each of my (new) tracks, my ideas and their progress, and probably a significant amount of etc. Since soundcloud.com doesn't have a blog option, I'm gonna use this space.
If anyone who reads this can give me some info (or links to info) on how to customize my blog more, please do.
I'm pretty new to this blogging website, so I haven't figured out how to make my own templates, upload my own background images, etc. I hope it's more customizable than it appears to be.
Worker Ant: I've been producing multi-genre experimental electronic music for several years. Many of my tracks tend to be remix/dub versions of other track(s). Some of my tunes might be called "dubstep" maybe. Not too sure about genres and often don't feel comfortable categorizing my tracks into established genres, but I try.
I'll use this blog space to give updates on my tunes, the meaning and purpose for each of my (new) tracks, my ideas and their progress, and probably a significant amount of etc. Since soundcloud.com doesn't have a blog option, I'm gonna use this space.
If anyone who reads this can give me some info (or links to info) on how to customize my blog more, please do.
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