"Smokestack Horizon" - Acrylic paint on canvas

“Multiband Ribcage” - Animated painting

Dear listener, I rarely post hip hop, and when I do its usually so deep underground that a brief, intermittent ray from the sun would strike it fuckin’ blind. I like hip hop that is bizarre and experimental and for the last year or so, I’ve been getting increasingly deeper into phonk; a darkly themed and distorted subgenre of trap. The primary reason that I enjoy phonk is because it seems to be a modern worldwide trend for regular people with audio software to create this kind of music from nothing more than disparate samples, which is based on old school Memphis rap and southern hip-hop styles. And while I wish I could tell you a whole lot more about the artist showcased this week, like a lot of other phonk performers, SPYDER550 seems to enjoy his anonymity. Smash play and enjoy GODDD MODE from 2019’s ACID THUG.

As much as I enjoy giving my audience on Tumblr a proper overview of who the artist is, what they stand for, etc… sometimes I can’t dig up anything of substantive value. SPYDER550’s Instagram is here, his SoundCloud is here, his Spotify page is here, and I found a slightly more robust profile that seems legitimate enough here. You, yes you that is reading this, feel free to go ahead and Google this artist for yourself and tell me if you can possibly draw a clearer picture of the person behind the music than I did here. I suppose I should be relieved; generally speaking, there is TOO MUCH information on certain musical acts that I post, and here is a good example of the polar opposite. From what little I was able to ascertain from my research for this post, 550 is very new to the worldwide music scene, having their first album out in 2019. As far as I can tell, they’ve released at least five albums since then, all under 10-tracks at a stretch. I can’t even tell with 100% accuracy where this artist is located on the planet. One profile says they are from Russia, another says they’re based out of Finland, and another says Memphis, Tennessee… which I’ll assume is just a throwback to Memphis rap (i.e. the music his own sounds are based on). I don’t even know if the above picture is really 550, or even what the hell his real name is. But you know what? None of that really matters, because I’ve been bouncing from tune to tune wherever I can find his music online, and I can tell you there’s a lot of noticeable raw talent here. Each individual tune I’ve found by this artist is intriguing, catchy, and thoughtful in its own unique way. His musical arrangements possess a haunting quality that is often repetitive, but repetitive in a good way, all while managing to be enchantingly mesmerizing. Like a lot of phonk artists, you can bet your bottom dollar that 550 ‘chops and screws’ a lot of his tracks together using various samples directly from the internet (including the vocals most likely). Just below is another bizarre banger, Toxic Face from 2021’s SPYDELIC. Enjoy!

I try to put as much research that I can stand into these musical entries, and sometimes, there’s just not a lot of meat on the bone. That said, if you liked the music in this post, click here, and here, and here for more. It’s just about all I can do to fully inform you of this artist’s existence outside of hiring an internet sleuth to ascertain more. Image source: https://www.viberate.com/artist/spyder550/

thaumaturgy. 60''x28''. oil on found object. adam sturch.

Images cinema : FERNAND LEGER (1924) / Animation : JOEL REMY GIF

Face # 2: Far and away on the light rail

This year (2024) I’ll be trying to draw faces, all year long. Sorry if these start off rough or scratchy, this is merely my first couple of tries. This week, I bought myself a new sketch pad and took the light rail back home, only to come across a perfect drawing opportunity right off the cuff.

I’ve never been good with names, but faces I remember upon the first time seeing one. There was a young gentleman that quietly sat across from me on the rail. It was pretty clear that he had just gotten out of work, I could tell he was tired. The entire time he was on the train he was just looking out the window, far and away. I could tell he was transfixed on something, a person maybe, or a memory. I figured if this guy was going to just sit there giving me a dynamic angle, I may as well try and sketch him. I hope if anyone ever catches me drawing them in a public space that they understand I’m not some freak. I’m just trying to get better at representing the dimensions of the human face.

Face # 1: Click here

September 2022

"Spiral Skysill" - Acrylic paint on canvas

“Shorefront Skyline” - Animated painting

Dear listener, if you offer me ordinary pop music, I will reflexively kick you in the gonads and book it in the opposite direction. However, if you offer me pop music interlaced with elements of metal, punk, and hip-hop… I’m going to do a double take, carefully examine the melodious product in question, and reassess my conclusions on what the tentative limits are in modern music. As long as you don’t have any issues with strobe lights, smash play on the above track, Demons from the 2012 album Reign of Terror. The featured band this week is Sleigh Bells, who, for over a decade-and-a-half have practiced an overdriven, experimental version of pop which regularly incorporates the fundamentals of digital hardcore, industrial rock, and electro.

After years of personal listenership, I am confident that SB can give you everything you want, and more, from modern pop music. Like most pop tunes, the sound is structured around hooks (the peak-altitude of a song, whether it be the melody, the lyrics, or the repetitive composition of instrumentals) crafted to a sharp, absolute, and prominent apex. I LOVE exploring the catalogs of experimental bands… particularly when you catch me by surprise and show me a pop music product that I can actually immerse myself in. Over the last decade or so, Sleigh Bells has provided me with utter bliss, utter joy, utter pain, and a rough ride filled with ups-and-downs, but most importantly… an overall experience that I want to be a part of! It’s pop music that has the capacity to appeal to everyone, not just teenage girls, because the music manages to have a semblance of * universal meaning*. Their tunes are the very definition of sweet-and-sour chicken, only delivered entirely in an audio format, and dammit all, it tastes mostly sweet! A noise pop duo, based out of Brooklyn, NY, has managed to accomplish within a decade and a half what the rest of you limp-dicked, corporately funded pop music jabronis can’t seem to do; immerse the listener in pop music that *actually innovates* for a change. All over their discography, you can find personally resonant tunes that manage to successfully communicate complex ideas and emotions. If you want pop music with an unapologetic nonconformist twist, immerse yourself in something that sounds different for a change. If you like what you heard above, click below for some work by SB that is laced with slightly more traditional pop elements, Rosary from their 2021 album Texis.

Ten years ago, I thought I liked one song by SB. A year later, I liked two songs by them. The next year, I liked four. The next year, eight. You starting to see a pattern? A decade on, I am flabbergasted at their sniper-rifle range in musical versatility and commitment to providing their audience with an endearing and truly meaningful experience that I would recommend to anyone looking for a potent alternative to mainstream pop. Image source: https://www.gq.com/story/sleigh-bells-derek-e-miller-alexis-krauss-interview-reign-of-terror-treats