A ‘self-portrait of an inspired and reflective practitioner’

Hear me now…
Jul 30, 2017 · 5 min read
YES!! ..those are my real names! Life board made by Pennie

WHO AM I?

Born in South Africa, from a early age I was exposed to some amazing music like Led Zeppelin, Moody Blues, and Jethro Tull. My father had a great record collection and we often spent weekends watching “Musikladen” tapes he had collected as a younger man. This set the stage for me and from a very young age I started making mix tapes and collecting music.

I have often questioned how I would express myself as a self portrait. Thinking of traditional art forms, I never considered myself a “good enough” artist to attempt this sketch or painting, so instead I did it with music!
Please listen to my musical journey…

My musical journey…well, a brief snapshot anyway!

My Journey : from my very first record to my last drum machine!

Let me elaborate on this musical collage I just shared:
1) The Nutcracker Ballet: This was the very first record I owned, gifted for my 10th (or so) Christmas. Now, I do not recall asking for this, but I do remember a couple of years later rediscovering this record! It was probably one of the most defining moments where I knew I would always love classical music! The depth, the variation, the emotion, I still get goose bumps just thinking about it.
2) Depeche Mode: One of the first electronic bands I fell in love with when I was 12 years old! I was introduced to them by an older friend and the ‘101' album had just come out. There was so much to love in the music! All these new unconventional sounds, the great lyrics, and again, the emotion!!
3) Public Enemy: The first time I heard “Shut em Down” my mind was blown! What was this…where did it come from? Come to think of it, I am lucky we were at the end of the apartheid era, otherwise they would never have played that on South African television.
4) Green Velvet: The year was 1995-96, I had just discovered the rave scene in Johannesburg! It was during this time that I really got obsessed with dance music, particularly techno and house. It was a very interesting and expressive time with warehouse parties, raves in an old prison, and festivals in forests. This is where I decided to take DJ’ing more seriously.
5) Violent Femmes: I still had a great love for my acoustic music and the Femmes were right up there through out my high school journey and beyond. While travelling (having to leave my DJ decks and records behind) I found a new love for rock and alternative music.
6) Quasimoto: The underground hip hop scene provided the main inspiration for me to eventually make the leap and pursue music more seriously. Learning about production techniques, DJ’ing hip hop and doing scratch mixing. The emotion, passion, and comedy made me realise that this is the journey I need in my life.
7)TOOL: Well what can I say here!? This is pretty much what I aspire to. Creating music and staying true to what I want to create without any commercial compromise. Musical masterpieces that take you on a journey and that can be played 10 years later with no signs of a timestamp in pop culture.

While I created this reflective mixtape, I realised how much emotion plays a great part in things that inspire me. I have always found visual art to be immensely inspiring, and like music, it is normally easy to sense the emotion and passion that has been placed in creating a piece of art.

Visual Reflection!

As with all creatives I also have other elements and influences that have sculpted me into the practitioner that I am today. Here is a visual collage…

My other inspirations

Growing up near the Johannesburg CBD, a good 6 hours away from the beach, I found solace and joy in skateboarding! I always found it to be an art form in itself - the angles, the dedication, and the beauty of working hard to land a trick. At the same time the ocean kept calling, and I find a certain peace when I am close to the beach. Sunsets over the ocean are a bonus, and now that I have taken up stand-up paddling, Adelaide really does deliver! Mentoring and working with disabled or ASD students gives me so much joy, and I aim to make music production and performance accessible to this group!

I believe that this broad range of influences hold me in good stead when it comes to my creative practise. I am open to many different mediums, and am excited about exploring other avenues of creative self expression; photography and sketching being my main interests.

As a practitioner I am currently working within the electronic music world, and enjoy doing sound design and post production for screen. Musically my main genre’s are techno and down tempo, and I try to incorporate as much hardware and performance based production as possible. Although I do not consider myself a musician, I do like to jam in parts, rather than just drawing with my mouse.

Photoshoot with my old band “We Play Machines”

After some reflection in MCI405 Creative Practitioner, I have established how I will improve my creative practise. I will be aiming for even more randomisation, interesting arrangements, and incorporating more “found sounds” to create “my” sound. I have also acknowledged how I am growing as an artist; by researching, and standing on the shoulders of giants.

With my music, I feel like I am at cross roads and I am ready to pursue a different type of musical project in the near future. Even though dance music was such a great inspiration and still brings me joy, my main focus will become more soundscape based experiences. And with this, I aim to explore more interactive installations, where my audience can be a direct part of the performance. This will form part of my capstone project, so there is still much research and elaboration to be done.

Cityscapes are one of my favourite photographic subjects.

Reference List:
Tchaikovsky, P. (1892) “The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a: XIV. Waltz of the Flowers: Tempo di valse” by Bonn Classical Philharmonics [Audio Recording]

Gore, M. (1990) Personal Jesus [Depeche Mode] Violator [Audio Recording] Denmark. Sire Records.

(1994) Stop in the Name [Recorded by Public Enemy]. Muse-sick-in-our-mess-age. [Audio Recording]. Def Jam Records

Jones, C. (1993) Flash, Green Velvet [Audio Recording] F-111/Warner Bros Records.

Gano, G. (1993) Country Death Song [Recorded by Violent Femmes] Add it Up 1981–1993. [Audio Recording]Slash/Reprise records.

Jackson, O (Jnr). (1999) Microphone Mathematics [Quasimoto] The Unseen.[Audio Recording] Stones Throw Records

(1998) Forty Six and 2 [Recorded by TOOL] Ænima.[Audio Recording] Freeworld Entertainment.

Transworld Skateboarding, [u.d] Retrieved from http://www.smartcc365.com/data/out/189/1419463.jpg

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