ALL INDIE. FOOD. MUSIC. HANGOUTS. & LOVE MARKS.

BY PUFF INDIE'GO

[indiethingsblog]

MAGAGULA

Clouds draw & dim The sky scarlet. Stars clear the night To the nauseating stench of murder in the air. Sent in haste to meet the maker as a sentence is passed under heaven. Pleas fall on deaf ears as seeds to fire incinerate. Flames gutter the soul at the stake to blind witnesses without tongues. Blood boils as rage of these malevolent executioners flares. Pyre sans of rites & tyres as Red cedar necklaces. Has the good lord forsaken a life that ends unceremoniously?

http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/media_stream/politicsweb/1/444547/images/DailySunNovember62013.jpg

[nowinexile]

The last words said by Black youth murdered by policemen. 

[dre3k]

This shit is chilling and made me tear up.

[knowledgeequalsblackpower]

the shame of a nation!!!!!!!!!!!

[christel-thoughts]

this is great. this is powerful. but can y’all please stop leaving off the Black women and girls who are being killed too? it’s feeling intentional at this point.

[indiethingsblog]

Indie People: Charles Senyasamore

The English Graphic Designer, Neville Brody, stated that Design is more than just a few tricks to the eye. It’s a few tricks to the brain. For me these words sum up the impression I get from a young graphic Designer named Charles Senyasamore. Having seen his work I can attest, he has more the eye for Design but the brains to vouch for too.  With a seemingly reserved personality, he defines himself more along the lines of being a passionate & sceptical visual communicator, who uses homour & the element of surprise as aid to his work which aims to initiate discourse about issues he finds dear.

Charles in the joint campaign by the University of Johannesburg’s Strategic Communication & Graphic Design for Organ Donor Foundation. Photography by Simiso Masuku.

Born in Sebokeng, a township south of Gauteng, More than a quarter of a century, Charles first fell in love with Design through watching the popular South African soapie, Generations, in the early years after the millennium & was intrigued by the creativity & deadline themed lifestyle of one of the characters who worked as a Designer for the New Horizons advertising agency. True to his fantasy, he is a Graphic Design graduate of the  Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture ( commonly known as FADA) from  the University of Johannesburg but he soon found out that it is not at all glamourous as he once dreamed. Nonetheless Design is his calling.

A night view from his apartment near the Johannesburg city center. Bustling with light & inspiration.

As Johannesburg dweller, the city has become his muse & works wonders in front of his camera. Feeding into his love of photography that tells a story of the decay of the city dubbed as “Johustleburg”. He puts better by calling it conceptual photography & within his portfolio, numerous photographs with rusting metal objects like windmills, old cars, farm boom gates can be found, perhaps, from my humble opinion, rust has a certain earthy characteristic to it, which brings a feeling to warmth & tranquility, like how the effect the orange setting sun may have on one.

The stainless steel plate & cup from the constitution Hill Heritage site in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

Abstract & Conceptual are words synonymous with the rest of Charles’ work. He creates design that speaks for itself, design that has character, one that doesn’t necessarily rely on caption to be understood.  However his work is an extension of his thoughts and feelings & design is the vessel in which to connect to the world. He hopes that perhaps his work will be appreciated and revered like the likes of Milton Glaser. Paul Rand or Chip Kidd.

                                                        Piano keys

Charles Senyasamore bleeds design and every day is another day living with Hemophilia.

Find more of his work on https://www.behance.net/Charles_Senyasamore

*All the above artwork is by Charles Senyasamore, unless stated otherwise.

[indiethingsblog]

Visit Original Link

A teaser of how the beat tape is. Taste and head to Audiomack and listen.

[indiethingsblog]

[indiethingsblog]

By Jomo Gobile

"With great swag comes great responsibility" - Shaka Zulu

[indiethingsblog]

Indie Review of Tell A Tale: A Gratitude To God

Good Friday.

How does one box with God, when arms fall short and comprehension is too small? When one realises that he is but a dust particle in a galaxy of stars, yet has the bestowed power to change the cosmos, then the Forces that be have to honoured. I am elated to review a work of art, in my books, that is Tell A Tale: A Gratitude to God by Mo' Touch. I slept on the beat tape for a few days till I gave it a listen. I tossed and turned with the question of what to expect since I have heard Mo' Touch's production before and I was a bit nervous because analysing music that challenges all the good music I have heard before is not a pleasant task. However I was utterly surprised. I gave it a final listen while I was barefooted, drinking green tea, overlooking Johustleburg from my 25th floor balcony and I began to see people as stories, passing by and going about their day. With that said, I offer you my thoughts as commentary of the story that is Mo' Touch's Tale A Tale: A Gratitude To God.

First on the 10 track offering is To-Turn which sounds like a spring morning in Utopia, with modest tones like water fountain in a zen garden & birds chipping to warm rays of sunshine, it got me wondering in haste, regardless of being just a tad above 2 minutes. What a way to begin a beat tape, I imagine it as something Bonobo would do or how Claude Challe would start his mixes. It is subliminal escapism. To God comes in second with a nostalgic Groove Theory sample and part of me wanted to hear Amel Larrieux come in because I knew R n B before Hip Hop instead I caught myself singing along to the hymn "uJesu uno bubele" in IsiXhosa which means God is merciful to me and I get the sentiments through the beat. I mean one cannot be self-taught and be able to produce such music without reference to who made it possible through his grace. Bismillah. It's like a epiphany and the following track after, titled For The Moments, is with regards to that. I can hear Mo' Touch responding to a question of if he didn't sample how would his music sound with this beat. With that, from this beat henceforth I will cease to refer to him as a hip hop beat maker because his sound does not fit within hip hop or any other genre for that matter but under the umbrella that is music. "In Time" embodies what sounds like ?uest Love's production on Dear God 2.0 from The Roots' How I got over album, but I didn't fancy much of the first part of the beat because I was left begging for last part not to end. The   highlight of the beat tape comes in the middle, flawless, sax(y) and layered with all the elements that make tea taste better,the sax, keys and drums make "Of Your Divine Realm" Mo' Touch's magnum opus. Quote me on that. Blazo lays the key foundation to the most addictive track on the tape, You Have Showered, it makes  you want to raise your head  and appreciate the world you see and repeat it for your listening pleasure. The 7th track "Up Me Now" had an uncluttered feel to it like For The Moments but let me down due to the fact that most beats thus far didn't sound alike & that was the bar that was set. Track 8 & 9 also climbed the band wagon and it sounded the same until the last beat. "Gratitude" was the fat lady who should not sing as it felt a bit too soon and the vocals at the end are something you have to hear for  yourself. Besides I like how he incorporated his loved ones in the music from his friend Bafana Mtini to his younger sister.

In conclusion, Tell A Tale: A Gratitude To God beat tape deserves repeated listening. It is very much like a hymn book. Full of meaning and soul.It is out of the ordinary and incomparable. Perhaps that is it's short fall, you decide. One thing I know is this beat tape is a reflection of Mo' Touch and since we are made in God's image it is for anyone and everyone.

God bless.

[indiethingsblog]

Indie Interview With Mo' Touch

Greatness often falls within the cracks of history and becomes obscured by the shadow of time. However since the advent of information technology, light is shone on even the darkest and deepest  crevices. The spot light is thus deserved by an incredible beat maker/producer to be known to the world as Mo’ Touch. This is the first part interview of a two-part interview series I had with Mo’ Touch at various locations  in Khutsong to reflect  the inspiration of his life and music.

PART ONE: INTRODUCING SPHIWE MO’ TOUCH KHUMALO

Mo’ Touch at a fruit & snack & shoe repair vendor stall.

Puff Indie’go:  Before we get the ball rolling my king, the foremost important question that anyone sitting & staring at his or her screen or listening to your music would like to know is who is Sphiwe Khumalo & why is he Mo’ Touch?

Mo’ Touch: (Visibly nervous, exhaling into his cupped hands) What’s up? This is Sphiwe Khumalo, Mo’ Touch, affectionately called Spitjo by friends & family. Sphiwe Khumalo is a simple and reserved guy from Khutsong, Carletonville, a small township is the West Rand district of Gauteng. I am a guy who have been doing music for 9 years but began making beats from the later part of year 2007. As for why I am Mo’ Touch,the initial reaction to my beats from my friends is the inspiration behind the name, originally Motivational Touch, then shortened to Motive Touch  & ultimately Mo’ Touch for a better appeal and branding. Well it’s self explanatory really, in a sense that my  beats have that motivational touch to them, that inspires you,you know. Yeah.

Mo’ Touch beat boxing outside Pay n’ print Internet cafe on Nxumalo Road in Khutsong.

Puff Indie’go: Nah I hear your sire, so you just jumped into beat making?

Mo’ Touch: (Beat boxes for a few seconds) … that is where it all started…Beat making came as a result of my love of beat boxing and the urge to eternalise the sounds I was making when in ciphers and the promise to my friends that I will provide tailor made beats for them and I have kept that promise till to date. I recall that there were times that I would get home smelling of tobacco when I don’t even smoke & realised that I have been tirelessly beat boxing for hours. That is what made me go into beat making.

Touching on the subject of what differentiates him while next to Faranani shops at Rest In Peace, Khutsong.

Puff Indie’go:  So with countless beat making soft-wares available out there anyone can be  beat maker, what makes your beats different? 

Mo’ Touch:  I don’t make just beats, it’s music that I make. Heavily influenced and influential music.  I grew up on Jazz music, it was what normally played at my home, even though I could not fathom that it would impact my life this way, it is what makes my beats distinct, they have  that timeless sound of Jazz & kwaito  too. I could say it is  like 90’s hip hop, what the world would call Boom Bap, sound with influences from the likes of Pete Rock and the legendary J Dilla to name but two.

On affiliates…

Puff Indie’go: Would I be right if I say your passion then lies solely in beat making?

Mo’ Touch: Far from it, I rap and rep Off The Era with Subsir, Off The Planet with Subsir, Kgosi ( the poet)  & Slim, LHM, Boom Bap Nation, Dillatron! &  you should look out for my tape dropping on 31st of July 2014  TELL A TALE : A GRATITUDE TO GOD

Mo’ Touch defining his musical inspiration

Puff Indie’go: Not regress, but how would you define your sound?

Mo’ Touch: Unmistakable baseline is a defining factor, if you hear my sound, you will know it the next time you hear it. It has heavy drums, soulful snares and claps with samples from Jazz, Soul, Neo Soul, Contemporary Jazz, Psychedelic soul cause I am sensitive guy ( laughs).

                                                                                    Indie Things.