Song Exploder (2020) – Review

Song Exploder review

Creativity and the creation of a work is sometimes elusive. It is sometimes unclear where the urge to make something comes from, how you come up with a certain idea and why you make choices to achieve the final result. That is something that is part of every creative expression, be it movies, paintings, music or anything else. Song Exploder is a podcast that has been interviewing musicians about a song they’ve created for years. The music itself is separated using the original files, sometimes per instrument. You will hear why certain choices have been made, what feeling is behind it or what message is being conveyed. They are relatively short episodes, often less than half an hour, in which you hear the final song in its entirety after the story and the music. With the Song Exploder series, podcaster Hrishikesh Hirway makes the step towards a visual medium with the same concept. Continue reading

Beastie Boys Story (2020) – Review

Beastie Boys Story review

It is a huge challenge to remain relevant as a music artist. You only have to look at the number of one hit wonders (Big Shaq, PSY etc) who enjoyed very short and extreme success, but did not manage to turn that into a lasting career. Even big artists are only as good as their last album and have to keep trying to stay relevant. If you look at hip hop, the number of real stars is very small. Well-known groups and artists from the 80s and 90s have disappeared or have been mostly forgotten. One of the exceptions to this were the Beastie Boys. A group that started as a punk group in the 80s, made the switch to hip hop and evolved into proper musicians who made what they wanted, even if they were all instrumental songs. After Adam Yauch (MCA) died of cancer in 2012, the other members decided to stop making music. They previously released a book and now there is this documentary, directed by Spike Jonze. Continue reading

LA Originals (2020) – Review

LA Originals review

The music world has a lot of artists who are famous for their music and personality. Artists who managed to create something special in their genres and thereby left their mark. Think of Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Eminem, 50 Cent, Cypress Hill and House of Pain. However, what all these artists have in common is that they all have tattoos from Mister Cartoon. This Los Angeles artist was involved in drawing and graffiti from an early age. He designed T-shirts for the owners of low-riders. It was only years later that he also put his drawings on the skin of others. And since these people were world famous, he quickly made a name for himself. He partly owed that success to Estevan Oriol, a tour manager for Cypress Hill, House of Pain and Funkdoobiest, who was the only one to start recording gigs on video and taking photos. The two became close friends and together they managed to conquer the world. Oriol wants to show what this journey looked like with this documentary. Continue reading

Blinded by the Light (2019) – Review

Blinded by the light recensie

When I found the music that appealed to me as a teenager, I wanted as many people as possible to hear the songs I loved as well. When you feel a connection with something, you want to share it, because you think that others will have the same connection. So I opened the window of my room and blasted my music loud, when I was in the tram I actually turned up the volume of my walkman way too high and when I had my first car I usually drove with the windows open (ok, the latter also had to do with the fact that I had no air conditioning). The influence of music on someone can be huge, especially as a teenager. I also see that with my daughters when they share a song and you see how much it means to them and they want you to experience the same thing. It is that feeling that Blinded by the Light is all about. Continue reading

VS. (2018) – Review

vs review
After how many films on the same subject can you say that a new subgenre has emerged? After 8 Mile, Patti Cake$, Bodied and now VS. I think it’s safe to say it’s that time. Within the “coming of age” genre a new subgenre has emerged in which white rappers have to prove themselves through rap battles, while they struggle with their relationships with others and become very personal during those battles. How VS. distinguishes itself from other films is the fact that it is not set in America, but in the UK. To what extent does this film stand out? Continue reading

Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men (2019) – Review

Wu Tang Clan of Mics and Men review
When the Wu-Tang Clan released their first album, Enter the 36 Chambers, in 1993 they stood out. Not only wasn’t there a group with so many members (9), but they also sounded different compared to what was out at the moment. The beats producer RZA created were very raw and the group quickly gained popularity. Back in the day I myself walked around with a Wu “W” on my backpack and listened to a lot of their music and the various solo albums the various artists released. 25 years later the group is still performing (I’ll be seeing them live on Thursday, together with Public Enemy and De La Soul). The four-part documentary series Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men looks at the group’s history, how they came together, their first album and many moments in their long career. Continue reading

Bodied (2017) – Review

Review Bodied

I can still remember a moment, what could have been 20 years ago, when I went to a club in Rotterdam called Nighttown (which was once the place where a cinema was located) where a hiphop festival took place. It was a mix of all kinds of disciplines. In one room there were b-boys breakdancing, music was playing and artists were performing. But the thing everyone wanted to go to were the battles, which were on the program towards the end of the evening. A gladiatorial battle between different MCs, who try to basically kill each other verbally. A spectacle in which the direct feedback from the audience is the indicator of success. A mix of well thought-out pre-written texts, but also proof that you can respond to your environment and what the other person says to you. In one of the rounds it was local artist Tim Beumers battling and the referee dropped the coin by mistake at the toin coss, he saw an opportunity. He started and made an instant statement that the other guy was so poor that he saw him wanting to pick up that dropped coin. The audience went wild and Tim immediately used that in his lyrics as well. He went home as the winner that evening.

It is a subculture of hip hop that occasionally shows up in TV shows and films, with 8 Mile probably being the best known example. Eminem, who made a name for himself as a battle MC before he broke through, brought the battling to a wider audience and in Bodied, which he produced, also is about this scene. Is this a copy of that movie or does Bodied bring something new to the table? Continue reading

Mary Poppins Returns (2018) – Review

Review Mary Poppins Returns
Nothing is as magical as seeing a movie on the big screen. Because of its size and sound, it is an environment in which you forget everything around you and where you are pulled into the screen. During the running time of the film you are in a place where anything is possible. I thought it would be a good idea to see Mary Poppins Returns at the cinema, because the original Mary Poppins was pure magic. The wonderful role of Julie Andrews, the songs of the Sherman brothers, which stayed on your mind for a long time and of course the fantastic worlds that the nanny took the kids to. It was a pity that after a little over two hours watching this new film, I had not left my chair for a second, looked at my watch regularly wondering when it would be over and questioning why this Mary Poppins movie does not work. Continue reading

Hearts Beat Loud (2018) – Review

Review Hearts Beat Loud
Music is emotion and the best artists often use their own experiences to make memorable songs. When you base your movie on the process of creation, it can add something to a movie that you connect to more strongly. Director John Carney seems to be specialized when it comes to creating music, just think of Once, Begin Again and Sing Street. They all deal with music and love. His movies probably are the best in this subgenre. Hearts Beat Loud isn’t directed by him, but also revolves about creating music, relationships and which things inspire you. Continue reading

Rapture (2018) – Review

Review Rapture netflix
When it comes to hiphop, Netflix has a pretty solid offering of interesting documentaries (Bad Rap, Hip Hop Evolution, The Defiant Ones, Fresh Dressed, Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives, The Art of Organized Noize, Sample This) and movies/series (Roxanne Roxanne, The Get Down) about this music genre. I’ve watched all of them and although some of them are disappointing, in general they provide a lot of interesting information/entertainement. The latest addition is Rapture. According to the Netflix description hip-hop stars describe what defines them as artists and the effect they’ve had on culture beyond music. During (almost) each of the episodes the focus is on one artist. These are a mix of old and new artists: Logic, Nas & Dave East, G-Eazy, 2 Chainz, T.I., Rapsody, Just Blaze and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie. As I’ve been listening to hip hop less the last couple of years I didn’t know anything about Logic, Dave East, G-Eazy, Rapsody or A Boogie, so I was interested to learn more about them. Continue reading