(Always a work in progress)
Inspiration is the currency of creativity.
Creativity receives information; an opportunity, through inspiration.
Creativity then molds this information…whether it be a statement, a question, or an answer…
Creativity works.
When finished, creativity (acting as expression) gives it’s new found energy out to the world,
For this energy to crystallize as inspiration for another…
So the cycle may begin again…
I believe you can get to know someone deeply based off of what inspires them. The information of inspiration opens the heart, the past, the mind. And so to offer a little more of myself, I will share with you (in no particular order) my many inspirations…the people, places, and things, that motivate me to interact with my world in unorthodox ways… the people, places, and things that remind me I am not alone in doing so.
Click links to explore the stories further
LITTLE DRAGON
Interview Magazine; “Do you feel like you take on an image when you’re performing?”
Yukimi Nagano: I’ve never felt that, actually, but I definitely feel like it brings out another side of me. I think most people are many-sided; you have your evil side, your happy side, your spaced-out side. You try to stay on the positive side more—I mean, I try to— but I think we all have those different faces of ourselves. On stage, that for me is a space I really love to be in. It’s a time to really get drawn into the music and the moment with my friends. It’s the best reminder of the reason why we’re doing what we’re doing. Interview
BOB FOSSE
“I thank God that I wasn’t born perfect.”
FRANKIE VALLI AND THE 4 SEASONS
TOMAHAWK BANG (BIOGRAPHY WRITTEN BY EMILY ALVAREZ)
“For Tomahawk Bang, music is “Himdag” or the “way of life.” As a native of Arizona’s Onk Akimel O’odham tribe; the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community, Tomahawk developed his relationship with music whilst participating in traditional ceremonies on his homeland. The deeply spiritual nature of his culture serves as one of the clearest influences and most pertinent characteristics of his music. In the world of Tomahawk Bang, the music was, is, and will always be an indigenous experience.
“What first gets you into something, that never goes away. The initial inspiration… it’s mind blowing. You never forget.” –Tomahawk Bang
At the age of thirteen, Tomahawk Bang immersed himself in hip-hop culture, transforming into a hybrid of native customs and break beats. Bboying (break dance) played a major role in his development as an artist, exposing him to avenues of self-expression he had not encountered before. In the late 90’s, house music caught the ears of Tomahawk Bang and members of his famed dance collective “Sour Patch Crew.” House music opened the door for a new type of expression in movement. After years of chasing the best house music experiences within and outside the United States, attending events as a dancer was no longer enough. By 2010 Tomahawk Bang was working on the turntables, conceiving a sound all his own.
Although his heart lies with DJing, Tomahawk Bang values music production as a vital parallel to his DJ career. As a DJ, Tomahawk Bang delves deep into the grimy cellars of underground Detroit Techno, Deep House, and Dub Tech, integrating world sounds, indigenous instruments, vintage audio samples, and all that is sonically intricate. A DJ set by Tomahawk Bang is a voyage to far off places, a one-way ticket to all the “strange” that the universe has to offer. As a producer, Tomahawk Bang gravitates towards complex instrumentals and experimental soundscapes. With over fifteen years of experience as a dancer, he creates music with the goal of movement in mind. Each song embodies a narrative, tracing his bloodlines back to the sacred days of the natural world. His music is the intersect point between our digital future, and his ancestral past.
In 2014, Tomahawk Bang released his first single “Spirit in the Water” to the bay area’s Catch the Ghost records. Closely behind were two more single releases with CTG: “Dark Emergence” and “False Pretenses,” records that exemplified Tomahawk’s momentum and growth as an electronic artist. His first EP “Spirit in the Mountain” released to Paris electronic music label BeatXChangers on May 4, 2015 and caught a wave of attention from the house music community. Amidst his accomplishments and personal aspirations in music are his plans to wholly represent the Native American community, using the “Himdag” he has cultivated to inspire the next generation of indigenous peoples to follow their passions, and express their creative talents on a larger scale.”
LOOTPACK
LAURYN HILL – THE FUGEES
ELLA FITZGERALD
DEADMAU5
ANNE TERESA DE KEERSMAEKER
ERYKAH BADU
FRANK OCEAN
DE LA SOUL
SOULSHIFTERS CREW – SOUR PATCH – CIRCLE OF FIRE
“A Soulshifter is an individual that creates because of the spiritual fulfillment of being creative.”
“Sour Patch… Movement through Music…”
“Est. 1997 | Circle of Fire is Family of Like-Minded Artist that used Dance/Movement as a Platform to Express themselves without Limits.”
CATCH THE GHOST RECORDS
“The name “Catch the Ghost” refers to the intimate and rare moment when a dancer escapes their consciousness and transcends what we perceive as reality. Its the ultimate moment of creative output; like a euphoric high you are always chasing. Always looking to get back to it; you need to Catch The Ghost.”
FKA TWIGGS
On Music; “It’s only as provocative as the person listening to it.”
YOU GOT SERVED
EVAR AFTER 