A one night event featuring original artwork from the making of the Album, Dance Like a Speaker, by Abel Okugawa . This will be a multi media exhibition that includes the visual work of Cory Grider, Abe Costanza, Kimberly Mufferi, Miriam Tobias and Abel Okugawa. The mediums will include screen printed goods, painting and collage artwork, photography , video, and soundtrack. Come experience the ingredients of an Album.

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Audio February At The Bridge

During the month of February, The Bridge will host its 2nd Annual month-long program devoted entirely to the celebration of sound. Audio February will showcase a wide range of audio related events including an evening with Julie Shapiro of the Third Coast International Audio Festival, readings with poets James Hoch, Sam Witt and John Casteen and a number of live performances and workshops with local, regional and international talent. Gallery hours will be held as always, Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 3pm, with inter-active installations and a Sound Room of collected works for your listening pleasure. Come join us as we celebrate sound all month long!!

Our intention is to utilize the gallery space in creative ways to foster a sound-loving community. We have scheduled a series of events, including improvised music performances, robotics workshop, radio documentary demos, and sound installations and lectures.

A crucial part of the month is the ongoing Sound Room, an audio installation in the main gallery space over speakers, featuring sound pieces by artists from around the world.

The Sound Room will open during regular gallery hours and at points during events through out the month of February.

For a complete SCHEDULE of events click HERE. Stay tuned for updates.

The Bridge PAI
209 Monticello Road
Charlottesville, VA 22902
TEL (434) 984-5669
email : abel@danclelikeaspeaker.com

Links :
The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative
Cory Grider
Abe Costanza
Kimberly Mufferi
Miriam Tobias
Abel Okugawa

ABEL OKUGAWA
Dance Like A Speaker

Within the accompanying CD booklet of Abel Okugawa’s Dance Like A Speaker, you’ll find a figure walking the streets with a speaker for a head. Are they a physical manifestation of the beats running through the artist’s own mind, dark and cavernous, the subwoofer of the subconscious vibrating with rhythms that hypnotize and cause involuntary head nods? Nestled away in the confines of the Monkeyclaus recording studios of Roseland, Virginia, Okugawa wears the hat of sonic sorcerer, conjuring up spells with healthy doses of dub, hip-hop, and electronic music with cosmic sensibilities. If you are one of the lucky few to get your hands on the limited edition CD, you’re immediately struck by the screen print cover art, both visually appealing and curiously tangible. However, in a contemporary society that places importance on style before substance, perhaps one’s left to wonder if the music within matches the beauty of the packaging. Have no fear: with Okugawa behind the mixing board, you are in good hands.
Right from the album’s opening track, “Subtle,” you’re caught between the sensitive interplay of the rough and the smooth. Waves of harmonic chords wash over the drum programming, assertive in its approach while still open to suggestions. “Need UR Love” seamlessly weaves an audio bed for bedrooms worldwide, the loping percussion falling victim to the seductive soul loops above it. ìPealî is wonderfully ethereal with a simplistic rhythm pattern, leaving room for a bass line from outer space to be sprinkled liberally, but never overpowers the track. Itís obvious that Okugawa knows the sounds in his aural spice rack intimately and is able to create beat dishes that burst with flavor. A handful of musicians provide their own well-placed seasoning, be it the guitar and bass work of Raphael Wintersberger or the immediately comforting tablas of Loren Oppenheimer.
Okugawa’s music is somewhat reminiscent of Tricky’s previous material, but thereís a glaring difference that’s worth mentioning. Rarely will Adrian Thaws leave his production without his distinct Bristol rasp spouting stream of consciousness lyrics. Outside of the dulcet tones of vocalist Rahimah von Briesen (whose singing can be regarded as another instrument within this album’s context), Okugawaís brand of subterranean abstract blues stands on its own beats. Selections such as “Mr. Moba” and “Roses” serve as evidence. When words are needed, nothing is left to chance. Featured artists Regime Change spit plain and bitter truths that act as the perfect accompaniment to Okugawa’s instrumentals. The stark boom bap of “Fo Sho” is accentuated by orchestra swells and disciplined poetic waxing that praises motherhood and shines light on societal injustice. Such bittersweet ruminations continue on “Reparations,” cushioned by inviting musical tones and rhythms inspired by the motherland.
Abel Okugawa has created a work of bold color and infectious melody. To miss Dance Like A Speaker is to miss a life-affirming soundtrack.

by Jason Smith

BY JOHN RUSCHER

Abel Okugawa’s Dance Like a Speaker doesn’t sound like a product of rural Virginia. Although Okugawa is the recording engineer at Nelson County’s Monkeyclaus Recording Studio, his ethereal samples and hip-hop-leaning rhythms seem more appropriate amidst the dizzying bright lights of New York than the rollicking foothills along Route 151.

Thus it makes sense that Okugawa has spent time in the Big Apple, where he learned his way around studios by building them. While there, it seems he struck up other artistic connections; Dance Like a Speaker features artwork by New York artist Cory Grider and guest spots by Bronx rap group Regime Change.

The album’s first track, “Subtle,” points to an important characteristic of Okugawa’s music. While one can describe it as downtempo electronica, a lot is going on underneath the surface. Symphony samples give “Bird” a majestic tone, while background bongos add a more polyrhythmic stride. “Sayit” employs a plodding horn loop, like a New Orleans big band LP skipping ad infinitum at half-speed. In “Luv That UR,” echo-laden distortion and a lounge-y guitar sample from Charlottesville’s own Acoustic Groove Trio create a heady, bedroom rush. By constantly switching up his orchestration and source material, Okugawa gives each tune its own unique texture and steers the album away from monotony.

The album’s most magnetic songs, though, are “Fo Sho” and “Reparations,” where Regime Change joins the mix. Okugawa’s songwriting stands on its own, but it works even better in a hip-hop context. His atmospheric, organic soundtracks provide an intricate and malleable

canvas for the group’s socially conscious rhymes, unlike the blunt, demanding synths and drum machines that dominate today’s pop charts.

“Storm Closing” concludes the album, and suddenly the urban terrain recedes to reveal a refreshing Virginia thunderstorm and strummed ukulele. I am reminded of the last time I visited Monkeyclaus, during an August downpour. Okugawa and founder Peter Agelasto were on the porch, taking a break from an evening recording session as Mad Kong, the studio’s resident feline, brushed by their feet. This final track embodies such a moment, with Okugawa stepping away from the studio and bringing nature into the mix. It’s a terrific conclusion and, I hope, a sign that when Okugawa returns with his next release, he will draw on Blue Ridge in the same way that Dance Like a Speaker reflects the rhythms of the subway and street.

CVILLE Reviews

All lovers of nice Downtempo, Indietronics and Leftfield HipHop inna Anticon.-style watch out as the Roseland-based producer Abel Okugawa recently released his new album “Dance Like A Speaker” via Avon Sound Recordings - a fifteen track longplayer jam-packed with foggy HipHop beats, dense, score’esque atmospheric instrumental tunes and a few vocal joints that’ll be highly appreciated for sure. Crisp production and excellent mastering are understood, nice booklet artwork with special printing techniques comes on top, so this one is recommended to music and art connaisseurs the same.

From : Nitestylez.de

This album is far reaching, ranging from Enchanting Melodic Beats to Future Hip-Hop and will take you on an audio journey through sound-scapes that are both catchy and profoundly interesting to listen to. All the music has that special Abel Okugawa Dub Style and sound that has been compared to the likes of Bjork, Tricky and Lee “Scratch” Perry. This is the most definitive album from Okugawa to date. Get your copy now !

ORDER HERE

Dance Like a Speaker

I have put together a 10 Minute Sampler MP3 of the album Dance Like a Speaker.
Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

Dance Like a Speaker consists of 15 Tracks that I have written in the past year and before. Most are instrumental with a few exceptions featuring Regime Change (Fo Sho , Reparations ), Red Flower Lake (Sayit,Maxsequence,Reparations). This has been an amazing process and has grown along with my life. This is a great album and I am very happy to share it with you.

I am very interested to hear what you think .

Dance Like a Speaker will be available as a Digital Download and Limited Edition CD Package (limited to 200 copies) starting November 15th

Artists you will hear on Dance like a Speaker

Vocals:
- Red Flower Lake

- Regime Change

Guitar:
- Teal Roesso
- Lester Jackson

Ukelele:
- Raphael Wintersberger

Tabla:
- Loren Oppenheimer

Drums:
- Raphael Snably

Produced by Abel Okugawa
Instruments and Equipment :
- Ensoniq ASR10
- Roland V-Synth
- E-MU Mo Phat
- Pro Tools 7.4
- Roland 201 Space Echo
- Ibanez Delay

If you have received this email , you can know that you are a part of the inspiration that created Dance like a Speaker. Thank you all for your support and special thanks to those of you who have already ordered Dance Like a Speaker.

DOWNLOAD THE DANCE LIKE A SPEAKER10 MINUTE SAMPLER HERE

PEACE ABEL

WWW.ABELOKUGAWA.COM

There will be 200 Hand Printed, One-Of-A-Kind, Limited Edition CD Packages, available November 15th. The CD package includes a 12 Page Booklet featuring the original series of artworks by Corry Grider of NYC, and the most precious CD with 15 Tracks of Abel Okugawa’s latest music, all wrapped up in a Hand Screen Printed Cover Sleeve. The Cd is being finished now.

These images are from the Mummus workshop, where the screen printing for my new album release, DANCE LIKE A SPEAKER, is being created.

If you would like to Pre-Order a Limited Edition Cd Package, please do so HERE. You will be mailed a package as soon as they are available (November 15th 2008). Thank you for your support , and enjoy this music !