I'm sure that the 80's wasn't as cool for you as it was for Jean Michel.
Okay, i'm not sure at all, but it wasn't for me, or my peer group- we turned to records, it was our salvation, music was something we could nerd out on, and not feel like total geeks. it was okay to be able to name every obscure song on Payday Records, or be able rattle of every original member of the seminal art band Gray. Fast forward through haze of 30 plus years of beat culture, with all of its associations, rules, fashion. it still comes back to that 60's notion - THE CUT-UP. The sample, how to get that Nicole Willis vocal sample to be the dirty tape, obscure that James Brown bass line just so -

Saturday, July 12 MOCA will open its doors to Sample Practitioners, and video artists to ask them to improvise around notions 80's excess and 80's duress, and the patterns that are showing up in culture today. we will ask them to provide a visual/audio notebook for us to begin a discussion around THE RETRO BEAT CULTURE. Plus we want to dance too.

Since July is a ways away, we thought it would be interesting to open up our blog, and use it as a jump off point for the performances. So not only will there be links for you to hear music, there will be topics ripe for the comment, and lots of downloadable treats. We also want hip you to some outstanding blogs built around this notion of Beat Culture.

Scheduled Artists include

Delo FI (Cleveland Tapes/ LA)
http://www.myspace.com/delofi

aLIVE (Muamin Collective/Cleveland Tapes)
http://www.myspace.com/alive216

C Randolph C
http://www.myspace.com/ninevolthauntedhouse

C. Randolph C. has found himself included in a variety of projects over the years. He is currently an active member of the electronic duo 9-Volt Haunted House and the dadaist inspired "avant doo-wop" outfit Frass Accolades. Also a founding member of the Kent/Akron area noise/rock ensemble Throne of the Seated Three, this artist has found time for further live collaborations and solo performance.