Sat, 30 Apr 2011 / Post a comment
Sometimes, most of the times, reading an article and remaining in silence isn’t enough in front the tragedys that hit the world. these are the moments in which each of us has to wake up, react and understand that even though we can build the most powerful shuttle in history, it is nature that determines our fate; we can build ourselves an enormous castle of useless convictions, of indifference and superficiality, and remain pent in there, warm, until Something continues to assist us… that’s what we do most of the times. This instead is the turn: now we can, now we have to try to foresee, to study and to improve as a unite World!
We all know about the tragedies that hit and keeps ravaging Japan. There are many who have already set in motion, and we’ve already mentioned some initiatives. One of these is “Red Dot Relief”. The Visionquest, the Crosstown Rebels and the Tuning Spork Efforts Team are working hard to try to do something great. They remind us which are the reasons why music exists: the cohesion, the collectivity, the desire to communicate something, desire to scream, and finally, the action.They remind us the actual and real meaning of music: life! This time we won’t just be having the usual ten minutes of silence. So let’s get up, get informed, and prove that in this world, we still care about humanity!
“Working Together We Can Change the World!”
Beyond Visionquest, Crosstown Rebels and the Tuning Spork Efforts Team, which constitutes the mind of this project, others are already joining you, and we hope that many will follow them. How was the project born? Who came up with the idea? What is linking Visionquest, the Crosstown Rebels and the Sunning Spork Efforts team, the link that allowed you to create this project?
Well, we are all friends for a long time, we met around the world. Damian is working on similar things with Crosstown for some years. He always moves in a particular way: instead of organizing parties to raise money, he prefers to make donations when he can. In recent years I organized lots of offers that unite us, rather than refer to the individual. So I would define what we are doing like a synergistic action that joins the whole electronics world. When we started, we already knew what we had to do. I already had the basics for such a thing ‘couse I work in this area for years. Let’s say I offered assistance to the project. Then everyone is moving in a different way: for example, Seth tries to exploit his popularity. But the thing that binds us together is the goal of making people understand that everyone has at least one aspect that can be exploited in a better way, and not to do this would be a crime. If you don’t maximize your potential, it means you do not deserve to have this potential. And this is what the other artists and I are trying to spread: maximizing the potential! Each of us can do something and we must do it together. The power of each of us resides in thinking, and what we have to do together is connecting our ideas for a larger purpose.
On the website http://www.reddotrelief.org/ you’ve already explained perfectly how you are moving and what we can do to help you. But would you still sum up what you are doing and what can we do?
Talking about what we are doing in Japan, we are organizing offers that we can then join up with Peace Boat, that is a great no-profit organization based in Japan and that works on principles such as cultural respect, peace, the ideal of a better world and a better “communication” with the nature. It’s important to stress that this all is independent of government, no one gains, no one is paid for this. We do not do it for these reasons, but because it is much better than watching TV or wasting time doing unnecessary things! We are trying to use in a better way what we have, the social networks for example. Only few people have really used social networks for something really useful. For example MySpace has been used only to promote themselves, Facebook is used primarily to pick up with girls, to view photos, trying to find true love and craps like that. We want to give people the opportunity to use these resources appropriately and not just superficially … I believe that we are very fortunate to have resources like that. I remember when I made my first offer in 2004: there was no Facebook or MySpace, and it was very difficult to be able to get in touch with the right people, it took a long time to start a good project. Now it’s great to see how it is easier to try to focus people’s attention on things that really deserve attention.
But what can ordinary people do? People that are not DJs or club owners?
The first thing you can do, one of the most important things you can do, is to talk about it! Make this tragedy not only something you heard on TV, but something that is and will be part of our lives … It is something that belongs to us and that affects us! So when you go out for a beer, to smoke, to take a walk … whatever you do, remember this: the most important thing you can do is talk and think about what is happening in the world; it is more important than talking about themselves, about the coolest girl of the neighborhood or about the latest fashion. The discussions, thought are essential! This is because ideas are vibrations and vibrations are frequencies, so when you have an idea, an opinion and you talk about it, leave it automatically in the world. This is something that too often people do not realize: to do not give enough importance to reasoning, to the power of reason!
So when you ask me what is the best thing you can do, we can do, is to speak, is to become part of what is happening. We are better, we have the potential to be better. Instead we allow ourselves to be caged by all the trivial things that pass in front of us… We lock up, alone, in a black hole, in utter emptiness. And what happens? Nothing! You’re stuck, you’re finished!
We started talking about things that matter, one of these things is to organize useful things, is to work on our creativity; and what is creativity? Ideas are creativity, the ideas that we all have in our heads. For example, if you have an idea and you want to make a movie that does not mean you are a movie maker … But you wanna make a movie, express yourself through your movie. Just when you have the opportunity to know right people you will be able to become a film maker. Human consciousness works in the same way: we must work together to bring it to the next level! Only after doing this we can start to build something new, because right now, we are lost. This is the most important thing you can do!
Another thing you can do is just to give a part of what you have and use your influence to convince others to donate money for a good cause. We all have friends who have more money than they need it (laughs). Convince them with reason! In this way you’re gonna help who needs and also your friend, you will help him to evolve as a human being. Moreover, the giving, sharing is contagious and when you start, you no longer want to quit, because you learn to differentiate between bullshits and things that really matter. All things that they try to sell you, all ways of living that they inject in your head, trends… They don’t matter! What matters is to be human, and connect with others … You have just to be! Like the Zen philosophy says: “Be the stone”… Be everything! The obstacle is the fear of changing. I met many people in my life who immediately began talking about new bags, new jeans, wondering if I had ever heard this band or that, wondering where I’ve been … OK, great … but we must also be able to change the subject and people are afraid to do this! If you can not change the subject, honestly to me, you and your stupid bag can also disappear… We’re not talking about these stupid things, but about the world, about ourselves and our future. For these reasons I think it’s important to talk about these stuff, because talking about the ideas, makes the ideas running around the world. Seth, Damian, Isis, Resident Advisor, Dj mag, Redbull, Timeout, Soundwall, and I are working, but it is not enough. We must be more and we need to remember this moment, because there will be another tragedy sooner or later, we all know it, it is inevitable, it’s the nature and we can’t stop nature; but we should not focus only on this, there are many things that are devastating our world and those of a natural are fewer in number. So let’s talk and do something really useful to save the world!
Some of you already moved to use the music with social purposes. But only with this latest tragedy there was a global mobilization that, for the first time, also shakes strongly the whole electronic music world. Why? What has changed and is changing in your opinion?
First of all there’s no money in the world of music anymore. There is a difficult situation: the clubs are half empty, the promoters are losing money, all those who organize parties take financial risks … All this inevitably leads people to unite to work together. For example, I have my crew, my label and I need it, not for money but for the partnership itself. It’s great to combine the strengths of individuals and this is lacking today, and a bit all are realizing, that is why we are combining into something global.
Secondly, I think all the electronics industry (clubbers, club owners, DJs…) is realizing that Japan has done much to all of us in this field. Many people are finally beginning to understand it: this is a true feeling, and people listen to their feelings.
Can you tell us something about your deep relationship with Japan, its influence in the past, present and future of electronic music? Tell us what we could go to miss with a similar tragedy.
During my life I spent time in Japan and I’ve been in all the places that were hit. Some time ago, for example, I’ve been in Fukushima. I’ve always had a very intense relationship with Japan and there I lived experiences very strong… I have a very close relationship with that country. We all have been attracted by Japan, by its technology, by the absurd things that happen and things like that. I think for these reasons the entire electronic world has been so appalled by what happened. We must also remember that in addition to music technology, Japan has always been ahead in all areas of technology: infrastructure, communications… Precisely for this reason we are all so upset, because for us Japan is the future! We do not feel safe anymore… We think “Now there are people who can not buy food! People who have money to do it but they can not buy food.” Now do you understand why money is not everything? At this point we all should realize that money does not matter!
We are selfish, we just appearance. Think of Haiti. At the time of the tragedy we all had our minds there. Now I’m sure you still have them in your mind and then you worry about, but who else? The people now do not care anymore, how is it possible you do not care? You must be an idiot!
How long will this project go on? Did you establish an end date?
There are lots of legal complications, unfortunately. We have to follow rules that do not depend on us. What we are doing will not be a quick thing, because now there is a “first aid” phase and then there will be the reconstruction phase. But about an end date… No, we have not an end-date. Damian, Isis, the others and me hope to continue as long as is needed.
If the project will be well received by the community, would you extend his duration, maybe making it permanent? In this way you should be able to be present wherever is needed.
Sure! We have already thought of and we are already putting into practice the idea: we start with Japan, but the project will remain active even after, to help, with you, the world.
Besides the the situation in Japan there are many realities that should be help, as some of you are trying to do.In your opinion What should everyone do to understand that we are not alone, that we are many people in this world and we must help us lead this world in a better way?
I have already explained the point a few questions ago, but I repeat: we must understand that we need to help ourselves, we need to understand that we are not alone on this planet. Think about all the things that surround us. Watch this ( he takes his cell phone). When you use this object, you don’t know what the object really is. Watch this well, ask yourself what’s inside? What makes it work? Where does the minerals came from? We only know that it is made in China and has been designed by Apple. But where does it go when I’m done with it? These are questions we should be asking for everything. For example, do you know what is one of the key components of a mobile phone? It’s the Coltan (columbite-tantalite), and it is mined in Congo by real slaves. Obviously I’m not saying we should not buy phones, I’m saying it’s absurd to buy everytime the latest mobile phones! You are taking part in a war, and in the death of people that you never met. We must weigh all of our actions, be aware of what we’re doing.
Thank you so much, we hope this project will continue in the better way! Soundwall.it completely supports you!
Thank you, really! I think we said all… Those who will want to face reality will find it above! Let me just say I am very, very, very, very, very proud of you all, all those who are putting their energy and hearts in this project! This can be a great moment for our future! We must work together!
Before leaving us, Jay left us a call for participation!
