THE MUSIC CLASSIC INFO

Having been involved with the Original Score for the film "Black Dynamite," I've had the chance to sit down with editor/producer/composer Adrian Younge on numerous occasions. With the upcoming release of the film on DVD & Blu-Ray (February 16th), the release of the music-video for "Shot Me In The Heart," live dates (Jan 22nd & 23rd) at the ASCAP Music Cafe at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival & (March 18th) at the SXSW Film & Music Festival in Austin, Texas for the Black Dynamite Sound Orchestra, we decided to take some time out to spotlight the inspirations, decisions, and thought processes behind the making of both the video and song...


V4G: What was your inspiration behind the music-video for "Shot Me In The Heart"?

AY: In the video, we wanted to capture the feeling of "old soul." The movie, “The Five Heartbeats” captured this sentiment very, very well. We were therefore inspired by this movie heavily; we also took alot of inspiration from the book, “Light: On the Southside.” This Numero Group release is an archive of pictures that was taken from 1975 to 1977, at a club in the southside of Chicago. It's a very intensely detailed book, and the music featured within the accompanied compilation is a must have for any funk & soul lovers collection...

V4G: Can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration for the music?

AY: The song is basically a mix of dark soul published by labels such as Stax Records from the late 1960's & 1970's. It combines a mixture of psychedelic rock & soul, meshed together under the superlative vocals of Loren Oden (who played Leon St. James in the film "Black Dynamite, spokesperson for "Anaconda Malt Liquour"). It's definitely one of my favorite tracks from the score, and was concieved after the film's production had concluded, so I was able to give the track (along with a few of the other bonus cuts) my undivided attention...


V4G: Approaching this video in the aspect of a "short film" -- has it lead you to approach song writing & composing in a different manner all together? I.E., while writing, do you think about what would conicide visually with the song if it were to ever become a video in the future?

AY: Well, the music comes first; the music is supposed to survive without a visual, regardless. I always approach a song in terms of it's own story, or journey, if you will. The only time I would approach a song differently is if I am actually scoring the music for a film, to the film. In this scenario, my job would be to enhance the video via the music; in this instance, the song was already completed, and I was basically editing the film to music, and my goal was to enhance the music with video. To enhance the "musical" moments.


V4G: How much forethought went into the overall writing of the song? Did you have the instruments and topic already chosen before recording, or did you just pick up the bass, or have a seat in front of the Rhodes and just "have at it"?

AY: A lot of thought went into this song, as well as a lot of changes at the beginning. (Vinyl4Giants actually has 2 completely different version of this song, one being an instrumental version inspired by the Jackson 5, the other a rougher version of the final cut, with both Adrian Younge & Loren Oden sharing vocal duties...) I was listening to the Stax anthology over and over, and became inspired; I wrote the song on bass & organ. Thereafter, I called Loren Oden into the studio, and we began composing the lyrics. The topic wasn’t chosen until after the music was written; however, we wanted to play with the juxtaposition of lyrics dealing with happiness and love on top of this dark instrumental that had been written.


V4G: Loren Oden (who also played Leon St. James in the film) really embodies a persona while doing the vocals on this track, both on the album and with your live performances. How much weight does that bare on which direction a song will take?

AY: None, actually. Loren can adapt to anything. Any song. Any situation. I can create something outta left field and he will always take it to that "next" level. We really make a good team together because no explanation is needed for either direction. He understands the logistics of “getting into character” which is something he did for every song on the "Black Dynamite" Original Score. Black people had different diction in the 60's & 70's, and he always understands his responsibility in becoming a character from that era.


V4G: Being an instrumentalist, first and foremost, I've heard your backing vocalists voice frustration that you "cover-up" backing keys & textures with instruments before they even have a chance to come into the studio to record. Do you feel that that pigeon-holes them while creating their vocals, or allows more room for them to shine? (No pun intended...)

AY: Well, when I create a song, there is always the question as to whether or not background vocals will be necessary at all. If the song is already full enough, there will be no need; I am a very independant musician... A lot of it has to do with the overall timing and scheduling. The vocalists I chose to work with are very creative, and very intellegent. They know when the cup is already full. They are very cognizant of when a song doesn’t need anything extra.


V4G: Can you tell us a little bit about the director, and why he was chosen for this project?

AY: The Director of "Shot Me In The Heart" is David Wong; he is a very skilled and educated director. My first choice was Scott Sanders (director of Black Dynamite) because we have tons of experience working one another, however, he was in Europe during the shoot, so I called on my equally competent friend, David Wong. We have worked with each other on other film projects, and I knew he would do a good job; he actually exceeded my expectations. He also brought in Mark Austin as Director of Photography, who was essential in establishing the style and look of the film.


V4G: Out of all the tracks off of the Black Dynamite Original Score, why did you choose "Shot Me In The Heart" to showcase as a music video or "short film"?

AY: The video was shot in conjuction with the Converse. And actually, an earlier version of the video exists where there's a bit of a confrontation between the other band members and Loren Oden, all of this cut over the instrumental track "Rafelli Chase." Converse was kind enough to publish an exclusive 45" record of “Rafelli’s Chase” prior to the commencement of the Video. These limited edition records were sent out to Wax Poetics subscribers as a bonus for subscribing (please subscribe to Wax Poetics!). Wax Poetics & Converse developed the notion of creating a video for the 45" record, and I wanted to incorporate “Shot Me In The Heart” into it, so we decided to synthesize the two songs into one. I wanted to incorporate "Shot Me In The Heart" because of the message that was conveyed in the song. I also thought it would be more appealing visually than just hearing "Rafelli’s Chase" over visuals... It's just funny how things worked out in reverse...



This interview was conducted in January of 2010, and since then, the video has recieved critical support by fans across the internet. Adrian Younge, The Black Dynamite Sound Orchestra, the production staff, and the people involved with this production would like to thank everyone for the support that has been recieved since the release of this video. Wax Poetics magazine has been kind enough to feature a photo spread of the making of the video in issue #40, which is in stores now... We now present to you, "Shot Me In The Heart" --

"Shot Me In the Heart" music video, off of the "Black Dynamite" Original Score, available from Wax Poetics...


Adrian Younge & The Black Dynamite Sound Orchestra from the ASCAP Music Cafe 2010 (Sundance Film Festival...


The Wax Poetics "The Midnight Hour" featuring Adrian Younge & The Black Dynamite Sound Orchestra...


And coming soon, Adrian Younge gives insight into the inspiration, and the making of the "Shot Me In The Heart" music video...

Both the film "Black Dynamite," as well as the Original Score by Adrian Younge & the Incedental Music from the soundtrack have inspired so many since their release on Wax Poetics, and here is yet another attempt at bringing true hip-hop back to it's core: heavy drums & samples. Incorporating a mixture of both original lyrics by ProFound, selected sections from Jay-Z's 2003 release "The Black Album," and selected cuts from both Black Dynamite Soundtracks, Arkane's production, mixing, and arranging has made it hard to distinguish whether or not this is how these songs were originally intended to sound. While splitting production duties with Profound (on tracks 1, 4 & 6), Arkane's looping of Adrian Younge's cuts, in a dark, freakish manner, has succeeded in making songs that were enjoyed years ago, that much more enjoyable today, accompanied by a better lyrical flow by Profound then Jay-Z (sorry, but Jay-Z can't flow for shit in my book!! Hate me. It's your choice). Download the 6 track mix-tape here, courtesy of ProFound himself. Below are a few samples of the tracks included. Back soon. Peace!!

ProFound ft. Jay-Z - Moment of Treachery (Prod. by Arkane Beats)


ProFound ft. Jay-Z - Allurgator Shoes(Prod. by ProFound Beatz)

Converse presents "The Midnight Hour" with WAX POETICS, HEINEKEN, BRIDGES, ROOTDOOWN & SOUL SESSIONS, featuing Adrian Younge & the Black Dynamite Sound Orchestra, Kev Brown, Shafiq of Sa-Ra Creative Partners, and special guests to be announced. Let's end the year off right, and as an added bonus, the first 100 people get a limited edition Black Dynamite 45, and a copy of Wax Poetics lastest issue. See you there...

"It’s been a long time coming. In fact, for the past 8 years and 37 issues, we’ve wanted to do a Curtis Mayfield cover. It finally worked out for our unofficial Film/Hustler Issue, in which we take a look at Mayfield’s epic soundtrack recording, Super Fly. New York writer Michael Gonzales pulls from his own 1996 Curtis Mayfield interview as well as tapping Curtis associates, guitarists Craig McMullen and Phil Upchurch and composer/arranger Johnny Pate, to tell the story of the finest blaxploitation score of the 1970s.

Once again, we’ve created a split cover–with Curtis on front both times and the back shared by two classic films: Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing (Radio Raheem in full effect) and Ralph Bakshi’s Coonskin (a Wax Poetics favorite). Besides speaking with both of these groundbreaking filmmakers, we also take a look at the new film Black Dynamite (an official Wax Poetics Records release), and music supervisor David Hollander reveals the fundamental facts of once-mysterious library music.

Last but not least, we finally unveil the Robert Beck aka Iceberg Slim story by longtime contributer Mark McCord (aka Mark Skillz). As the greatest hustler of all time, Beck finally gets his due.

Featured Articles:
Curtis Mayfield
“I don’t see why people are complaining about the subject of these films,” Curtis told Jet magazine in October 1972 in a statement that foreshadows the words of modern-day rappers. “The way you clean up the films is by cleaning up the streets. The music and movies of today are the conditions that exist.”

Spike Lee
What gets me mad about Bamboozled is that the New York Times refused to run the ad with Tommy Davidson and Savion Glover in blackface. The whole thing about the film was to show that there is a history behind this imagery.

Ralph Bakshi
When I was doing Mighty Mouse and The Mighty Heroes, I didn’t like what I was doing. That wasn’t the raw edge of life I grew up with. Bob Dylan was singing, the freedom marches were happening, Miles Davis was blowin’, and the stuff Coltrane was doing was brand new. So doing this stupid, old bullshit wasn’t good enough.

Also Includes:
Re:Discovery Melvin Van Peebles, Manfred Krug, Marvin Gaye, Judgment Night OST & John Carpenter; Roc Raida The Grand Master; Shadows and Phonographs: This sinister role of the turntable in Hollywood classics; Brotherman Blaxploitation soundtrack for a film that wasn't meant to be; Adrian Younge: Black Dynamite composer refuses to cut corners with his authentic old soul; Gangs On Film The South Bronx of 1979 documented in 80 Blocks from Tiffany's; Night Life Photographer Michael Abramson captured the magic of 1970s South Side Chicago; The Rhythm of Film DJ/producer David Holmes approaches soundtrack composition with a less-is-more philosophy; Mood Music European libraries created soulful instrumentals for '70s film and television; The Next Hustle Ex-pimp Robert Beck transformed into writer Iceberg Slim, introducing a new genre for literature, film and music; Comic Truth Animation and indie film pioneer Ralph Bakshi drew attention to race and culture;
Gangster Boogie Curtis Mayfield injected his own cultural commentary into the Super Fly legacy; The Provocateur Director Spike Lee continues to tell personal stories by any means necessary; Playing It Straight Black Dynamite director Scott Sanders crafts high-caliber blaxploitation homage; Analog Out Cybernetics, Louis and Bebe Barron, and the sonic life-forms of Forbidden Planet...

Issue available Friday November 13th

Wax Poetics presents the Midnight Hour, with special guests the Black Dynamite Sound Orchestra, playing a bonus track from the original score available only at WaxPoetics.com - brought to you by Anaconda Malt Liquor.

Coming in at just under 5 minutes in length, you'll gain some rare insight into exactly what it took to create one of the most original soundtrack scores of this decade, courtesy of Adrian Younge, WaxPoetics, and the makers of the film "Black Dynamite." Cheers!!

Come on out and hear what all the thunder is about, this Saturday Night, Oct. 24th in Los Angeles California. Our friends over in Brooklyn @ WaxPoetics will be having the same type of shindig, but only the one in Los Angeles will have Adrian Younge & The Black Dynamite Sound Orchestra in attendance, along with an exclusive live performance of the original score, as well as BLACK DYNAMITE Director Scott Sanders on the ones & twos under his alias, DJ SUKAPUNCH. If you're in the area, pay us a visit...

It's been a long time coming, but the day has finally arrived. Black Dynamite has hit the big screen, and it is a limited release, but he's definately gonna be unloading on your ass with both barrels this weekend. V4G asks that you all hit the theaters hard this weekend to ensure that the film gets a wide re-release on Nov. 6th; that's what we're all hoping for... Plus, the Original Score has hit the digital market with bonus tracks released only to iTunes, Amazon & WaxPoetics exclusively, so pay them a visit as well. If you know me, you know I'm all about the freebies, so that's why I'm lobbying for some exclusive live tracks by the BLACK DYNAMITE SOUND ORCHESTRA, as well as compiling demos, and unofficial/official bootlegs & demos from the score. Check back soon, I'll have some goodies for you. Peace!!

Writer, composer, producer and editor Adrian Younge offers VINYL4GIANTS some rare insight on one of the most anticpated soundtracks of 2009, from one of the most anticipated films of 2009. We sat down with Adrian "AJ" Younge for a few minutes in between rehearsal sets for the Black Dynamite Sound Orchestra's (BDSO) world debut at the Black Dynamite Red Carpet Premeire on October 13th. Here's what he had to say...

V4G: Out of the 15+ tracks that're featured on the "Black Dynamite" soundtrack album, which of those did you find the most tedious to record, or hardest to complete?

AJ: The song Gloria (featuring vocalist Toni Scruggs) was probably the hardest to complete because the overall arrangements were changed multiple times, and the instrumentation was very, very difficult. You'll understand what I mean when you hear the track, it sounds like there's a number of things going on all at the same time. It took a couple of days just to get the cello right; also, the bass was very challenging due to the multiple movements (or soloing) within the song.

V4G: Which one of the tracks is your favorite?

AJ: My favorite song is either "Shot Me In The Heart" or "Chicago Wind." These are two of the last songs composed for the score, and artists generally tend to like the last songs that they compose; it reflects my latest compositional perspectives. My next album will be composed of very dark soul; these two tracks give insight into my future thoughts.


V4G: If readers were to listen to only one track on the album, which one would you recommend?

AJ: "Shot Me In The Heart" is the track that I would mostly recommend. This I because it is a very deep song musically, and vocally... Actually, I will make the claim that this song has the most depth on the entire album. Loren Oden (the vocalist) really took this song to the next level with his voice, and I tried my best to match his level of intensity; the live rendition of this track is really something else entirely. The combination ensues an interesting perspective on dark soul music.

V4G: Being a band leader, and first and foremost a composer & producer, which song do you look forward most to performing live, and why?

AJ: I look forward to playing the bonus track "Tears I Cry When Love Has Died" because I see it as a darker version of "Shot Me In The Heart." I love dark soul with deep emotional ties; and the groove is unimaginable. I will take a dark song over any other type of song any day. I love how the band synthesizes this feeling and plays it with serious emotion and intensity.



V4G: With Curtis Mayfield and the "Superfly" soundtrack being an obvious inspiration for the score, and barometer for the quality of work you sought out to produce, what other artists, soundtracks, and or albums did you listen to for reference?

AJ: Ennio Morricone, Barry White, Isaac Hayes, Willie Hutch, James Brown, and surprisingly enough, The Wu-Tang Clan. Wu-Tang definitely has an influence because they sampled the stuff I've always wanted to create in some form or fashion. The RZA sampled this music like a true musician, and manipulated in a way that took Hip Hop to the next level. My music is literally based on the Hip Hop "break," or "sample." Therefore, I am influenced by the break, and how the Hip-Hop producer incorporates the break.

V4G: If you could pick one person, whether it be singer, or song writer, or producer, living or dead, who would you like to work with?

AJ: Curtis Mayfield...

Vinyl4Giants would like to thank Adrian Younge for taking time out of his schedule to give us a little bit of a glimpse into what it took to make the score, and the thoughts behind its conception. The album is available for digital download through the WAXPOETICS website, as well as iTunes & Amazon on Oct. 13th, and will be in stores on the 20th. Grab it up, folks. You will not be disappointed. Back soon. Peace!!

The Black Dynamite website has put up a music section where you can preview both albums soon to be released from Wax Poetics. Alot of us collectors will notice the Library joints, but stop off and preview the original album work so you can see what I've been on about all these years... And pay close attention to "Cleaning Up The Streets" & "Chicago Wind" which are the two tracks that feature yours truly. Peace!!

Here's the first look at the exclusive 45 from WAX POETICS. The track is titled "Raffelli Chase" and is one of the hottest songs on the album. Now, time for some freebies... Tracks available for free download thus far are: "Shot Me In The Heart" by Adrian Younge, off the forth coming "Black Dynamite Original Soundtrack" from WAXPOETICS.

And "Shot Me In The Heart" Remix track "Can\'t Fight The Feeling" by 9th Wonder, Sean Price & Buck Shot. Download the Freebies, and help spread the word. Back soon. Peace!

This is one of the livest track off the OST, and just remember, I said "one" of the livest; rest assured there's many more. Download it, and share it, and spread the word. Excerpt from: MV REMIX URBAN
Wax Poetics to Release Two New Albums with Black Dynamite Film
Black Dynamite Soundtrack Black Dynamite Score
Black Dynamite (Original Motion Picture Score) – Wax Poetics Records
Release Date: 10/20/09
In just over two weeks, the best Blaxploitation film of 2009 will hit theaters. Black Dynamite is the story of an ex-CIA agent on a mission to avenge his brother’s death, fight smack in the orphanage, and rid the ghetto of adulterated malt liquor. But that’s not all!
Not one but two full albums of Black Dynamite worthy soul will hit stores just days later. The Black Dynamite Motion Picture Soundtrack and Original Motion Picture Score will each be available via music retailers online and off beginning October 20th and on iTunes and Amazon digital beginning October 13th.
The score is composed by Adrian Younge, self-taught musician, film editor, recording engineer, and owner of one of the last fully operational analog studios in Los Angeles. Check out “Shot Me In The Heart” from the Original Motion Picture Score.

LIMITED PRESSING OF 2,000
HAND-NUMBERED
180 GRAM VINYL
INCLUDES 2 LOBBY CARDS & COLOR LINER NOTES INSERT

Multi-instrumentalist Adrian Younge makes his debut on Wax Poetics Records with his original score to the Michael Jai White comedy, Black Dynamite. Inspired by the great blaxploitation soundtracks of the 1970s, Younge commands the Rhodes electric piano, Hammond organ, Hohner Clavinet, harpsichord, synthesizer, vibraphone, guitar, bass, flute, sax, cello, and drums, crafting with a singular vision. Whether it’s the witty vocal of “Jimmy’s Apartment” or the lowdown bass line of “Rafelli Chase,” the entire album is deeply authentic.

Track Listing:
01: Black Dynamite Theme
02: Cleaning Up the Streets
03: Man with the Heat (Superbad)
04: Shine
05: Jimmy’s Dead
06: Shot Me in the Heart
07: Black They Back
08: Gloria (Zodiac Lovers)
09: Anaconda Malt Liquor
10: Jimmy’s Apartment
11: Jimmy’s Dead (Interlude)
12: Chicago Wind
13: Rafelli Chase
14: Jimmy’s Dead (Instrumental)
15: Dynomite (Suckapunch Re-edit)

Pre-Order from WAX-POETICS...