VINYL: THE SOUND AND CULTURE OF RECORDS

I was asked and invited by Senior Curator of Art for the Oakland Museum, Rene De Guzman, to be a guest curator for an upcoming exhibit titled Vinyl: The Sound and Culture of Records (April 19th – July 27th). My answer was definitely a yes and so very honored to be involved. For this install, we wanted to briefly tell the story of two DJ brothers, our vinyl collection and to share 33 records and the story behind why I’ve chosen them. I was happy to share my story of my older brother DJ Hideo and I, and the records that had a impact and meaning in our lives. One of our favorite movies growing up was Star Wars and we would love to listen to this record The Story of Star Wars, over and over again, which I included as part of the Curate Crate in this exhibit. The picture used for the display was taken in 1996 while DJing at The Mayan night club in Los Angeles, I don’t remember where this photo came from or whom to give credit to. This exhibit covered many aspects of the community, art and the real vinyl experience. There were stations available for your listening and viewing pleasure. The one I really liked, was the Analog Versus Digital station, there you can hear a side by side recording of I Wanna Hold Your Hand, by The Beatles and hear the difference between both formats. Walter Kitundu’s artwork titled Kuelea Kama Ndege, is a wooden bird that flaps it’s wings when turning the crank of a connected turntable. I had a super time meeting vinyl lovers from all over and many new to this format of music. It was my first time in Oakland and it really was the best of times, to be with family and friends from L.A. =) Thank you to Rene De Guzman of the Oakland Museum, Eric Nakamura of Giant Robot and the beautiful Oakland Museum and staff for this wonderful opportunity. So if your ever in the Oakland area, please visit the OMCA for the Vinyl: The Sound of Culture and Records exhibit that is connected with the Super Awesome: Art and Giant Robot exhibit till July 27th.
Peace!

Explore the social and cultural phenomenon of listening to, collecting, and sharing records in Vinyl: The Sound and Culture of Records. Delve into a uniquely Californian take on this popular medium with experiences ranging from individual and group listening stations to informal talks and live performances. Organized by OMCA Senior Curator of Art René de Guzman, Vinyl opens on April 19, 2014, to coincide with Record Store Day, an annual event that celebrates the unique cultural contributions of independent record retailers worldwide. Vinyl’s dynamic exhibit space, designed in partnership with Matthew Passmore, Founder and Principal at the San Francisco-based art and design collective Rebar, features standalone listening stations with turntables and album art displays, and comfortable, lounge-like, social gathering areas that allow Museum visitors to control their own music experience in the gallery. With opportunities to play albums and participate in music events and performances, Vinyl: The Sound and Culture of Records invites visitors to become a part of the exhibition itself.
(www.museumca.org)

OMCA
1000 Oak Street
Oakland, CA 94607