The inadvertent future

luka

luka

Well-known member
catalog said:
I mean it's just obvious that we would make robots in our own image. Who elses image would we use
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Is it? Assuming you design a robot to fulfil a specific function surely you would expect form to follow that function. In reality robots very rarely look like us. They only look like us if you are designing a robot to look like a human.
 
luka

luka

Well-known member
Think of famous robot r2d2 for instance. Or the sinister robot attack dogs Boston Dynamics spend millions and millions on developing.
 
C

catalog

Well-known member
I've lost my way in that thread. I need to know what third said the other day that kicked it off in Barry's head.

When I say that we are making robots in our image, I'm talking about a very specific thing, where we are trying to evolve ourselves. I'm not talking about car making robots or anything like that. I suppose I am talking about replicants or terminators.

Arthur jafa would say they are black people, that replicant and terminator represent blackness. I mean he's not exactly said that, it's my inference.
 
luka

luka

Well-known member
It's just a short little essay the wire published. Last time I looked I couldn't find it online though.
 
C

catalog

Well-known member
Also, going back to New hip hop and how it's colourful and they've all got face tats and a different version of masculinity, I mean, ok, fine, but its still all about masculinity as well right? Like it's all still bitches, ho's, how many they've fucked etc. It's still all about black male dominance. Right? Or wrong? Even the drake sort of sad stuff is about that. It's still very sexualised, sort of plays into stereotypes still. Or not? Is there a difference in lyrical content? I don't think so, but might be wrong. Drill rappers being short, it's an interesting comment, but it doesn't mean they're not aspiring to be men in a very trad way
 
luka

luka

Well-known member
catalog said:
What's the gist?
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The alien invasion has already happened. The spaceslaveships came over the horizon and abducted the population. The descendants of African slaves live in a real science fiction. Drexciya. It's a good essay. Kodwo drew on it a lot when writing more brilliant than the sun.
 
C

catalog

Well-known member
Yeah that sounds similar to jafa, although no need for the alien bit. It's all earthbound with him. That's what I mean about Afrofuturism being played out. It's useful if it's constructive to a story. But that's now happened. It can't just keep being retold in the same way. Other stories need to be told.

This other thing jafa has said that stuck with me (I'm sure it's been said before). Black people were stripped of everything in the middle passage, were unable to bring anything but the body. Had to remake from what they had, which was just their bodies, their voices. He writes it better than ive done.
 
luka

luka

Well-known member
Yeah that's all there in the Sinker piece too. I think the reason it's not easily available is that he's selling it on rockcritpages
 
luka

luka

Well-known member
catalog said:
It's not the same. It's to do with commonwealth as well, people came with certain expectations. The mismatch is what made it. If there are more African origin people now, it is of no consequence, that is numbers over time. I'm talking about a lot, all at once.

Anyway, forget it, pointless diversion. I disagree with you.

I agree that Jamaica is a special and mysterious case. I think it has something to do with the particular strain of slavery present there and it's geographical location. That's a whole other thing. Like how the fuck did that happen? That small island is responsible for so much. I went to Mexico a few years ago and found out that 'jamaica' (ha mai ika) means hibiscus in Spanish, they make a lilac/purple drink from it. I think that has something to do with it. And Bob Marley's dad was white, right? The religious element and ganja has something to do with it, the fundamental Christianity of rasta. Crazy. I'd love to go to Jamaica.
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And remember that a large part of the reason CCRU was able to enfold jungle within their mythos is that dub and Rastafari and Jamacia was integral to Neuromancer (which in turn was the Holy Scripture of CCRU) "righteous dub mon" This is carried on, slightly more obliquely, within the matrix in which Zion is the name of the last human city on earth.
 
C

catalog

Well-known member
luka said:
Yeah that's all there in the Sinker piece too. I think the reason it's not easily available is that he's selling it on rockcritpages
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I could probably find it but it's better in the retelling and reimagining, no doubt. If I got hold of the actual essay , it would disappoint
 
luka

luka

Well-known member
Well you're young and you've grown up in a world in which their influence is everywhere. So I can see why you might decide actually reading the things is superfluous. It's already in the water.
 
luka

luka

Well-known member
"You can't see me I'm in The Future
Travel in a time machine I'm in The Future"
Wiley.
 
C

catalog

Well-known member
luka said:
Well you're young and you've grown up in a world in which their influence is everywhere. So I can see why you might decide actually reading the things is superfluous. It's already in the water.
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I'm the same age as you I think, I'm 39 next month. But yeah, I suppose that might be considered young, I don't know
 
C

catalog

Well-known member
It's like throbbing gristle. I have to take the word that it was groundbreaking. I go back and listen now, it's dogshit cos it's been in everything already. I've heard it through other, later stuff
 
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