Fri 27 Jul '12
Lucky Number Seven: Turning Classic Films Into Classic Jams
Two classic films, fourteen producers, one awesome album.
What happens when you take fourteen talented young DJ's and music producers, two of the greatest films of all time and blend them together? If you're anything like the Brooklyn-based record label/artist collective Astro Nautico and Japanese record label Day Tripper, then you get 7 x 7: Astro Nautico x Day Tripper, a collaborative project in which seven US producers made songs inspired by Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and seven Japanese producers made songs inspired by John Sturges' The Magnificent Seven. An ambitious project to be sure, 7 x 7 is an exciting endeavor in transpacific music culture, resulting in a limited-edition cassette being released through Day Tripper, digital releases on both labels' sites and, for those lucky enough to live in New York, an epic record release party tonight at Brooklyn's Cameo Gallery. We caught up with one of the masterminds behind the project, Erik Luebs, better known as Magical Mistakes, to talk about the inspiration behind the collaboration, the challenges of sampling such iconic works and what's next for both groups.
TOKYOPOP: Tell us about the project. What inspired it and how did you get in touch with the Japanese producers?
Erik Luebs: I've been in touch with Bennett Kuhn, [aka Kuhn of Astro Nautico], since last year. I initially threw out the idea for the project this last January and we went from there. I'm currently living in Japan, and these producers are all friends of mine in Osaka.
TP: Why The Magnificent Seven/Seven Samurai? What is it about these films that makes them resonate with audiences worldwide?
EL: It's difficult to talk about cultures without reducing them into simplistic overarching caricatures, and then fantasizing about just how different things must be in these far-off lands.The selection of these films, perhaps the most mainstream centerpieces of our two respective cultural landscapes, is a playful acknowledgement of the exoticization and cultural reduction inherent to our cultures.
Be sure to read our full interview with Erik Luebs, then pick up a copy of 7 x 7: Astro Nautico x Magical Mistakes from Day Tripper Records or Astro Nautico. If you're in NYC, you can also head to their record release party, happening tonight at Brooklyn's Cameo Gallery. |
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