Music-video gurus Lumen Eclipse, plus hip-hop news
By DAVID DAY | November 20, 2006
DJ Rugged One |
Boston is home to too few public art spaces, and precious few get any national attention. But Harvard Square’s most prominent example — the video kiosk that greets subway visitors at the T stop — is a glaring exception. The exhibit is curated by LUMEN ECLIPSE, a music-forward video-art group spearheaded by RORY KEOHANE. Each month the group showcases eight video shorts, many of which have music at their center. “We wanted to see if we could bring good work into a more public space,” says Keohane. “Like the middle of the street.”For years, Keohane was the music guru at River Gods, the home-town tavern in Cambridgeport. But his video talents have taken him elsewhere. He directs videos for bands like American Analog Set — bands who don’t mind taking a back seat to the eye candy. “The videos we host are not the usual type of live-performance music video. It’s not ‘Look at me, we’re a band, we’re a band, we’re a band.’ ” As the American Anolog Set video suggests, Keohane isn’t just working locally. “We post all over the Web, and we get a lot of submissions. At least a handful a day.” Most recently, his company accepted a video from Malajube, a Canadian quintet, but Lumen has exhibited video art from acts like Lambchop, Mum, and Antony and the Johnsons. “Music provides a structure and a collaboration that lends itself really well for this type of media. It provides a good counterbalance for the visual creativity.” You can catch Keohane’s video gallery for free every day in Harvard Square, from dusk until 2 am.
Okay, we were unaware that one of the better hip-hop DJs on the East Coast had relocated to Boston, but we’re catching up now. Brooklyn’s DJ RUGGED ONE (a/k/a Greg Fils-Aime) is now repping the Hub, and we couldn’t be more pleased. With DJ battle stats that read like a hitman’s to-do list, Rugged One has landed a residency at Roggies in Cleveland Circle every other Friday — the next one is December 1. Circuits dropped in on him at the Beat Research party, where he threw down some fire, and we couldn’t recommend his sets more. His now-legendary mix CD 6 Great Albums (made with his partner JESSE FELLUSS) was just that, a mix of a select few of hip-hop’s finest CDs, and people still talk about it as one of the best examples of mixtape culture. Fils-Aime is inviting guests to perform at his night as well, getting DJ TOPSHOT to host and opening the mic up. “MCs, poets, get your words on and put your skills to the test,” he says. Get at him on www.myspace.com/djruggedone or www.addictsonline.com.
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