tiananmen square dance //

We had the distinct pleasure recently of dialoguing with Moses Abrego, the man behind the San José solo electronic act 1990. Twitter is truly an amazing communication tool, allowing the most unassuming of bedroom blogs to kick it with the big dogs (or at the very least, people who actually make art). We’re all huge fans of 1990’s sparkling brand of retro downtempo production. After being chewed up and spit out by his most recent full-length The Chassis Collection, we were naturally squealing like a pack of pre-pubescent Japanese schoolgirls when he agreed to answer a few questions that were keeping us up at night. We hope you have as much fun getting to know this intelligent and intrepid young beatmaker as we did, and we urge you to delve into his bite-size portfolio at his Bandcamp page. Almost all of his work is totally free to the masses, but if you find yourself as entranced by his vibes as we all are, please consider grabbing his newest release, the four-track Summer Time Slow Jams Vol. 1, and donating generously. Thanks again, Mose! Without further ado, 1990!

1. What is the story behind the moniker “1990”?

I actually get a lot of references to the year 1990, it actually has nothing to do with the year. About two years ago I started producing/making beats and I was sending ideas back and forth to a young woman friend of mine in San Francisco, I decided to create a myspace music account and upload my ideas and have her dissect them and give me her feedback. During the process of creating the account, myspace asked me for my artist name, I didn’t have one nor did I give it any thought. So I was looking around my apartment for an idea. As I was staring down I saw a bill from verizon wireless, they were charging me for going over my monthly allowance of minutes, and the amount was for $19.90. I got sidetracked and repeated “1990? how the fuck did I go over 1990?” so I was just messing around and typed in 1990 and I remembered a teacher once mentioning that people naturally remember numbers when reading a body of words, that the numbers stick with us because the symbols differ. I liked it, it was short, simple, and easy to remember.

2. I know everyone hates being genre-tagged, but how would you describe your own music?

I actually noticed that I’ve been classified as chillwave on different blogs and websites. I never purposely intended to create chillwave. I always just wanted to make bright electronic music. I always envisaged creating music that would be played in a futuristic dance hall. Bright, electronic, floating. I’ve heard my music be classified everywhere from glo fi to wonky and pretty much everything in between, if someone absolutely made me choose I would probably settle with wonky, but it’s literally never been a priority of mine to classify it. It just never occurred to me.

3. What are your greatest influences (artists, experiences, weather, etc.)?

Artist-wise I have a few major influences and they’re very wide ranging. First and foremost would be Fleetwood Mac, I fell in love with Stevie Nicks’ voice at a very young age. I always loved that gypsy feel to her image and music. The first time I had ever heard beat music was on accident, I heard “Knock Knock” by Mike Slott in the beginning of 09’ and it completely changed my life. Structurally, I always envision a song to be synonymous with the structure of a house. You have a solid foundation, in which you build on, then you add little cute shit like flat screens, and jacuzzi’s and the dynamics change with every room just like the dynamics change in every verse and every chorus, bridge etc. I learned this primarily from the metal band Thrice. They display such a solid understanding of the mechanics of songwriting, and I’ve always admired that. I made it my goal for about a year to study every genre of music, and just meticulously dissect every aspect of what makes it appealing, and every aspect of that genre’s identity. I would spend two weeks studying Japanese traditional, and then the next week I’m listening to Hank Williams Jr. and Patsy Cline. I’ve always hated when people completely shut themselves off to other genre’s. 

4. What is your opinion on the ever-changing structure of independent music?

I was actually just talking about this with a friend the other day. I firmly believe this generation is so truly blessed to have all of the tools and music outlets that we currently have at our disposal. I can find an artist and download their entire collection within minutes, and I can find at least 20 other artists I would like based on my interest on the original band. All of the music blogs and websites working indefatigably and tirelessly to deliver to us the best of underground music is a beautiful and unique thing exclusive to this generation. I think it’s absolutely beautiful. The fact that I’m a 22 year old bedroom producer being mentioned in the same breath as some truly amazing musicians is solely attributed to the hard work of the online warriors preaching and supporting, which is so awesome and would be impossible without the underground online music community, I am beyond thankful.

5. Does making music pay the bills? Is it more of a dedicated hobby?

This is double sided for me. I am an independent artist but at the same time I’m a freelance music producer for hire. I work for rap artists/singers producing popular mainstream music which provides my income and supports my habit of dabbling in glitchy electronic collections which I offer up on my bandcamp. So one supports the other.

6. What do you do for a living, and do you like it?

I’m currently producing music full time. I’m about to begin audio engineering school. I’ve decided if I want to pursue a music career in composing/producing for film, video games, artists etc. I should prob be as well versed in all aspects of the game as possible. I strongly believe preparation and dedicated hard work can trump and bypass all luck. I always have back up plans to back up plans. Everything is about lists and being organized for me. Even when approaching music, I have itineraries and schedules for every clap and synth that gets recorded.

7. What are some other things you enjoy about life besides art?

I actually just recently started playing video games. I had gone all 22 years without playing video games and I wanted to see what all the hype was about. I’m pretty hooked now. I actually have this uncontrollable tendency of losing a lot. I will play x box live and just get destroyed by all these kids from all over, and they’re like half my age. I might not be much now but I’m confident by summers end I will definitely step my game up. Eyes peeled for that release.

8. As a known music fan, what are some of best musical experiences you have had with other people’s music?

I have two moments that stand out the most. The first I remember being very little in a child seat in the back seat of my mothers car and she was playing “Lookout Weekend” by Debbie Deb and that beat just possessed me. The laser sound FX, the big hard hitting kicks, the futuristic synths, the computer robotic voice singing with her. That was where my love for that whole scene began. I absolutely adore high energy/club music from the late 80’s and early 90’s like Debbie Deb, Expose, Stevie B, Shannon, etc. I have to admit that genre is my biggest influence today. I actually sample “Lookout Weekend” by Debbie Deb in every single song I’ve ever released. Whether it’s miniscule or a Main Character it is in every song from my first beat tape (Mixtape Edit Vol. 1) to my most recent (Summer Time Slow Jams Vol. 1) My second most memorable experience would have to be when I was 9, my father took me to a Santana Concert and we were at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA and I remember laying on the grass staring at the sky listening to “Samba Pa ti” which is my favorite song of all time and just letting the music completely take over me.

9. Also, what are some of the most memorable moments for you in your own musical journey?

I’ve been blessed to have worked with some amazingly talented artists from all over the world. I’m always truly honored whenever an artist specifically selects me to produce for them. One moment stands out to me and will always forever. I lived in Phoenix, Arizona for a few years recently and I decided to compete in an iStandard Music Showcase competition for producers. The judging panel was filled with popular artists and label exec’s and after I played my 5 beats, the first judge to speak was Willy Northpole who was recently signed to Ludacris’ label Disturbing the peace. His response to my music was this exactly, “Do y’all want me to be real or do y’all want me to be fake?” of course a heavy response from the crowd requested he be real, in which he continued, “1990 please don’t ever play your beats again in public. I saw the crowd bobbing their heads, and I don’t know how, I couldn’t catch the beat. I feel like you’re surrounded by yes people who are telling you your music is good when it’s really not” I was crushed and I seriously contemplated quitting music, and as I was smoking outside I realized I needed to hear that, because it was fuel for me. I worked harder and harder, and it wasn’t out of spite but it sparked something inside of me in a way. I’m thankful I went through that. I learned a lot that night.

10. Ever have anything particularly weird happen while touring or playing shows? 

I’ve only played a handful of shows but I would have to say that the weirdest thing that ever happened was when I was playing a show in Tempe, Arizona and in the middle of my set someone accidentally activated the sound girl’s microphone and you could hear her conversation she was having on the phone over my music. I think the audience just figured I was trying to be eccentric and that I recorded a phone call and played it. It was actually a very nice ambiance. I might add that in future pieces, or just try to get in touch with her and ask if I can sample her voice or something.

MP3 Download of “Systems”, by 1990 (from The Chassis Collection)

Tiananmen Square Dance has existed for a year! In addition to the recent graphical upgrade, care has been taken to ensure that a new leaf of added quality is being turned over in our monthly mix department. Monthly packages of all of the best finds made in the past month will continue to be released free of charge at the end of every third week in every month. We have succumbed to a new approach to the titling of said mixes, each being prefixed with “II”, the Roman numeral designation for “2”, thereby paying homage to and indicating that this next year’s monthly mixes are all to be part of TSQ’s second year collection of the hottest and newest of phresh hipster beatz. The look of the album artwork will be continuously honed and “gentrified”, for lack of a better word, to better facilitate the quality we hope to convey with our monthly collections of music made available for our faithful listeners and readers. Without further ado, may I present to you this month’s newborn, “Tsq Vol II-1”.

I am a little afraid that I may have been inadvertently raising the bar for coverage and inclusion a little too high for my own good here at the blog. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of chillwave and glo-fi music, but then again, I said that about shoegaze during my college years. Either way, the mixes we’ve been rolling out so far have only featured music that we are truly crazy about. Only the best is allowed for our playlists, but I guess that’s nothing to complain about, right? This newest release features an overall laid back, nostalgic sound that I find very elusive and, of course, alluring. At 21 tracks, I feel like the meat of the mix is toward the middle, as it is heavy on shorter vignette-type tracks this time around. In typical TSQ playlist fashion, it both starts and ends with a bang, courtesy of a track from Bear in Heaven’s upcoming release and a standout jam from Warm Ghost’s most recent full-length. The first third of the mix features a decidedly retro lo-fi theme, with a throwback to the 80’s courtesy of Alan Palomo sideproject VEGA, Rimar’s computerized soul fare, and a standard issue 18 Carat Affair tune. The remainder of “Tsq Vol II-1” vacillates back and forth between IDM/downtempo pleasantries (Ice Cream Social, Tarsier, Teeel), hip experimental pop (1990, Grimes, Hoodcats), and a couple of shoegaze-inspired tracks (A Lull, Violens, Stumbleine). If you’re a regular to the site, you’ll recognize the majority of the entries, but just know that great care was taken to ensure that the overall flow of the mix would be tweaked and piqued to its greatest effect. So do tha right thing, and come for the dark nostalgia of Rimar’s “As Time Moves Into This Home” and 16-bit chopped and screwed leitmotif present in 1990’s “Seers”, and stay for the disturbing haze of the Ryan Hemsworth remix of Grimes’ “Genesis” and the icey crescendo of Warm Ghost’s “I Will Return”. Voilà!

Tsq Vol II-1

1.   BEAR IN HEAVEN  sinful nature

2.   PICTUREPLANE  body mod (teams retouch)

3.   VEGA  kyoto gardens

4.   RIMAR  as time moves into this home

5.   18 CARAT AFFAIR  rhythm method

6.   TARSIER  flicker

7.   ICE CREAM SOCIAL  crystals

8.   1990  seers

9.   A LULL  i’m on fire

10. STARFAWN  infinity focus

11. GRIMES  genesis (ryan hemsworth remix)

12. NIVA  dizzy eyes

13. VIOLENS  totally true

14. STUMBLEINE  polaroid

15. CHOONGUM  chinese mustard

16. TEEEL  wraith

17. SWEETHEART OF KAIRI  approaching farewell (stumbleine remix)

18. KINGT0M  psst

19. SARIN SUNDAY  eyes of the beginning

20. HOODCATS  jeans colliding

21. WARM GHOST  i will return

Download here.

(top photo courtesy of dirtysanchezz, bottom photo courtesy of procaine)

The Behance Network is a creative platform for professional artists and graphics designers, much like a cross between a less pretentious Linkedin and a better Deviantart (anybody else remember that site?). People can show off their best work, hire people to do their best work, or both via this sleek and trendy site. User Pacman23 is from Miami, Florida, and he seems to be one of the lucky few who is making money with his art, which is a beautiful thing to see happen. An illustrator, digital artist, and drawer; the contents of his professional portfolio run the gamut from anime-inspired vector art, to urban-influenced street art, to photo realistic graphite portraits. Truly a multifaceted jack of all trades, Pacman23’s sketchbook dump of these various pages pulled from his mobile pads speaks both to his status as a pop culture maven and his ability to quickly and vibrantly create something out of nothing. Whether you like comics, manga, tagging, or classic “hard” art, Pacman23’s work espouses all styles in a uniquely niche way. Enjoy this brilliant, large collection of raw counterculture art. Am I the only dude who thinks that Mux Mool should commission this guy?

Just some of the better site banners I’ve stumbled across while trawling for the latest and the greatest in the past couple months. All banners are fully clickable and link to the band or artist’s site where the original artwork appears in context. Try to enjoy, despite Tumblr’s shitty alignment tools, or lack thereof.