DJ Lynnée Denise on KPFK, Los Angeles

One of the most striking parts of La based director Ava Duvernay's film "Middle of Nowhere," was the soundtrack. I would describe it as humanizing, especially considering the context, a movie about mass incarceration and its impact on Black families.  Imagine my joy when I learned that KPFK radio DJ Morgan Rhodes, a Black woman, was the soundtrack supervisor. Impressed by her selections I reached out to her and shared my podcast. We've been in contact ever since. Upon returning to Los Angeles, my hometown last week for a two month long visit, I was invited to join Morgan Sunday December 1, 2014 for an interview on her show, The Listening Station. Something happens when two DJs enter a conversation about music, magic and scholarship. Together we took a trip through our earliest memories of influential LA music from the 1980s and early 90s.

KDAY, LA's first hip-hop station, Dr. Dre's World Class Wrecking Crew, Egyptian Lover and Uncle Jam's Army came up as we recalled how "freestyle" and "electro funk,"  led us both to the path of  house music. Morgan did an excellent of reminding her listeners that black folks have always played a role in the development of electronic music.  We called the names of UK soul artists Loose Ends, Soul II Soul, Goldie, Roni Size, Brand New Heavies and D'Influence to name some of the pioneers of black electronica. This conversation took us into our shared loved for house music, which we stated, definitely was Black. We shouted out and sent love to Detroit, Chicago and New York City for the dance floor jams they've offered our "Luv Dancing." Catch me on the KPFK 90.7 FM for a live DJ set in the studio with Morgan Rhodes for her weekly show The Listening Station. Big tings a g'wan. Thank you LA.

DJ Morgan Rhodes driving the mothership board live and direct from KPFK Hollywood studios. 

DJ Lynnée Denise, 2015 BiljmAIR Artist in Residence (Amsterdam)

I am pleased to announce my first Artist-in-Residence and thrilled that it will take place in Europe. Each year,  international artists can apply for a period to live and work in the BijlmAIR studio in Amsterdam Southeast. During their residency they create works that somehow reflect on the intercultural area of Amsterdam Southeast. Artists are selected by a committee. On average, five artists stay in the studio each year.

As a BijlmAIR artist-in-residence, I will immerse myself in the Amsterdam’s Southeast community for two months to develop “The Bijlmer 80s.” I will use this time to comb through available archives, survey artists, scholars and cultural producers who witnessed and/or took part in the cultural development of this part of the city between 1980-1989. I will conduct research at various cultural institutions, visit music venues and attend festivals in search of any documentation of the Bijlmer 1980s visual and performing arts culture.

The research will culminate with a daylong conference that features performances and visual artists from the 1980s. The goal is to put the Bijlmer community in conversation with artists who created work as urban development, innovative architecture and popular culture informed the creative landscape of Bijlmer.