Krumping and its discontents

Audrey Gatewood’s video for JPEGMAFIA’s “1539 N. Calvert” is perfect. Warning on this video for language. The initial self conscious playback framing mirroring the song’s glitching opener is incredibly deft. The whole Last Supper set up. The ecstasy throughout, the literal ecstatic nature pictured, is sublime. And I mean that in a very 19th century way. So this is a song about an arts/community space called the Bell in Baltimore. Trying to capture place and time.

Then there is this adaptation of “Les Indes Galantes” by Clément Cogitore. Here is a NYT article for background on this Enlightenment opera, this current production, and the various problems of colonialist representation. I love me a good salvage operation.