WWIII by Andrew Blair

on WWIII

‘WWIII’ is a collection of songs I have been working on for several years. Many of these tracks are from the ‘OZZY’ era and didn’t make it onto that project, some of these tracks I wrote while at home the last four months. I’ve wanted to release these songs for a long time, and now has felt like a confusing time to put this out. Though, to quote Phoebe Bridgers, “the subtext of not putting it out is waiting for people to forget about Black Lives Matter or waiting for white people to be able to talk about themselves on the internet again.”

On this project, I talk about the police, I talk about the government, I talk about fear, I talk about corruption, power, I talk about trauma, abuse, addiction. And ego. And love. And sex. And death. And god.

One of my favorite tracks, a song called ‘comet is coming,’ didn’t make the cut. In this song, I sampled an amazing psych jazz band called (you guessed it!) Comet Is Coming - I used their song ‘Start Running.’ I reached out to the band’s management to ask permission to use the sample, and the sample was the foundation of the song I had built. They respectfully declined permission for me to use their track. This interaction was clear cut: I asked, and they said No. So, “my” song didn’t make it onto this ‘WWIII’ project; it’s likely that you will never hear the thing I created, and that’s OK.

Asking permission, defining the lines of appropriation, stealing, inspiration, none of it seems as clear and straightforward as that email interaction. I don’t know if there exists any one governing body for the History of Art and Music™️ to whom I can send an email request asking if “I’m allowed to do this.” I guess I am learning that this a complex issue, as are the greater issues we as a country are confronting, especially concerning, race, class, gender, privilege.

I made these songs without any consideration for what I was stealing. So, in finishing up this EP, I’ve started to reflect on some of these questions: As a musician, what do I have the “right” to be inspired by, influenced by? What do I have the right to take, to repurpose, to blatantly steal? How comfortable am I with playing characters, pretending to be someone else? How comfortable am I lying, fOr ThE sAkE oF aRt? Why do I change my voice when I sing or when I rap? What are the origins of the affectations I adopt?

The history of music in America (and the world) is riddled with appropriation. The ‘1619’ Podcast episode on the birth of American music is a great reference point. From repurposed songs & melodies by Led Zeppelin and Elvis, to vocal performances by Amy Winehouse - all with origins in the deeply disturbing minstrel shows of the 19th century - black artists have had their work repurposed (aka stolen) by others for centuries. I absolutely do not want to participate in the years of people stealing and then commercializing black music and black art. And yet… I don’t understand who owns what: what is fair use?; what are the lines between ‘inspired by’ and ‘copied from’?; what does the law say I’m allowed to do vs. what is the right thing to do?

The original version of “tiny flex” was four times as long and featured a great drop/hook, that I blatantly copied from Chance the Rapper’s “Fuck You Tahm Bout.” The version you hear on the album now has been modified to not include that hook.

The track “fear” features a poem written by Funkadelic, which is printed on the inside cover of the vinyl case for Maggot Brain. I was struck by this poem, and I wanted to find a way to share it with the world. I am stealing their material. The track “npr: from the underground” is quoted (stolen) directly from A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter M Miller Jr. Isn’t it my privilege that I would appropriate without fear of consequences? And that I would think, “Well if I don’t get caught, or if there aren’t any consequences, then it’s OK”? Isn’t this the same privilege that colonizers have used against Native Americans, all people of color, the LGBTQ community, women, for eons?

Lastly, about the track “waiting,” which did make the cut: the melody came to me in a dream, I recorded the original vocal part while half asleep. When I came back to it days later, I found that 60bpm felt right, and at 60bpm, a stomp-clap vibe seemed to fit too. It occurred to me “I’m basically making a slave chant.” And, reworking the song, I added the gang vocal elements because that also sounded right to me. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, I’ve been reflecting on the deeply systemic racism that this country has known for centuries; and then, personally, how do I participate in that system, contribute to it, even sustain it. My bubble of denial popped, and I realized the truth of the origins of ‘waiting.’ So, I considered not including the track on this project, canning it, and not sharing it, out of fear of appropriation, disrespect, ignorance. Honestly, I just want to respectfully honor the music and artists that inspired me, that changed me, that kept me alive.

Black Lives Matter.

drums and Ableton

grew up in a swamp, ended up in the desert

go red sox

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