6/2/2017 12:15 PM

The Mission of Music Gallery and Last Friday’s Event:

The intent of Music Gallery is to provide a powerful musical experience devoid of the distractions of phones, photos, drugs, and who the dj is. We provide a serious sound system, keep the dj from view, and let the music do the rest. We understand the power of release that music offers us, and feel the need to spread that to our people, especially our community here in Detroit. Detroit is often flattened as a getaway destination for out-of-towers and corporations, and this misuse is magnified during festival time. Folks come to town to make their money off of Black-made music in a Black-made city. That’s why during this time, it is especially important for us to create our environment on our terms.

Before we go any further, we want to extend our deep thanks to those who supported the event near and far, the folks at the Talking Dolls space, security, Real Food by Bianca, our bartenders, and everyone who attended Music Gallery. Without you the party could have never been a reality, no matter how short-lived.

We understand that parties get busted all of the time. That is an unfortunate fact of the world we live in. Joy is policed, especially when it is to be had by people of color. However, the level of aggression that the police exhibited at this event makes it hard to ignore, or to accept as the standard. Hosts and attendees of color were threatened with violence and incarceration. Officers openly told attendees that they “wanted to scare” people who they put into police cars and threatened with arrest, for infractions that were punishable by fines at best. It is also notable that most parties being held around the city were either visited by police without consequence, or weren’t policed at all. We don’t find it coincidental that the parties allowed to continue were either festival-affiliated and/or hosted by non-Black people. In a city that capitalizes on the abundant history and presence of Black creativity, it is unsettling how easily the city can cast aside those who have built its legacy to begin with.

But with this we keep pushing on. When music and dancing are policed we know that it is indeed powerful. Joyful noise is a disruption to the day to day, a threat to the powers that be. We take that to mean we’re on the right track. That we’re doing necessary work, having necessary joy. So we’ll keep doing our thing. Thanks for being on this journey with us. And keep your eyes and ears open for the next Music Gallery. Respect.

– The Sound Signature Team

10/26/2016 12:21 PM

Welcome Back to Sound Signature.

I realized yall might have missed the lynchings that havent ceased since the beginning of America’s Free labor program. The graphic blatancy hit me. I reacted like everyone with a pulse did. As expected, the facts are forgotten weeks later, the world kept turning, and theres more of the brutality, and now it dont shock us. Wheres our rage now? We’re numb, plus it takes up too much time, and we might be being taken advantage of in our emotional discontent, plus the new phone comes out soon…. Revolutionary acts require the discontent that those able to comment no longer possess. Gotta go back to work regardless… so we relaunched.

Hope theres something here to inspire you to keep it moving. I cant thank everyone enough for the continued support. Stay vigilant while on your journey, and smirk if you cant quite smile.

11/26/2014 07:03 pm

“To be a negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time”-James Baldwin.

10/17/2014 10:20 pm

Thank you Chicago. I get louder. I smile more. I let my guard down. Yall made me who I am. I will be back soon and more frequent and for longer duration.Thank you for the constant lessons you all reinforce, and the realness. Gotta say Brothers please think. Please read. Protect yourself in more ways than just one. It feels like bullshit even speaking on it since I do not live there now, but I am lucky I made it thru , as many did not, and the ones I find that made it thru were part in our own particular musical movement. I feel some tinge of an outsider, as I should, saying stop the shooting, given how many lives have been destroyed, and how many peaceful black people call the Southside home. I hope that can be sincerely heard by anyone that it can apply to that may need that encouragement, and its bugged out to me, to recognise that at this point this message may not reach them easily at all. They are disconnected from what is their legacy. All I can do is put it out there.

10/3/2014 09:42 pm

which is worse though? dozens of southside chicago youth killing each other daily…since the 80’s..at its peak in recent history…the machine is still grinding youth. our sisters brothers cousins aunts uncles mothers and fathers no longer fit the definition of those terms. The erosion of culture makes the existing remains, the feeling thinking active few, necessarily defensive for survival. puts you on edge so often for so long, you dont know what life is without it. So even when theres no threat , it feels like there is one but you cant see it. the chance to express yourself becomes a key to clarity.

7/28/2014 05:46 pm

a quick message…been a long time. Lp is complete. First leg of the Live tour dates complete. still processing all of it. lessons lessons lessons thank you thank you thank you. to be continued……

5/3/2014 07:29 pm

how is it possible that Kids are being executed in the street for playing their music?

how?

explain it.

how can the man who shot the teen be found not guilty of murder

yet guilty of attempted murder as he only killed one of them

but he shot at all of them

its madness.

how is this possible?

explain it. go ahead. explain it to yourself.

what do you come up with?

im waiting.

waiting for you to view me as a human being

waiting for you to recognise why you feel a slow burn around me

django anyone?

12 years a slave anyone?

same general subject

same dehumanization

same reminder

one more sensitive than the other

one story true they say

spicy or mild flavor

proves one thing

its still ok to profit from slavery

and still pay no reparations to those effected today

because the money made from it is everywhere

but not where we live

nothing distributed for the myriad ways weve been systematically, categorically destroyed

and, conversely nothing to stop a white man from getting a job, a loan, a house

and nothing to stop a white man from killing any black boy he wants

and then go ahead and eat the fact that the first black president is in office

you were a fool if you thought that meant something

I really want the brother to prove me wrong

this is the third killing of this sort in recent memory

but its the same as it ever was

some act as if the same regard that allows one group of people

to do that to another

has faded away

its truly alive and well

and as shockingly devastating that is to those that dont live here

its all we know and worse

so pardon my fire if i cook you with my eyes

underneath my smile

if you ask

‘why you mad bro?’

5/3/2014 01:15 am

…speaking of my dawg Gehrik, he’s doing a House Dance workshop with support from SS during the yearly Detroit music fest in spring- dont sleep!

Basically if you think you can get down, in any style,  you should be there. Check the teaser vid for the up coming Live tour That’s him, along with another bad ass, Jade. More accurate details to follow…