http://www.yousendit.com/download/WFJXaklxZy9wTVhOUjhUQw

If you aren’t familiar with Mulgrew’s music, I implore you to make yourself so. I would suggest starting with his classic album Hand In Hand.

We love you, Mulgrew!

#BAM

- Nicholas Payton aka The Savior of Archaic Pop

Along with Herbie Hancock, Mulgrew is the Quintessential Pianist. What I mean by that is his repertoire and range of versatility allows him to play in any context with virtually anybody and he possesses the uncanny instinct to know just the right shit to play at any given moment. And even though he had established a level of mastery and developed a distinctive style very early in his career, he never snubbed others and, at a certain point in his journey, was willing to play with just about anyone — free of judgment. I remember years ago at a jam session we were all playing some tunes and this cat from a well-known alternative Black rock band approached the stage to sit in. Most of the guys split the stage posthaste, myself included, because our elitist, jazz attitudes wanted no parts of this dude. So ol’ boy got on the mic and said, “I guess it’s time for a little acapella,” which is to perform without accompaniment. Not so. Mulgrew not only stayed on stage, but proceeded to play with this dude while he did an abstract poem that at one point resolved with him chanting “Love,” while flashing the peace sign, followed by “Hate,” while he flashed half of a peace sign. Though the spoken word performance was highly questionable — behind it — Mulgrew was comping his ass off! He taught us all a big lesson that night about how you can elevate your surroundings through simplicity and sincerity of expression.

He has a full command of his instrument and an even tone and touch from top to bottom on the piano. His span of knowledge of the history of the Black American music aesthetic reaches back as far as the Delta Blues — he’s from Greenwood, Mississippi — to gospel, as he has roots in the church. He also came up playing Soul music, but had a life-changing moment in his youth when he witnessed the brilliance of Oscar Peterson during a television performance.

He then moved from Mississippi to attend Memphis State University where he would make acquaintance with two individuals who would also become highly influential pianists, James Williams and Donald Brown. He was later recommended by another friend from Memphis, reedman Bill Easley, to join the Duke Ellington Orchestra under the direction of his son, Mercer Ellington. From there, he moved to New York where he quickly became a first-call pianist for some of the top names in Black music like Betty Carter, Johnny Griffin, Woody Shaw, Art Blakey and Tony Williams, just to name a few.

For as beloved as he was by musicians, the critical establishment and the recording industry often miss the mark on Grew. He is constantly referred to as being conservative or a traditionalist, which are critical code words for labeling someone as old hat or not being forward thinking. What’s so backwards about that is pretty much all the pianists whom critics tout as being the most modern, site Mulgrew as a top influence. What is deceptive about Grew is that for all the virtuosity he has at his disposal, he isn’t a flashy player. He has the skill and the technique to make very difficult things appear to be a lot easier than what they are. That’s the sign of true genius. Couple that with the fact that he always swings and gets such a beautiful sound out of the piano, his angularity and edginess take on a palatable form and goes over the heads of those looking to be wowed by contrived, hyperbolic displays of narcissism.

He is loved and revered equally by his protégés, peers and predecessors — a remarkable feat of accomplishment to be adorned by a span of multigenerational musicians. Young cats love Mulgrew. Old cats love Mulgrew. Shit, Barry Harris loves Mulgrew and he don’t dig nobody but Bird, Bud and Monk!

But as impressive as Mulgrew is as an artist, he’s just as impressive — if not more — as a man. In all the years I’ve been around Mulgrew, I never once heard him speak an unkind word of anyone. And when you’ve been on the road with a cat for weeks and doing a lot of 4 a.m. departures, you’re bound to say, “Fuck, so-and-so…” about someone at some point. Not Grew — authentically a class act, all the way.

Talk to any young pianist across the world, and they’ll invariably share a Mulgrew story about how gracious he was with his time. I was blessed to have him on my first record. He has been on a lot of cats’ first records. He also played my first weeklong engagement as a leader in New York City at The Village Vanguard. At the time I called him, he was the most in-demand pianist on the scene. He was there for me and so supportive of my vision, even though I had little experience as a leader at that point. He’s obviously played a lot of piano in his life, but I’m proud that one of his most classic recorded solos appears on my debut album.

In this solo on a tried and true American standard song, he beautifully illustrates that soulfulness, intellect and refinement are not mutually exclusive ideals. From the outhouse to the penthouse, it’s all there.

Grew, thank you for all you have given us. The last 30 years of music would not be what they have had it not been for you. Though I am deeply saddened by the loss of your physical presence here on Earth, in the true spirit of the African aesthetic of ancestry, I know we have not lost you at all. We have gained a loved one in another dimension. You are now a part of the ancestral lineage of masters — in whom those who know — seek your guidance into a better future.

Sending love and light to his wife Tanya, his children Darnell and Leilani, and family.

#BAM

- Nicholas Payton

#BAM

Nicholas Payton aka The Creator of #BAM

. . . And mothafuck this laissez-faire attitude that sweeps corruption under the rug.

I recently read a quote from this city’s administration about the long-standing problem with violence in The Big Easy. Well, if some of you don’t recall, we were on the upswing about 15 years ago. The Morial administration lowered NOLA crime rates successfully with Chief Richard Pennington. Don’t think it’s impossible, it’s very fucking possible. Click the pic, if you need proof:

So contrary to what some of our city’s administrators seem to think, a quick turnaround for this city can happen long before 2018. And all of us don’t have to decide to do something about it for the senseless violence to cease. But, what do you expect when you live in a city that trains prisoners to be more skillful criminals inside than they were on the outside? I’ve heard solutions like maybe we need a stronger military presence like we had post-flood of 2005. Really? More guns is the answer? I have a solution that’s simple, safe, and attainable: Let’s clean up the dirty politics and prioritize education and employment.

So what do we do? Pray and leave it in God’s hands? Hope that the faulty system miraculously gets better? Should citizens who’ve done well for themselves go into the communities and counsel at-risk youth? I think the regular folks — no matter how earnest in their attempts — will hit a wall trying to offer encouragement and support on a personal basis. For even if you can change a child’s outlook, they still have to deal with this cold, cruel world. It’s not the caring citizens that created the problem, so I think it’s futile for them to try to resolve it. It’s damn near impossible for the “good” folk of the community to eradicate a construct they haven’t erected. So I suggest you don’t fall prey to feeling guilted into thinking there is something more you can do. Martyrdom is not the answer. Most martyrs reach the same end and the world continues to be a fucked up place. Why sacrifice your peace and sanity for a hopeless cause? That’s not to say don’t help others, but focus your energies in tangible ways that can affect change. Put pressure on the Big Boys to take care of the Big Problems. We must hold our leaders accountable.

What we see every day on the streets of New Orleans is a microcosm of what’s both beautiful and ugly about America. It has been said that New Orleans is the soul of the United States. I find that to be true in many ways —geographically, spiritually, and otherwise. By the mouth of the Delta, we feed this country through our tributaries of tradition and contradiction. The Crescent City is the cradle of birth and death. But because we celebrate life and its passing does not mean we must overindulge in decadence to the point of our demise. As long as we continue to pacify our sins in the roux of the Mighty Mississippi, we will find ourselves gridlocked between the trinity of lust, shame, and abstinence. We say “New Orleans,” but it might as well be called “Old Orleans” because most people who live here are content with repeating the same shit. You can’t be new unless you are willing to do away with old patterns. You can’t realize a better version of yourself until you are fearless enough to shed the dead skin.

Yeah, we celebrate death until it is our time to die so that we may reach our highest potential. To our detriment, we’re killing all the good shit and letting the bad stuff survive. That’s not New Orleans, that’s Old Orleans — afraid to be the best it can be.

I wish I had a better ending to the story, but that depends on you mothafuckas.

#MFCOMN

- Nicholas Payton aka The Savior of Archaic Pop

]]> http://nicholaspayton.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/the-day-those-mothas-ruined-mothers-day-for-new-orleans/feed/ 0 nicholaspayton penningtonmorial31210jpg-0d07b5fd3106e0b9_medium http://nicholaspayton.wordpress.com/2013/05/04/my-two-favorite-quotes-told-to-me-at-jazz-fest-2013/ http://nicholaspayton.wordpress.com/2013/05/04/my-two-favorite-quotes-told-to-me-at-jazz-fest-2013/#comments Sat, 04 May 2013 21:51:57 +0000 nicholaspayton http://nicholaspayton.wordpress.com/?p=4834 ]]> You’re the greatest ever. -Trombone Shorty

Tell God I said, “Thank you.” -“Zigaboo” Modeliste

#BAM

- Nicholas Payton

With all this talk about “Accidental Racism,” I’d like to take a few moments to clear up some obvious, but not so obvious, things. First of all, racism is no accident. It is a well-crafted plan to keep people of color oppressed and White supremacy intact. Racism is not emotionally based. It’s contingent on power to survive. It’s a hierarchal structure in which those at the top maintain control and subjugate all other cultures intellectually, physically, spiritually and economically. At this time, the White race sits at the top of the totem pole. They ultimately call all the shots. Even those of color who are in positions of power must answer to The White Man. Anything else is not racism—maybe prejudiced—but not racism. Racism is not believing you are racially supreme to other races, it is actualizing the state of supremacy over all other races—big difference.

Strangers in the Night

What’s dangerous about the post-race ideology is that it doesn’t serve to destroy racism; it just suppresses it under a mask, or in some cases, a hood. We are entering an era where there’s a contingency of people who wish to obliterate racial distinction altogether— which in theory is a great and noble concept—but in practice, it’s very murky terrain. Whereas the idea of race is a false construct, there is a grave danger in removing the labels of Black, White and others before we’ve figured out what it means to be in said demographic and what that means in relation to one another. We can get rid of labels overnight. What’s not so easy is changing negative thought patterns that we’ve been entrenched in generation upon generation. It’s not that difficult to learn something new, but it’s next to impossible to change bad habits that have been deeply ingrained into our psyche. It requires the type of insight, fortitude, commitment and willpower that most folks don’t have. Not because they lack the capacity for it, but because we’re not typically called upon to use those traits. In fact, critical thinking and spiritual enlightenment are frowned upon in our society. We live in an era in which mediocrity is celebrated and being average is encouraged. We’re conditioned to be not so great as to make others uncomfortable.

We live in a world where zombies are glorified while seekers of truth are vilified.

- Nicholas Payton 4:10:13

There is actually no reason for race to exist outside of marginalizing those in the minority—which is a misnomer. From a world view, those labeled the minority are actually the majority. Words are very powerful and can condition our thoughts and actions. Words formulate the basis of our reality. We live in a very slogan-driven era. We’re quick to latch on to sayings, regardless if they make any sense. Sort of like Nancy Reagan championing “Just Say No” while her husband was busy flooding Black neighborhoods with crack cocaine. As if just saying “No” is the answer to hundreds of years of slavery, deceit and psychological manipulation. We can’t just forget racism and expect it will go away. It’s also dangerous to force growth before proper form and a steady foundation has been established.

Shooby Taylor

So before we cease being Black Americans, we need to figure out what it means to be Black American. White people are already putting the wheels in motion to stop being White. I recently filled out a form where “White” was no longer listed as an option. It was called “Non-Minority,” which is a subtle way of saying majority—which de facto makes everyone else listed for minority.

Phantom racism is dangerous. Some people consider it to be more evolved than other archaic forms of racism (like chattel slavery and lynching)—which is true—but racism is not exactly something I’d like to see evolve. All growth ain’t good. Like a cancer, racism can be deadly. Some individuals, like Brad Paisley and LL Cool J, are in favor of this more passive or “accidental” racism. If I had to choose between the two, I’d say I like my racism overt and uncoded. Don’t get thee behind me Satan, I want you in front of me right where I can see you.

It’s harder to defend yourself against an invisible aggressor. The plainer the enemy, the swifter the defense.

-Nicholas Payton 4:9:13

Scooby-Dooby-Doo, Where Are You?

This new-fangled racism either loves to mingle in the dark where it can’t be detected or hides in plain sight—much like the villains on Scooby Doo. The evil monster was never really some supernatural creature, but always a familiar face under a mask. That’s how racism looks today: It lives in your next door neighbor, your friend, your teacher, your doctor, perhaps someone you trust and would never suspect would support it, but does. Most racists don’t believe themselves to be racist at all. Truth is, no one person is racist. Like religion, racism is a dogmatic system. It requires groupthink to survive as falsity cannot live on its own. Community is required to perpetuate a con. The same mistruths get repeated until folks become indoctrinated beyond recognition.

It’s a privilege to live in a world where God looks like you, the people with the most money look like you, and the most powerful and most educated look like you. All people of color have to develop the dualistic nature of surviving in whatever environment they’re from while being skillful enough to figure out how to navigate within the White world—if they’re to be successful. America is an anglo-normative society. Everyone else is either hyphenated or a caricature of exoticism. On the flip, most White people get extremely uncomfortable—even hostile—when they have to move within the ethnic sector. Well, welcome to the minority!

All of a sudden—after forcing the rest of the world to comply with its aesthetics, we’re supposed to feel sorry for The White Man as he may be losing his position in what’s rapidly becoming a majority Colored nation. I don’t believe the idea should be to try to change or eradicate racism, but rather implement colored consciousness and support. We should seek not to reverse racism, but rather, reverse the effects of racism and instill pride and proper perspectives amongst people of color. I don’t believe we’ll ever eliminate White supremacy, but we can elevate the minority mentality from oppression to opulence.

Now, Let’s See Who You Really Are . . .

Black people should support Black independent thinkers, Black writers, Black music, Black entrepreneurs, and educate themselves, and their children, of African culture (which—contrary to the Western narrative—is the cradle and the foundation of civilization) and Black American history (which is the foundation of American culture). One month out of the year is not good enough.

A holistic approach is the only way to unmask the phantom of oppression.

#BAM

- Nicholas Payton aka The Savior of Archaic Pop

Where’s my banjo and rocking chair? This is going to take a minute…

C.R.E.A.M. Rises To The Top

It’s interesting that LL should pop-up in the media as his hit “’Round The Way Girl” has been on my mind lately as I’ve been diggin’ the original from which it was sampled, Keni Burke’s “Risin’ To The Top.”

“I know we’re doing
Everything that we want to
Meanwhile, are we losing?
Because we won’t let go
And yet we go
Let’s start thinking what we’re doing
Don’t let nothing change your mind
Let’s start heading homeward bound
Get off the ground
Stop losing, yeah losing
Keep risin’ to the top”

Great lyric! What happened to this level of consciousness from Black artists? Why does it seem lately that MCs from the Hiphop world have been so disappointing? From Lil’ Wayne’s disrespectful Emmitt Till reference, to Rick Ross’s condoning rape—now this? Granted on some level, it may not be fair to single out these individuals for the type of glorification of violence and coonery that has become more pervasive than ever in Hiphop—but at a certain point— enough is enough and these cats need to be called out.

Twelve More Prison Bars To Go . . .

When did LL become a social commentator? Judging from the 12-bars he spit in this here song, he should forever steer clear of any political issues in a public forum from now on. For those who don’t know what 12-bars is, a bar is a measure of music that is equal to 4 beats in 4/4 time. Each line below represents a bar.

“Dear Mr. White Man, I wish you understood
What the world is really like when you’re livin’ in the hood
Just because my pants are saggin’ doesn’t mean I’m up to no good
You should try to get to know me, I really wish you would
Now my chains are gold but I’m still misunderstood
I wasn’t there when Sherman’s March turned the south into firewood
I want you to get paid but be a slave I never could
Feel like a new fangled Django, dodgin’ invisible white hoods
So when I see that white cowboy hat, I’m thinkin’ it’s not all good
I guess we’re both guilty of judgin’ the cover not the book
I’d love to buy you a beer, conversate and clear the air
But I see that red flag and I think you wish I wasn’t here”

I find it interesting that his feature is 12-bars, which is exactly the number of bars in the codified version of the Blues.  Worst 12-bar blues ever! I’m going to need to go to 13 bars to drink myself into oblivion so I forget this ever happened. Why, LL, why!?

This could have made a great SNL spoof or a Chappelle’s Show skit, but these dudes are really serious. Hilariously frightening!

His plea for White understanding is problematic on so many levels. In 12-bars, he manages to undermine virtually every thing Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and Medgar Evers died for. In half of a song, he has systemically reduced the Black American community to saggy pants wearin’, gold chain totin’ , du-rag sportin’ revisionists who want nothing more than to put this slavery thing behind us over buying Dear Mr. White Man a beer.

At least let Mr. White Man pick up the tab . . .

And if the above wasn’t enough, the song continues by him engaging in a call-and-response with Paisley to the following:

“If you don’t judge my du-rag, I won’t judge your red flag. If you don’t judge my gold chains, I’ll forget the iron chains. The past is the past, you feel me? Let bygones be bygones. R.I.P., Robert E. Lee, but I’ve gotta thank Abraham Lincoln for freeing me, know what I mean?”

No, LL, I don’t know what you mean at all. So by pandering for White America’s approval of such physical trappings as du-rags and chains, you believe we can overcome racism? And while we’re giving Robert E. Lee shout-outs, why not include Barry Goldwater, J. Edgar Hoover or that freedom-fighting Margaret Thatcher. Wow, wish you were born 40 years earlier so you could have been around spouting this sage advice during the Civil Rights movement. Who knew it was always just this simple?

There should have been “red flags” popping up all over the studio when these two were recording this song, but the fact that neither of them know that the Confederate Flag is not just red, explains in full how it’s possible these guys proceeded to release this ignorance to the masses. Gives a whole new meaning to the term, “color blind.”

From “Bigger and Deffer” to “Dumb and Dumber”

I think LL should hit the road with this brother below. They would make an excellent pair.

The Perils of Jumping The Post-Racial Gun . . .

“Soon, no one’s going to be Black, White or any other race anymore, yet racism will be more pervasive than ever. Then, y’all will get it.”

- Nicholas Payton 3:5:13

This song illustrates the danger in Black America believing the post-racial myth before we figure our exactly what it means to be Black American. Without adopting, embracing, understanding, accepting and injecting an African or Pan-African perspective over the Eurocentric brainwashing we still suffer daily, we have yet begun to shake the shackles of oppression. The gold chains are the new iron chains. The prisons are the new plantations.

The names have changed, but the game remains the same.

- Nicholas Payton 3:8:13

NOLA Dixie Finds A Home In Wisconsin

I made a quiet resolution to myself this year to not spend a whole lot of time trying to convince White America of anything, for several reasons. For one, that’s a conversation White America needs to have with itself. And two, asking for White America to understand, comes off like LL does in this song. I think Black America should invest its energies in elevating itself. Time spent trying to convince a White man who believes he has a right to celebrate the New Dixie is time lost talking to Black community. If you’re trying to add value to the neighborhood, you’ll get quicker results fixing up your home, than trying to convince the guy across the street to fix his while yours is still in a state of disrepair. People respond better to being lead by example than being preached to.

For these reasons, I won’t delve into the doldrums of Brad Paisley’s statements in an effort to dismantle them. You conscious White people, please, talk to your White brethren.

I’m too busy building my own home to be bothered.

#BAM 

- Nicholas Payton aka The Savior of Archaic Pop

This post is for mature audiences only.

I’m not attacking anyone’s beliefs, but I just don’t get it. On this day, they killed a cat whose mission it was that everyone aspired to be their best selves and whose message was love. This cat was sold out by those closest to him—brutalized, humiliated and vilified—and what have we learned? Is this the world he envisioned? If he were here today, he’d be flipping over tables like a mothafucka.

The world is replete with jive people—so in the midst of all the jiveness, shout out to the few mothafuckas in this world who keep it real. Out of 7 billion people on this planet, only 144,00 are true. And if you have to ask or wonder about why I say the world is jive, you’re probably part of what I’m talking about.

 Bullshit might make you full, but it can’t feed your soul.

-Nicholas Payton 3:29:13

Everyone’s so full of it nowadays. It’s ridiculous. Why waste your time bullshitting folks? It requires a lot of effort that could be better spent creating value in your life and in the lives of others. The Word lives in us all. The question is: How true to The Word are we? Society is more concerned with the outward appearance of some shit than genuine spirit. Don’t fall for what appears cool on the outside, but is empty on the inside.

That fake shit don’t last, baby. Only quality survives.

-Nicholas Payton 3:29:2013

What’s so good about a world that sought to destroy someone who was an enlightened spirit? They couldn’t deal with what this cat had to say. His message was too heavy. His delivery was fierce. His words and teachings made the jive bitches uncomfortable with themselves. The mirror of truth is a mothafucka. The mirror of truth is unapologetically clear. So rather than change the ugly shit about themselves, they sought to do away with this cat.

There is a huge difference between a passionately stated fact and an opinion. Know the difference.

-Nicholas Payton 3:28:13

That was a long time ago, but we still live in that jive-ass world. That’s right! It’s jive. It’s easier for us to celebrate the memory of something once it dies than to appreciate it in its glory when it’s right before us. Ain’t that some shit?

What would have made it a “Good” Friday to me is if people actually learned something from all of this. To me, it’s more of a Fuck You Friday . . .

Fuck all the hypocrites who love to extoll virtues they fail to uphold. Fuck all the people who love to scrutinize, criticize and find fault in others, but won’t do the work needed to improve themselves. Fuck all the dicks out there who believe they’re smarter than everyone else but actually serve to do nothing more than make themselves look stupid. Fuck the insecure assholes who always need to make everything about them. Fuck all the backstabbers. Fuck the social-climbing folks with self-serving agendas. Fuck all the mothafuckas too impatient to pay attention. Fuck the people always looking for the easiest way to do things as opposed to the most efficient. Fuck those who make things more difficult than they have to be.

And if you have a problem with all the cursing, fuck you. I’m a grown-ass man and I curse. No one’s making you read this shit.

Thank God it’s Fuck You Friday! #TGIFYF

Oh, and fuck the new Gmail and iTunes.

#BAM

-Nicholas Payton aka The Savior of Archaic Pop

It’s scientifically and metrically perfect in its design. It is 1, 2, 3 and 4—all at the same time—on every beat, in any beat.

It is the genesis of the syncopated quarter note. It can be forward moving and laid back at the same time. Every beat is a universe all on its own.

4/4 swing is the rhythmic equivalent of a free fall.

It is the morse code of modern mortality.

It is the roots, the branches and the leaves.

Swing is elusive. The harder you try to swing, the less you swing.

4/4 swing is the will to wane. Its pulse personifies the determination to let go. A revolving door of opportunity. A conveyer belt to the blues. The benevolent bulldozer. The turnstile of truth.

4/4 swing is a passenger jet that’s never overbooked or oversold.

No matter how many going along for the ride, there’s always room for one more.

#BAM

- Nicholas Payton aka The Savior of Archaic Pop

Most commonly, a nerd is a socially awkward person which may have some single-minded intelligence in one area or another, but doesn’t necessarily display an aptitude for any creative genius. Nerds tend to only be facile—if at all—in areas already discovered, whereas a geek is capable of treading new pathways in unchartered territories.

Because nerds tend to have an abnormal capacity for being repositories of unpopular information, they tend to make great statisticians, critics, accountants or teachers. They are very good with retaining and regurgitating; however, don’t seem to exhibit any talent on their own.

That said, it’s very possible to be a relatively dumb nerd. Nerds are high on information, but rank low intuitively. While intelligence is preeminent in Western thought, it doesn’t often yield excellence in fields where originality is required. Geeks, like nerds, are pushed to the periphery of society but are exceptionally skilled from a more instinctual point of view. This visceral grain in the geek is not to be mistaken for a lack of knowledge; to the contrary, it just speaks to the space from which inspiration flows. The geek’s strength is primarily based on an internal mechanism as opposed to the nerd whose functions are fundamentally factoid based.

Whereas at one point of their lives, geeks and nerds may find themselves to be social outcasts, may see that—as time progresses—they are wildly accepted at another. The difference being that the nerd’s acceptance is based on how popular their field of expertise becomes once their peer group matures, unlike the geek, who is accepted into the fold for their boldly authentic inventiveness—like the Steve Jobses or the Bill Gateses of the world.

Which recalls one of my favorite flicks of the ’80s: Revenge of The Nerds. To me, it would have more aptly been titled, Revenge of The Geeks. Most of these cats possessed natural gifts that gave them insights much deeper than what general perception could possibly comprehend at face value—with the exception of maybe Booger who I don’t recall doing anything but belching, picking his nose and other gross indulgences.

This brings to mind that one scene the so-called nerd “Lewis” turned-out the hot cheerleader in the Moonbounce. She never would have thought that Old Boy could bring it like that. If he were simply a nerd, he would have probably been too nervous or self-conscious to throw down like that, but because he’s actually a geek, he possessed an otherworldly understanding about the nature of how things operate. The geeky mindset is universally applicable where the nerdy insight is specialized.

Geeks are actually more akin to freaks than nerds. That said, don’t sleep on geeks, there’s more than meets the eye; sleep with them.

#BAM

- Nicholas Payton aka The Savior of Archaic Pop