Dublab’s Frosty on Soundmap App Music

DUBLAB co-founder Mark McNeill, a.k.a. Frosty.

Made in L.A. Soundmap is a companion iPhone app to Made in L.A. 2012. Soundmap explores Los Angeles as context for the exhibition through interviews with Made in L.A. artists and curators, providing visitors with insights into art making in Los Angeles today.

Excerpts from audio interviews with Made in L.A. artists and curators are embedded into an L.A. area map, with each excerpt—or segment—relating to a destination on the map. As the app user moves through the city, the audio segments are automatically triggered by the user’s location. In between segments music curated by local collective DUBLAB creates a soundtrack for the journey. DUBLAB co-founder Mark McNeill, a.k.a. Frosty, talks with Soundmap co-creators Elizabeth Cline and Amanda Law about the curatorial process for the DUBLAB playlist.

Amanda & Elizabeth: What kind of mood or vibe were you thinking of when choosing tracks for Soundmap?

Mark: When selecting songs for the Soundmap I had Smokey Robinson’s words in mind, “Music was made for love, cruisin’ is made for love. I love it when we’re cruisin’ together.” I thought it would be nice to create a soundtrack for communal cruising by L.A. art lovers. I love the idea that we can all be virtually connected in a city-wide tour of inspiring landmarks while enjoying music that reflects the wide spectrum vibes of Los Angeles. All of the music I selected for the Soundmap was made by L.A. musicians (for a full list see bottom of this entry). The art presented in Made in L.A. is such a great document of the current visual community, so I thought it would be fitting for the audio companion to be equally representative of the vibrant music community. We are the ultimate car city but let’s not forget to activate the Soundmap while cycling, walking, surfing and gliding.

A&E: Do you have a favorite Soundmap moment to share?

M: My favorite Soundmap moment was the first time I activated it. The Soundmap is an elegantly designed, functional tool that can spark action packed excursions around L.A. I was totally wowed on the first use and rerouted my predetermined path of duty to hit some more hotspots. I ended up seeing a much different side of L.A. than I would have otherwise and it has continued to sway me in new directions.

A&E: What types of responses have you heard from people about Soundmap?

M: I’ve been seeing a lot of people chirping about the Soundmap on Twitter. It seems like folks have really grasped the offer to take a sound tour of L.A. People have also been activating the soundtrack in contexts other than the art/info/tour experience suggested. I’ve heard from folks taking the Soundmap App with them to the beach to just relax and enjoy the tunes. Another person told me they enjoyed a great sounding grocery shopping journey with the Soundmap at their side.

A&E: What do you think is the future of this kind of technology?

M: I hope more art institutions will develop apps to accompany their exhibitions. It creates a rich experience that deepens the impact of a show, and in the case of the Soundmap, serves as a stand-alone tool that provides continued adventures long after the gallery walls have been rehung. I love the fact that this app in particular really motivates people to get out and explore the incredible city we live in.

MUSICIANS ON THE SOUNDMAP PLAYLIST
The Life Force Trio
OJO
Sun Araw
Piano Overlord
Soft Metals
Languis & Fer Chloca
Teebs
Jonwayne
Gaby Hernandez
Blank Blue
Nobody + Mystic Chords of Memory
Build an Ark
SA-RA
Austin Peralta
Carlos Nino & Miguel Atwood-Ferguson
Anenon
Daedelus
Dntel
Co.fee
Carlos y Gaby
Asura
Kutmah
Julia Holter
Adam Rudolph
Hashim B.
TAKE
Golden Hits
DJ Lengua
SFV Acid
Weave
Peaking Lights
Lucky Dragons
Farmer Dave Scher
Suzanne Kraft
Brogan Bentley
Thundercat
GB
Teebs & yuk
Andres Renteria
matthewdavid
Alejandro Cohen
Pharoahs
Adventure Time

Filed under: Behind the Scenes, Soundmap