Well, human_folks, it feels like it's been a year in only a few months, doesn't it? We @ Splendid Industries are hardly the gloomy sort, tho, so let's celebrate the weirdness that is our world in 20/20, shall we (not)?!
Now, you might say: "What's to celebrate? This is a terrible time for music & art and the human_creators of these things!" And yeah, completely, you couldn't be more right, it totally is, fuck, like the worst in 80 years, by far...
(Okay, positivity train maybe isn't running on time -- let's try this again!)
We're dealing with all kinds of stuff and it's hard to see thru to better times, sure, especially since everything we all do relies so much on community built via human_connection and the wonderful venues that open their doors to all our crazy schemes & initiatives. But, we are still making movements:
From the Glue Gun Records Isolation Variety-Time Extravaganza bringing us together on YouTube, or Other Families and their cousins gifting us fresh new video entertainments and audio documents (see Animal Party, Astrolope, and Jackson Welchner for more on that), or Toronto Covers Toronto - a nightly live stream on Instagram brought to us by Olivia Claire (of Waxlimbs) hi-liting local solo artists covering their fave TO compatriots, or AudioPollination (hosted by Michael Lynn) and Exit Points (hosted by Michael Palumbo) continuing to encourage artist interaction in an improvised musical context online for all to witness! (...Oh, and who could forget the inevitable plethora of lo-fi hip-hop releases?) So, what does this say about the fibers which constitute the being of Toronto's artscene?
Holding together. It will not be like it was, maybe ever again, but there will be new opportunity for us all, to regenerate what & where we can, to branch out in new directions, finding the spaces between the cracks, reaching for our place to blossom from the ashes of that which stood prior.
Like plants we shall reclaim this earth.
The primary goal of Splendid Industries since inception has been to unite unique & unusual & unconventional artists from the fringes to form new relationships, collaborations, and bridge the gaps between sometimes geographically distant neighbours. (We're looking at you Guelph!) This remains a constant, and our path forevermore.
Sure, it has been a strug-g-g-g-gle to gain a proper footing on such uneven terrain -- as many of you know we had a lotta big ideas and event plans for this year we were just beginning to unveil, many hinging on being able to have people stand in close proximity indoors, coughing without fear of persecution, freely groping about their own faces as they see fit. Of course, all that being dashed, for now, we have been pontificating hard on this (really-really very hard!) to establish a new trajectory.
In the coming weeks/months (when upon small groups are permitted to interact once more), we will be setting out to provide musical acts with free video shoots, offering hands-on help in realizing creative goals, developing new one-on-one promo strategies with artists to expand the reach of their art, and opening up to visual/tech/performing artists for the (re)introduction of practitioners from these disciplines to our very own Dream Kitchen. (Remember "Sights"? It's coming back real soon!) Now, these are only a few teensy things we've got in the works. There's much more we don't fully understand yet, still overturning stones on muddy banks in the fog, but more than ever we welcome the inclusion and encourage the participation of the art body at large (hey! that's you!) in these and other endeavours at a time when paradigms are rapidly shifting.
The platform we have created here in this very webspace is capable of being so much more than it is, but we need you! We need you to join our weird little Community, post stuff to our weird little Forum, ask about the opportunity to become a writer in the Complaints Dept to promo your own art as well as spread any hot tips into weird little worlds of creativity you feel merit a few words....and plz don't forget to tell all your weird little friends!
More than anything else we need you to stay safe, stay strong, use these feelings as the catalyst for future creative works, or leave them far behind and move ahead to new frontiers & the splendid possibilities which await -- whatever works best for you. And another thing! Thx soooo much to all our lovely human_friends who have reached out to us with kind words and kept in touch during this turbulent period in human_history. We only hope you know how much we value your efforts, love you all, and plan to do our best in continuing to offer our support as we head onward this winding road together.
We'll see you again very soon, human_friend.
Sending all the ❤ direct to your device from Toys 'n' everyone else @
Splendid Industries