Tag: Renivere Recording

Out Loud — London Beck Tells Their Truth on “Vengeance Be Mine”

London Beck explores identity, growth, and heartbreak on Vengeance Be Mine. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.

London Beck doesn’t hesitate to share what’s on their mind.

The singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer sings about reclaiming their power and undergoing a personal transformation on Vengeance Be Mine.

“When I started to put together this album, this was a way for me to say … I’ve gotten to a place where if [something] is really bothering me, I’m not going to keep that secret because I’m protecting somebody else,” said Beck about their latest album, which features infectious elements of R&B, soul, house, dance, and hip-hop.

“Someone very close to me said, ‘You’re going to worry yourself to death and then you’re going to pass away. And the things that are happening that are grieving you will continue to happen whether you’re here or not. So why are we going to hold that in and keep that in?’”

Beck followed that advice after recently experiencing an illness, a vocal cord injury, and the death of their grandmother. They channeled those struggles into 17 bold tracks about identity, growth, and heartbreak on Vengeance Be Mine. 

“It was me putting things out on the table. I am a fiery spirit, but if I want to get a message across, I will put it in my music. The people, if they have heard the music, whoever those songs are for, they now know I am no longer keeping secrets,” said Beck, who hails from Ann Arbor and is a past fellow with the Amplify Project, a partnership between Grove Studios and Leon Speakers to support African-American creativity in Washtenaw County.

“I am no longer putting up with anything. I have been through a lot, and I have worked hard to get to where I am—not just as an artist, but as an individual. I don’t intend on going back because I have a good sense of who I am, and I have a good sense of my purpose.”

I recently spoke with Beck about the album and the inspiration behind it.

Continue reading “Out Loud — London Beck Tells Their Truth on “Vengeance Be Mine”” →

The Amplify Project and Spin Inc. Bring the Detroit Electronic Music Conference to Washtenaw Community College on March 2

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Detroit Electronic Music Conference promotional poster detail

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.

After the Detroit Electronic Music Conference was put on hold last year due to a lack of venue, Rod Wallace and Ron “DJ Jungle” Johnson decided to bring the music production and DJ education event to Washtenaw County.

The heads of music nonprofits the Amplify Project and Spin Inc. will co-host the Detroit Electronic Music Conference (or “D Mack”) on March 2 at Washtenaw Community College’s Morris Lawrence Building.

“I first met DJ Jungle, who’s the executive director of Spin Inc., at a meeting with Grove [Studios], and they were looking for some opportunities to partner. Spin Inc. came and participated in our TAP IN event in 2023 and we talked about how we could collaborate,” said Wallace. about the free conference, which takes place March 2 and last occurred at the now-defunct Detroit Institute of Music Education in 2022.

“We had a conversation about his interest in bringing back the ‘D Mack,’ and I said, ‘Well, listen, we have a great partner in WCC … and [we can] tie it in with the arts management coursework that we’re teaching.’”

As part of D Mack’s preparations, the Amplify Project and Spin Inc. have enlisted WCC arts management students to help run the conference since their capstone class is built around event creation, collaboration, and execution.

Continue reading “The Amplify Project and Spin Inc. Bring the Detroit Electronic Music Conference to Washtenaw Community College on March 2” →