EDITOR’S LETTER
In this issue of Muve Magazine we sit down with TOUCH GROOV, Blake O’s most recent endeavor into creative music expression, to discuss the evolution of his twenty year career in the music industry. We then connect with U.S. Senate Candidate, N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas to discover her aspirations for fellow Oklahomans if she attains the Senate seat. Followed up with Jrod’s candid interview with long-time friends, Hinder. He catches up with the band to discuss touring, family, and their new releases. Uncovering the motivations that drive individuals to persist without cessation in the face of daunting challenges is a prime ingredient in our approach to story telling. To inspire, elevate and unite is the hallmark of our calling card. “The point in history at which we stand is full of promise and danger. The world will either move forward toward unity and widely shared prosperity or it will move apart.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt As Always. Read. Enjoy. Share. Andre’ LaMont
MUVEMAG.COM EDITOR: ANDRE’ LAMONT PUBLISHER: MUVE MEDIA WRITERS: JEFF “JROD” BLACKBURN ANDRE’ LAMONT IMAGE CONTRIBUTIONS: JROD BLAKE O N’KIYLA JASMINE THOMAS PAAGE FRANK
Muve Magazine is published by Muve Media. All material copyright (c). All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of Muve Mag. While every effort is made to ensure the information in this magazine is correct, changes can occur which affect the accuracy of copy, for which Muve Media LLC holds no responsibility. The opinions of the contributors do not necessarily bear a relation to those of Muve Mag or its staff and we disclaim liability for those
CONTENTS/////
CULTURE | N’KIYLA JASMINE THOMAS
MUSIC | TOUCH GROOV
EVENTS | HINDER
6
16
30
PEOPLE OVER PROFIT W/ N'KIYLA JASMINE THOMAS
Oklahoma’s Democratic U.S. Senate nominee connects her nursing experience to a campaign focused on health care, working families, and a greater voice in government. INTERVIEW/WORDS: ANDRE’ LAMONT
CULTURE
N
’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas remem-
bers a man from her work as a community health nurse. He was struggling to breathe. His legs were swollen. He did not have a bed, she recalls, and he felt unable to get the attention he needed from a busy physician. Thomas offered to accompany him to his appointment. The work that followed extended beyond the exam room. She helped him obtain a hospital bed, then connected with his landlord to help secure air conditioning for his home. She made a friend in the process, she says, eventually he was able to get back to the things that brought joy to his life, like riding his motorcycle. In an interview with Muve Magazine, Thomas returns to that experience when asked what prepared her for public office. Ultimately, it is a story about someone whose needs crossed the boundaries between medical care and housing, and about the practical work of helping him navigate both. She now wants to bring that approach to Washington.
Thomas defeated Jim Priest in Oklaho-
“We need regular people to run for of-
ma’s Aug. 25 Democratic primary run-
fice,” she says.
off for U.S. Senate, securing her party’s nomination ahead of the Nov. 3 gen-
For Thomas, that argument begins with
eral election. Her campaign ask voters
her own circumstances. She describes
to consider her career in nursing and
herself as a working-class nurse and
community advocacy as preparation
a military spouse. She challenges the
for representing them at the federal
assumption that a candidate must be-
level.
gin in a smaller office before seeking a
federal one. Her frustration, she says, is with representation that has left working people feeling overlooked. In light of that, while on the campaign trail she has built strong relationships with people from diverse backgrounds. She intends to translate their concerns into actionable legislation. BANKING ON HEALTH Health care is central to that agenda. Thomas supports Medicare for All and declares that she wants stronger support for rural hospitals. In order to cover the financial requirements needed to stabilize rural community’s health care infrastructure, she calls for tax increases for billionaires and corporations. The money accrued from those increases will be used to also fund Medicaid and Medicare. Her concern is the distance between needing care and receiving it and whether someone can reach a hospital, obtain medication or find an advocate that is willing to listen. With rural hospitals funding in limbo the communities in close proximity may find themselves
CULTURE without adequate medical care nearby. She makes a similar connection between education and household needs. With a desire to connect educators with classroom and administrative experience to federal education leadership, she believes this may remedy some of the shortcomings that are plaguing our education system. Thomas also favors farm-to-school meals, linking children’s access to healthy food with support of Oklahoma farmers and ranchers. NO NEED FOR LABELS Thomas is careful when it comes to accepting a political label. Some may consider her a democratic socialist, however she states that she agrees with some of the positions associated with the Democratic Socialist of America and disagrees with others. Here she emphasizes the need for a system that provides fair and equitable treatment for all. She supports military funding, connecting that position to national security and military families. She also says
CULTURE that she opposes defunding police de-
Her civil rights priorities draw on a
partments while calling for culturally
more intimate relationship: the one
competent training and accountability
with her grandmother. Thomas recalls
in how officers interact with Black and
that her grandmother was born into
brown communities.
Jim Crow and lived through desegregation. The possibility of losing hard-
Those distinctions matter to how she
won protections feels personal to her,
presents herself to voters beyond her
tied to a family member who remem-
party. She has noticed that there are
bers living without them. Basic Civil
common concerns from Republicans
Rights have undergone serious roll-
and Independents. That commonality is
backs recently, she intends to address
centered around data centers. Farmers,
this when she arrives in Washington.
ranchers and property owners have raised notable objections to the mono-
She calls for stronger enforcement
lithic developments.
against discrimination in housing, employment and education. She also
As communities take a stand against
wants cultural competence empha-
placement of these centers in their
sized among professionals whose deci-
neighborhoods in the nation, she in-
sions affect access to services, includ-
tends to stand alongside them and de-
ing doctors, teachers and attorneys.
mand a halt on AI development along with the building of AI data centers.
NURTURING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Thomas has a deep respect for tribal
In the up coming elections she places
sovereignty. She calls for the federal
an emphasis on extending participation
government to honor treaties, uphold
to people with felony convictions who
funding commitments and strength-
are eligible to vote. By utilizing online
en its relations with tribal nations. As a
videos alongside community conver-
Chickasaw Native she understands the
sations she intends to help people un-
gravity of this notion and its relevance
derstand their right and see a place for
to current times.
themselves in civic life.
“Your past does not define you or your
well. Listening to someone voice their
future,” she says.
concerns, accompanying that person into difficult conversations all while
The sentiment connects several parts
seeking out practical remedies. The
of her platform. A difficult medical sit-
patient that she advocated for did not
uation, a damaged financial history or
need a politically charged campaign
a criminal conviction should not, in her
message. He needed to be acknowl-
view, permanently determine whether
edged, represented and provided with
someone receives help or has a voice.
efficient care. It often comes down to
Her campaign is tasked with the duty
keeping it super simple. That is what
to show voters how that belief would
she plans to do in Washington. To sim-
become enforceable policy.
ply represent her community, while advocating for their overall concerns and
The foundation of her campaign, points
effectively delivering policy that rein-
back to the work she knows all too
forces that notion.
CULTURE
ON THE MU TOUCH GRO
With a music career spanning over two decades, Blake O deliv INTERVIEW/WORDS: ANDRE’ LAMONT
UVE W/ OOV
vers a new sound with his signature touch.
MUSIC
MUSIC
T
he very night before this interview,
Blake and his longtime collaborator Hamid were up until four in the morning debating whether “BAD GIRL,” a new TOUCH GROOV track, should have a BPM of 116 or 118. This slight change in BPM would go unnoticed by most listeners. To Blake, it could very well make or break the song. The decision is small enough to sound obsessive yet important enough to reveal his entire creative philosophy. “That, to me, is what makes me feel alive,” he says. It’s not the follower count or the applause that matters. It’s the private discovery that a sound works, even if nobody else ever sees or hears the labor behind it. Blake’s intuitive attention to the intricate subtleties of sound design has carried him through nearly two decades of Oklahoma music. From his early hip-hop career, through years of professional DJ work, and into his present role as the architect and frontman of TOUCH GROOV. This latest chapter is not simply a change in genre or performative medium. It is a return to his identity as a musical tastemaker, an identity that once seemed beyond reach while reveling in adulthood.
THE CHRYSALIS
rigorous schedules and the immediate responsibility of caring for a family. For
Blake describes a notable shift in his
quite some time, he felt as though he had
understanding of himself as an artist. The
left his creative self behind, in an earlier
shift began with fatherhood. Becoming a
version of his body. Then, as his children
dad, he says, made creativity feel distant.
grew, that part of him began to return.
His attention naturally moved to safety,
He describes the change as a chrysalis,
MUSIC THE ARTS an old form giving way to something that could not have existed before it. He returned to music with a different approach. The aggressive promotional life of his twenties no longer fit. “I kind of just want to do what I want to do now,” he says. The freedom in that sentence was rightfully earned. He learned how tempo affects a crowd and how emotion moves through a space by reading rooms as a DJ in clubs, at private events, during basketball games and across the local entertainment circuit. It also created the stability that now allows him to experiment without asking every song to pay an immediate bill. The result of this is TOUCH GROOV. Blake insists that they are not a conventional band yet an ensemble built to remain flexible without limitations. A GROUP WITHOUT WALLS The group’s name came from Blake’s long-standing fascination with compact, two-word identities and with artists capable of building entire worlds from a few syllables. More important than the name, however is the structure behind it. Blake structured TOUCH GROOV around an evolving configuration. It
MUSIC involves a creative framework in which members can work together, step forward individually, bring in guests and reshape a track without the entire project collapsing when one person is absent. His model resembles the producer-led partnerships that helped connect Timbaland with artists such as Missy Elliott, Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake. These are examples of distinct voices meeting inside a recognizable creative language. The roots of that idea reach back years. Blake and Hamid began experimenting with TOUCH GROOV long before the present
ensemble
took
shape.
The
project went quiet as life changed, then re-emerged through an unexpectedly ordinary ritual, Wednesday-night karaoke at Blake’s residence. Blake heard Juliet and Carena sing for the first time at that Wednesday-night event. The weekly sessions spawned into studio recording nights. The sessions were improvised, conducted without controlled parameters so that the group could discover, tinker and hone their sound. Stephanie entered the groups orbit a bit later, bringing with her a distinct voice alongside a willingness to explore
MUSIC into uncharted territory. “Good people with good skills make good songs,” says Blake in reference to the members of TOUCH GROOV. Juliet states that, “Music is the connective tissue between us all. We all bring different
skillsets
and
approaches.”
Blake and Hamid are a team on mixing and mastering. The vocalist, Stephanie, Juliet and Carena, move between lead lines, harmonies and improvised textures. Often Carena, arrives with a concept and lyrics already mapped out. This is a contrasting method that works well for the group. Blake says, “to me, their voices are extraordinary examples of what a human voice can sound like when you push it to the limit. A beautiful high voice in the background and a midrange lead can melt together like cosmic entities.” WHEN A BEAT BECOMES A SONG Blake
and
Hamid
speak
about
arrangement as if it were architecture, screenwriting and cooking at once. A kick, a snare, a bass line, a guitar and a vocal can exist as five isolated elements.
MUSIC An arrangement is what turns them into
WITH ME” and “BAD GIRL”. Stephanie
a three-minute emotional journey.
describes the pleasure of harmonies, adlibs and inspiration found in the moments
“It is a screenplay of emotionally driven
of controlled spontaneity. “BAD GIRL”
music,” Blake says. Every entrance, pause,
works because its fundamental simplicity
climb and release tells the listener where
creates an alluring mood. The intricacies
to look. Hamid compares the process to
inside of that simplicity; the foreground
the shaping of clay. The first idea does
and background vocals folding into
not have to be perfect; it just has to give
reverbs until separate voices melt into
the imagination something to hold on
an atmosphere of auditory splendor.
to. The group supplies the raw form, and he sculpts it, passes it back, listens
The sound they are pursuing moves
to the response and continues until the
through
moment arrives when the collection of
instrumentation, human vocals, synth
the parts becomes its whole, a song.
textures, dance rhythms and flashes of
electronic
production,
live
funk, jazz, Neo-soul, R&B and hip-hop. Blake knows that moment , too. His ear
Overall the project carries the glow of
is drawn to melody and repetition, the
the 1980’s nostalgia while still pointing
musical phrase that enters the brain and
towards a futuristic dystopian world.
refuses to leave. He admires dance music that can repeat a line until language
The title of the larger body of work,
becomes percussion. Inside TOUCH
Doorway to Dystopia, creates a distinct
GROOV, a voice does not only carry a
and explicit atmosphere. This is where
story. It can function like a synthesizer, a
songs like “GO WITH ME’ and “BAD
drum or a crescendo.
GIRL” expand, breathe and solidify the ensemble’s dystopian approach. The
“Daft Punk can repeat “around the world”
album is a two-volume project that
again and again, and you still crave it.
will feature a litany of future guests
The phrase is no longer only a lyric; it
appearances.
becomes the music.” Says Blake. That approach is especially clear in “GO
“I want it to be a body of work I can set
and forget. Something I can let go out
changing variable.
to pasture and live a nice life.” Says
HUMAN HANDS ON NEW TOOLS
Blake O in reference to the Doorway to Dystopia album.
As the popularity of AI in music production rises, this group has a refined approach
Blake Isn’t searching for a sound
to its use. Stephanie sees AI as a tool for
untouched by history. He does not
testing music theories, guiding a track, or
believe such a thing exists. In fact,
creating harmony, riff and instrumental
his inspiration comes from bands like
ideas before rebuilding them in their own
Daft Punk, The Weeknd, Cannons and
voice and original sound. Blake places
Deadmau5. Which ironically his music
AI inside of a longer history of music
has been compared to. He prides
technology, alongside sampling, drum
its originally from adopting those
machines and Auto-Tune. Each new tool
iconic sounds as a foundation and
has generated its own form of anxiety.
then building on top of it to make it
Each has also expanded the creative
something different. Originality comes
playground for many artists.
from the arrangement and the creators perspective. The combination of musical
The line, for TOUCH GROOV, is not
parts may be familiar; the human being
between
assembling them becomes the ever
is between
technology passive
and
purity.
imitation
It
and
purposeful
creation.
want
for him after years as a familiar figure
the efficiency of new tools without
in Oklahoma entertainment. The honor
surrendering the human choices that
arrived at a point when his relationship
give a song its emotional fingerprint.
with Oklahoma City had matured.
Blake reaches for a characteristically
He once experienced the city as a place
vivid comparison: synthetic color may
to escape. Now he values the depth of
make a piece of candy impossible to
the roots he has built here. Oklahoma
ignore, while someone who values
City offers music and nightlife without
organic
it
demanding that he live permanently
entirely. Music can hold both impulses.
inside the velocity of Los Angeles or
What matters is knowing what has been
Miami. It has become, in his imagery,
added, why it is there and when the song
less like a midweek luxury dinner and
needs a real human contact to keep it
more like a Sunday pot roast: grounded,
from becoming an empty spectacle.
familiar and capable of sustaining a life.
OKLAHOMA, RECONSIDERED
The
ingredients
They
may
reject
acceptance
does
not
erase
the distance he has traveled. Blake Blake recently received 405 Magazine’s
remembers growing up in the town
Best Local Musician recognition. A first
of Newcastle, experiencing financial
MUSIC instability alongside a music career that
members are still dedicated to finding
required exceedingly great amounts
the time to carry songs across the space
of grass roots promotions. A career
between one session to the next.
that was spawned before the advent of social media platforms and the
For Blake, persistence is its own form of
captive audiences that they cater to.
talent.
He recalls long days in studios, radiostation appearances and the pressure
MUSIC AND CINEMA. THE PERFECT
of turning creativity into income. Those
MATCH.
experiences gave him timeless stories, industry survival skills and a deeper
TOUCH
GROOV’s
relationship
with
appreciation for the quieter life that he
filmmaker Mickey Reece has moved the
has now.
project toward one of Blake’s deepest ambitions. The ensemble has two tracks
His sense of responsibility is greatly
featured in Reece’s “Every Heavy Thing”.
tied to his desire to utilize his resources
Blake is grateful for the placement which
to create opportunities for the people
has sharpened a larger dream: scoring a
beside him. Money is not the core
major motion picture.
purpose of the group, but it is part of the infrastructure that supports traveling,
To
Blake
film
is
the
crowning
recording, promoting, video production
convergence of creative disciplines.
and the time needed to keep production
A score allows sound to enter the
going while everyone is tending to their
emotional interior of an image, to reveal
commitments such as work and family.
what a character or a scene cannot say on its own. For an artist who already
TOUCH GROOV’s challenge is not a
thinks of arrangement as screenwriting,
shortage of ideas. It is coordinating adult
the aspiration feels less like a detour and
lives around them. Recording sessions
more like a final destination.
would take place once a week and often lead deep into the night. Career changes
Yet the most intimate audience for
alongside family obligations made that
Blake’s work remains at home.
rhythm harder to maintain. Yet the
His son listens to music from Blake O’s earlier era. His daughter sings TOUCH GROOV songs in the voices of Juliet and Carena as if they belong to stars far beyond the family’s immediate circle. Those moments have changed the meaning of legacy. Yesteryear’s catalog is a reflection of who Blake once was. His body of new music is a testament to his ability to reinvent himself. Together, they are something his children can inherit. “If he thinks it’s cool, then I know it’s cool,” Blake says of his son. That may be the bridge between every version of Blake O: the young artist pushing his name into the world, the DJ learning the emotional mathematics of a room, the father who feared creativity had left him, and the producer debating two beats per minute before dawn. TOUCH GROOV is not an attempt to erase the past. It is the sound of Blake learning how to carry it forward, with enough room for other voices, enough technology to widen the possibilities and enough human feeling to make the machinery breathe.
EVER KNOW
Jrod sits down with one o INTERVIEW/WORDS: JEFF “JROD”
RYBODY WS HINDER
of his long time friends to discuss their up and coming U.S. tour. BLACKBURN
EVENTS
W
riting about friends is a strange
cians who are Cody Hanson, Marshal Dutton, Mike Rodden, Joe “Blow-
assignment. You know them too well
er” Garvey, and Justin Shipley. They
to pretend you’re an outside observer,
will be joining Staind’s Break the Cy-
and you care too much to give them a
cle 25th Anniversary Tour alongside
half-hearted introduction. I’ll be trans-
Seether and Hoobastank. The lineup
parent here, I’m well acquainted with
comes to the BOK Center on Oct. 16th,
the guys from Hinder. I’m proud to
this will bring Hinder back home to
call them friends of mine. As the band
play to a crowd that has known their
makes their way through Oklahoma
music for nearly two decades.
this month, I’ll be listening as both a fan and someone who knows what it
Everybody knows something about,
has taken for them to get there.
has heard music from, or has a firm opinion about Hinder. I get it. You may
WHO IS HINDER?
have heard songs like “Lips of an Angel” , “Better Than Me” , “Get Stoned”
The band is comprised of five musi-
or “Bliss” , but have you listened to
MUSIC FASHION
what they’re doing now?
week with family and friends before it was time to pack up again. “This is the
The band continues to record, tour and
hardest part, seeing family and friends
find its way forward. Their newer mu-
while we’re home and having to pack
sic on Back to Life will give listeners
the equipment, bags and stuff we’ll
another reason to check back in. With
need for the next few months,” Blower
songs such as “Live Without It” , “Bad
told me.
Decision” , and “Bring Me Back to Life” new and old fans are sure to find more
I asked whether saying goodbye gets
than they expected.
any easier. He said there may be tears during those first few days back on the
CONNECTING WITH FRIENDS
road. Calls with their families, kids and friends make the distance a little eas-
I recently had the opportunity to speak
ier. However, it can’t replace being to-
with guitarist Joe “Blower” Garvey,
gether in person.
while the band was home for a short break during their tour. After weeks
That part of touring is easy to miss
on the road, the band had about a
from the audience. We see the lights,
we hear the familiar tunes, and we get
Of course, you are allowed to have a
to spend a night with the band. Yet we
favorite album. I certainly do. Howev-
don’t see what this group of musicians
er, I’d encourage you to meet the band
carry with them while on the road.
where they are today.
They carry the hearts of their loved ones alongside a longing for home.
Rediscover these Oklahoman musicians who have spent years doing the
THEIR JOURNEY CONTINUES
work, playing countless shows, and finding reasons to keep moving for-
I’ve heard people dismiss Hinder or say they liked the band better years ago.
ward.