EPOCH
From the first human-made fire, to the internal combustion engine and beyond, humanity's ability for shared learning has given us powers which would have caused our ancestors to perceive us as gods.
The ways we use technology defines cultures, and carries ideas and feelings into the generations that follow. To explore the possibilities of this interplay between science, technology and creativity throughout human existence, Rawz developed EPOCH - a collaboration between academics and artists crossing an extraordinarily diverse range of fields.
The World's First Hip Hop Time Machine
Emerging from collaboration between a cross-disciplinary team of artists, and researchers working at the cutting edge of Artificial Intelligence, Immunology, and Modernist Studies, this project explores the interplay between science, technology and creativity.
Simultaneously a university research project, an art exhibition, and a conceptual Hip Hop album, the project team created a series of “Epochs”; isolated spaces designed to reflect the overall feel of five specifically defined eras spanning from the 1950s and into the future.
Rawz and his Episode One bandmates created a bespoke soundtrack for the Epochs using technology from each of the eras to create hip hop music - communicating their interpretations of these historic periods through their artistic response.
Each Epoch was populated with technology and stories that defined the zeitgeist of the era with the aim of immersing audience members in the spirit of that age, hoping to provoke an emotional response similar to the feeling of being physically transported through time and space.
The process of creating the music for the project saw Episode One using world-first recording techniques in a fully functional 1950s studio, collaborating with a member of iconic band Parliament Funkadelic, and working with a world leading A.I. Specialist to imagine how the music of the future might be made.
The project was documented by Drop All Words Media. Filmed in 2022, this short documentary centres on the creative process as Episode One compose their album EPOCH.
Watch the full documentary.
1950s Hip Hop
Captured on reel to reel tape at Sugar Ray’s Vintage Recording Studio; one of the world’s only fully functional 1950s recording studios, this session was filmed for a special on popular independent music channel Bopflix.
Episode One used world-first recording techniques to immortalise their interpretation of this pivotal decade in global history. Featuring the first known raps recorded through a 1955 RCA 44-BX Microphone (made famous by Elvis) and synthesised sub-bass picked up by a microphone manufactured in 1938.
Music For The Ages
The EPOCH album by Episode One was the soundtrack to an immersive exhibition spread across five rooms, each themed around specific time periods. The group attempted to capture the zeitgeist of previous eras by using technology and methods of the corresponding age to compose new music.
Listen to the album and find out more about the tracks.
Innovators
Throughout history innovation has been driven by people on the margins of society. Below is a selection of those pioneers.
Artists
Every generation great artists have pushed society's boundaries and "bent" technology to pioneer new forms of cultural expression. Their ideas continue to resonate through the ages and shape the evolution of humanity.
The Exhibition
Between January 10th & 14th 2023, the basement and theatre of The Old Fire Station in central Oxford were transformed into The World's First Hip Hop Time Machine.
Window Galleries
A few weeks after the time machine left January 2023, it rematerialised in Fusion Art's window galleries in Oxford city centre, allowing a new group of time travellers to experience The World's First Hip Hop Time Machine as they went about their day-to-day business.
Ideas Of Futures
This video collage created by Rawz in late 2022 was first shown publicly as part of the EPOCH exhibition. It brings together ideas of the future from various time periods.
Album Art
The first iteration of EPOCH was developed in 2021 & 2022. At that time generative artificial intelligence was little more than a theoretical concept to many. As the EPOCH project progressed, the fringes of the field of A.I. became more widely accessible, and Rawz was able to use an early version of a programme called Midjourney to generate an image for the album cover. During the process of creating something he felt represented the album's content Rawz generated more than 100 images over the course of five hours.
Press Coverage
14/01/23 BBC Introducing
A live recording of Rawz in conversation with BBC Introducing presenter David Gilyeat on the last day of the Epoch Exhibition at The Old Fire Station.
A track from the EPOCH album by Episode One is played at the end of the interview.
UKHH.com
EPOCH received coverage in UKHH.com - The UK's longest running Hip Hop magazine.