PREMIERE: Technicolor Lenses - "Eyes In the Sky"

This past Friday, we premiered the "Final Frontier: Summer 2013" mix from Technicolor Lenses, which included a clip of their track "Eyes In the Sky,"

This past Friday, we premiered the "Final Frontier: Summer 2013" mix from Technicolor Lenses, which included a clip of their track "Eyes In the Sky," which was officially premiered the next night during Schlang's show in Brooklyn on Saturday. If you've not heard it, "Eyes In the Sky" is a pretty intriguing track; it's a mixture of electronic music and hip-hop, but it has a solid message: Getting people aware of the United Nations' International Day of Peace on September 21. The International Day of Peace has been going on since 1981, and Technicolor Lenses member Jackson Whalen works with the United Nations through their Railroad Street Youth Project. He penned some compelling rhymes that deal with education being necessary to formulate a peaceful world. There are lyrics kicked in Spanish, a hypnotic rhythm track, and an underlying message that's undeniable. Shouts to Technicolor Lenses for providing something positive and uplifting for what can be a harsh world. (Hit Page 2 for the full press release on this track.)

"This production is a high-energy, bilingual, electronic hip-hop single by Technicolor Lenses, written, recorded and produced to elevate awareness about the United Nations International Day of Peace, a day of global ceasefire, observed around the worldon September 21st every year.

I.D.P. was established by the the United Nations in 1981, and exists as a day for people in all nations, walks of life, and communities to celebrate, co-exist and collectively create a peaceful world by making tangible actions. The ideals of this day are highly optimistic, and there are many challenges to such a commitment as creating peace, when a world of conflict is just as much a reality. It remains an ongoing effort-- "Eyes in the Sky" is an offering for this effort. The title of the song symbolizes looking at the planet from a global perspective, seeing things as interconnected, whole, and complete, from a birds eye view.

The mc and co-producer of Technicolor Lenses, Jackson Whalan, in a addition to being a full time band member, is a youth delegate for the United Nations through Railroad Street Youth Project (NGO- Great Barrington, MA). He performed at the United Nations Annual Youth Conference once before in 2008 in his prior involvement throughout high school. He now works closely with Michael Johnson and Pathways to Peace (NGO), a key organization of people who help to coordinate I.D.P. at the United Nations each year. Jackson's role is to become informed as a delegate. His goals in this position are to understand the U.N. and its inner workings by showing up listening at briefings and conferences, to be a messenger for peoples' voices and concerns on a global scale, and to introduce conscious hip-hop lyricism and electronic music into the the paradigm of the U.N. with its highly complex, diplomatic, hierarchic, often questionable agenda. He believes that music, especially, electronic and hip-hop, has the possibility to transform the way the world is run, and the way we choose to live our lives. To bring this sort of music into the discourse on peace at the U.N. would be evolutionary, he feels. Jackson, as a student of the New School, was awarded with funding to write, record, produce and master "Eyes in the Sky" as a part of his senior thesis, with members of Technicolor Lenses. The band plans to perform the song on the International Day of Peace this year at the United Nations Headquarters (NYC).

The content of the song focuses on education as the root to creating a peaceful world. What we are taught and what we learn from a young age determines whether or not we go on to act as agents of positive change for future generations. So to educate peace to people of all generations, to pass the message on, is of most significance. What better a way to educate than through music?

Of highlight in "Eyes in the Sky" is Carmen Estevez's verse rapped in spanish (see translation). Carmen a.k.a CaveWoman, originally from Extremadura, Spain, has appeared in live performances with Technicolor Lenses over the past three years, has been featured on past recordings, and is now becoming an integral part of the band as a whole, while also maintaining a busy schedule gigging with multiple other music projects in New York City. She has been in the states fore almost six years now, creating big waves in the city with her music. She showcases her talent and wisdom on this track, with a kung-fu type of vibe in her rhymes, speaking truth to power. Her feelings around the issue of peace are quite strong. Brandon Lewis (B RiddimZ), the drummer/co-producer of Technicolor Lenses, took leadership on the production end of the song, while guitarist/co-producer Sam Eckstein (Esseks), also a professional illustrator, took initiative on the cover artwork. Kristina Normatova provided back-up vocals for the track as well. All members will together add their live flavorings, as usual, in performance settings, and the song arises out of the intention to empower humanity through the sharing creativity."

Latest in Music