Blake O'Connor
Founding member
Bio
Senior Business Analyst @ Creatd
Stories (28/0)
Partiboi69 Keeps It Unprotected During COVID-19
In these troubling times, society depends upon creative outlets to help anchor and secure the social fabric which binds communities together. Music is one of the most powerful and dynamic forces for helping to usher our spirits in the good times and the bad.
By Blake O'Connor12 months ago in Beat
5 Best Vinyl Records Stores in New York City
New York City is arguably most of the vibrant and dynamic music centers of the world. From the storied live music scene to countless producers and artists who call NYC home, its pedigree is unquestionable. Then there are the record stores. While many have come and gone, thankfully there are still a number within New York City that vinyl junkies and casual collectors can still dig and peruse.
By Blake O'Connor12 months ago in Beat
What Virgil Abloh Means for Creators
At the time of writing this, Virgil Abloh is the most influential person in the world of creatives. His omnipresence and sway in nearly all creative pursuits is rooted in Virgil's unique talents. Born outside of Chicago in 1980, he is an artist, architect, and fashion designer. He received his training as undergraduate in Civil Engineering and a Master’s degree in Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
By Blake O'Connor3 years ago in Styled
Sci-Fi Movies with Philosophical Themes
All great movies, much like art, are made to stir the imagination of the viewer. Skilled directors even have an adept understanding about how genre, setting, characters, and plot can make an audience feel specific emotion. The greatest science fiction movies entice the audience to engage in self reflection both from a larger societal and personal perspective. They do this through the powerful technique of metaphors, getting us to hold the mirror to ourselves and ask the difficult questions.
By Blake O'Connor3 years ago in Futurism
10 Reasons Why ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ Is the Best Sci-Fi Movie Ever Made
Like Homer's Odyssey, 2001: A Space Odyssey is a parable that will live on for generations and unearths many philosophical questions. Released in 1968, director Stanley Kubrick, writer Arthur C. Clarke, and actors Gary Lockwood and Keir Dullea brought the sci-fi genre to the general public. Once a fringe genre found in pulp magazines, Kubrick satisfied the dream of fans with a big budget film. Every film fanatic and director of this generation must pay their homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey since it transformed many crucial elements for film making. Despite directors who made their own sci-fi inspired by 2001, they have still yet to surpass their master. Its innovative filming techniques along with its cultural significance, nearly 50 years later, define its lasting legacy. Those are among the reasons why 2001: A Space Odyssey is the best sci-fi movie ever made.
By Blake O'Connor3 years ago in Futurism
10 College Majors That Make over $100,000
A widening gap between incomes for those with college educations and rising costs of education are forcing more people to question the value of a a college degree. Despite the current robust job market, large portion of wages are stagnating—forcing people to focus on high paying science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors. When the cost of a degree was a mere 10,000 dollars or less, people took out small loans or worked during their summers to pay it off. In the last 30 years, college tuition tripled—causing a total of 44.2 million borrowers to now owe a total of over $1.5 trillion in student debt in 2018. Students must now focus their time in college ebbing away from the concerns of entry-level jobs by learning skills that will help them pay off this new form of economic slavery. When applying to colleges, many people are now focused on the highest paying college majors rather than what they enjoy. A great way not to get stuck paying off student debt for the rest of your life is by selecting one of the college majors that make over $100,000 to study, padding your future bank account for years to come.
By Blake O'Connor4 years ago in Education
11 Deep House DJs You Need to Know
Aa a sub-genre of house music, deep house fuses elements of Chicago house music with jazzy elements and touches of soul music. Larry Heard is credited with being one of the genre's early adopters; he made deep house deep. From the abandoned factories of Chicago in the 80s and 90s, the torch of deep house has been passed on to a bourgeoning deep house scene in Europe. It's no wonder that the emotive house music created in the United States has quickly proliferated into one of the most popular genres in Europe. Record labels like Toy Tonics and Heist Recordings are helping young creatives release top quality content. From the men who invented the genre to well-established names on the European touring scene (and some tropical deep house music mixes for those summer vibes), here are the top eleven deep house DJs you need to know more about.
By Blake O'Connor4 years ago in Beat
What Other Countries Are Doing About Climate Change
When Donald Trump absconded from the Paris Climate Accord about one year ago, it set the media ablaze. Attacks from the left and praise from the right, the story eventually fizzled out sight due to other spectacles of “Breaking News.” The United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreements marks a long history of poor long term investment, crumbling infrastructure, recurrent boom & bust bust business cycles, and underfunded educational systems. Policy has done its best to patch-up the systemic issues mentioned above, but the most looming and greatest existential threat of all is being ignored. Any consideration of transitioning away from fossil fuels or what other countries are doing about climate change gets labeled “un-American” or “liberal nonsense.”
By Blake O'Connor4 years ago in Futurism
What is Lo-Fi Hip Hop?
An astute purveyor of culture would notice that irony is hot right now. People feel important by standing out and being unique, one way to do that at the moment is by banality, irony, and nostalgia. It has spread like an airborne plague to all forms of creative culture—fashion, tv, and music. Demna Gvasalia, creative director of Balenciaga and head designer of Vetements, shocked the world with a $2,000 Ikea bag and a $200 DHL shirt. Stranger Things released in 2016 and amazed audiences all over the United States with its pronounced resemblance of the 80s. Want to hear distortions and environmental interference in your music? Great, because there are a plethora of destinations to hear live steams or long mixes of lo-fi hip hop. Confused as to why people want to listen to washed out and muffled reproductions of hip hop beats, read further to understand the question, "What is lo-fi hip hop?"
By Blake O'Connor4 years ago in Beat
The History of Raves
From dungeons bunkers, to sublime warehouses and vast open fields—people find a way to rave in any location. Today, raves are grand productions with large budgets and operating crews. That was not always the case though; people used to hide from the police and authorities to rave. The act of partying in this kind of self-indulgent fashion originates from a point of rebellion, a behavioral trait that will likely never disappear. Before you learn about the things you should know before your first rave, find out how an alternative form of music sparked a cultural revolution, and become the impetus for the history of raves.
By Blake O'Connor4 years ago in Beat
Signs You Are Living in a Oligarchy
"At the parliament of animals, the rabbits demanded equal rights, and the lions replied, ‘But where are your claws?’” Liberal Democracies proliferated in the early 20th century and took a stronger hold following WWII. Europe's and the United States' movement towards liberal values was in backlash to the aristocratic and monarchal rule that dominated since the 18th century. While the adoptees of liberal values claimed fairness and equality of opportunity, some slowly degenerated into the same system they once rejected. The ideal of equality of opportunity is an essential ingredient in a liberal democracy because it ensures that merit, and not birthright, gives privilege. The American Dream is an iconic narrative based on meritocracy, and has been woven into the fabric of national identity. This dogma is perpetuated by both the leaders of society and the optimistic masses at the bottom. The blind optimism is what keeps the dream alive—and the current class order in check. Academics are wary of this nearly religious narrative though—work hard, get a little lucky, and become rich. Studies of class mobility, income inequality, and analysis of policy paint a very different picture of the American Dream—it's a myth. The conclusions from varying academics on the subject argues that the United States looks more like a oligarchy than a democracy. Worried that your right to, "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness," are under threat? See if you agree with the signs you living in a oligarchy.
By Blake O'Connor4 years ago in The Swamp
