(bright music) - [Matt] Take photos of trains with photographer, Stephen Mallon.

Chat with DJ HollyW8D.

And catch a performance from Reality Distortion.

It is all ahead on this episode of "AHA."

- [Narrator] Funding for "AHA" has been provided by your contribution and by contributions to the WMHT Venture Fund.

Contributors include the Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic Foundation, Chet and Karen Opalka, Robert and Doris Fisher Malesardi, and the Robison Family Foundation.

- At M&T Bank, we understand that the vitality of our communities is crucial to our continued success.

That's why we take an active role in our community.

M&T Bank is pleased to support WMHT programming that highlights the arts and we invite you to do the same.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) - Hi, I'm Matt Rogowicz, and this is "AHA: A House for Arts," a place for all things creative.

Stephen Mallon is an industrial landscape photographer, whose images of trains, recycling plants, and artificial reefs capture the beauty of concrete and steel.

(bright music) (train honking) (bright music) - I am an industrial landscape photographer.

I shoot fine art projects around infrastructure, energy, recycling, and my current focus is on the rail and freight industry and network within the U.S. Oops.

The moment we need to roll audio in this room, there was usually a train coming by.

(train rumbling) (Stephen laughing) My first photograph was shot when I was two and a half years old.

My father handed me his Canon AE-1 in California to take a picture of him and my mom.

And that was like, that was it.

I studied photography in Rochester, went to RT, got to New York, assisted other photographers for four years.

They really wanted to find a way for me to be a photographer as my source of income, not working another job and taking pictures for the gallery.

It was a matter of what's the Venn diagram where I can be shooting what I love and get paid for it, and put those images on the wall?

Piece by piece, I realized that that area was going to be industrial landscape.

(gentle music) About 2007, I was approached by a book agent about doing a coffee table book of my work.

And I loved that, but I didn't think that I had, like Stephen Mallon's coffee table book ready yet, 'cause there was too many just kind of like sporadic images from different locations.

And started kind of brainstorming, taking a look at what I was like focused on, and realized that I kept on going back to like these textural maps at recycling plants.

And so I hired a writer, and we put together a proposal to start photographing the recycling industry in America.

And that got me access to scrap metal, to a paper mill, to a cement reclamation plant.

While that was happening, I discovered the MTA's Artificial Reef Project.

The MTA dumped over 2,000 subway cars in the Atlantic over the span of 10 years.

And they were done for artificial reefs and rec diving.

The Atlantic is basically a desert up here.

There's not a lot of actual structure down there, so anything along the seabed is gonna be good shelter for fish.

I approached the contractor of this construction company called Weeks Marine, and they have these giant rotating cranes and started going out with them to photograph the Reef Project.

So that was supplementing the recycling project, not realizing that that was gonna spawn off and be its entire own, like exhibition on its own.

But January 15th, 2009, Sully crashes in the Hudson River with an Airbus 320 after the bird strikes out flying out of LaGuardia.

And we are sitting in a bar, it's my wife's birthday, and she at one point says, "I wonder how they're gonna get the plane out of the water."

I ended up getting commissioned by Weeks Marine to document the salvage operation.

So I was the first photographer on the aircraft and had exclusive access to the crash site.

That project is what really kind of launched me into the forefront, and I just got a lot of attention.

My life as a cinematographer kind of also came out of the desire of finding ways to sustain myself as an artist and continue to shoot the subject matter that I wanted.

The Canon 5D Mark II had hit the market, and I realized that I was gonna need to know how to be a filmmaker to survive.

That being a still photographer was no longer enough of a skill set on its own.

I didn't like the 5D Mark II.

I didn't like the form factor.

I didn't like the idea of shooting video on this camera.

But I was okay with the possibility of doing time lapse.

And then fortunately, Weeks Marine called again and said, "Hey, I don't know if you're interested, but we're delivering a bridge in a couple of weeks."

And I was like, "Really?"

(laughs) I was like, "I would like to make a movie about this."

It's like, "I'm not gonna charge you for it because I can't 100% guarantee that it's gonna work.

So just get me in, let me shoot, and then we'll see what happens."

So ended up calling in a bunch of favors with past interns, current interns, friends, and we set up remote cameras and followed the delivery of the bridge that was built just outside of Albany and then towed down by tugboat, and installed in the Harlem River.

(upbeat music) I had been really fortunate getting access to these locations to photograph.

Through my relationship with Weeks and editorial assignments with National Geographic, "The New York Times," they were able to get me into these locations that I normally was not able to get into.

I realized that I wanted something that I could shoot without having to ask for permission.

And we had recently left New York City, and moved up to Hudson Valley, and discovered this freight line that was just on the other side of the river where I was able to set up a camera in this public parking lot and shoot.

(bright music) And I had shot trains in the past, but what I was doing, the technique in the past was that I would just use a long shutter speed to blur the motion out just to get this kind of like color wash in the landscape.

And I decided to take this project in the opposite direction and focus on the object of the cars and the locomotives themselves, and take a look at both the engineering and the design, the age, and the artifacts, sometimes the graffiti that was on there, and how it related within the landscape specifically.

So I started shooting the cars, one by one, at a very high shutter speed to stop the motion, and also decided to crop the frame, down to a three to one ratio.

So it is really focused on the car and the elements of the landscape.

Part of the joy is finding unique locations mixed in with finding a unique car.

You know, so the moment that a car come by that has either the right graffiti on it, or the graphics or like those rare moments where I get an open box car coming by and I am able to shoot through those is just magical for me.

- Oh my God.

- Yeah, another one.

Oh, and it's another good one.

Look at that.

(producer laughs) See, there's the mixed freight again, yeah.

This is the stuff that I love.

- We last met DJ HollyW8D on "AHA" in 2022.

Since appearing on the show, he's been busy, continuing his More Music Less Violence events, mentoring young DJs, and even going back to school.

Here's Jade Warwick with more.

- Hey, DJ HollyW8D, welcome to "A House for Arts."

- What up, what up?

It feels good to be back.

- I know, it's nice having you.

And I get to interview you now, so very fun.

- Great.

- So to begin, who is DJ HollyW8D and how do you curate vibes that set you apart from everybody else?

- Yeah, that's a good question.

I think it's a very loaded question, but over the years, I've worn many hats, but I call myself a creative entrepreneur, along with a DJ, of course, mentor.

There's a lot of hats to wear under there, but I think creative is kind of the one that embodies majority of it.

- Yeah, and what does it look like on a set?

Like if I'm going to a space where you're spinning or playing, what does that look like?

- It's gonna be versatile, for sure.

Definitely don't come expecting something specific because I'm very read the room and move forward with it.

So very high energy, very welcoming, open-minded along with just fun, yeah.

- Yeah.

- So that's it in a gist.

- The fun and the joy.

- Yeah, yeah.

- And so you always say, you're like more than a DJ, as you already said, you already listed like a list of things you already do, you know.

So I wanna go back just a little bit.

How did you begin music?

- Yeah.

- How did you find yourself here?

- Yeah, so it really go all the way back.

So I'll start with the recent and then go further back, but I ended up at U-Albany, graduated from there, communication major, got the opportunity to be on the school's radio station, which is WCDB, which I'm still on to this day, every Tuesday night as in, yeah, every Tuesday night, I'm always on 10:00 p.m to 12:00 a.m.

I have a radio show.

But before that, really going back to thinking how, you know, where did music first impact me, I would definitely say back in Brooklyn.

My mom always dragged me to church, didn't have the option to not go.

- Yeah, I understand that.

- So every Sunday and then just being there, I'm like, all right, I'll embrace it.

So now I'm in the choir, now I'm playing drums.

So thinking back, that's probably the first time that music really caught my interest and really just seeing a passion for it.

- Yeah, and I do relate to being dragged to church, to a Baptist church.

I'm like, it's four hour singing, one hour ceremony.

Or sermon.

- Yep, yep.

- So you self-produced your own album, "Revelations," correct?

- So I actually managed, or I was the mentor for a producer, been mentoring him since he was 11.

He's 21 now, which is crazy to think about.

I'm aging myself a little bit here.

But yeah, he was the producer on the track, but I was the executive producer, so I picked the beat, I picked the two artists that were on the song, up to the music video, even up to the dancer that was in the music video.

It was just super dope being able to really see stuff from that perspective 'cause I'm always the DJ playing music versus being the artist.

- Mmm.

- So it was just an amazing experience, and it was really, really cool to be able to executively produce everything and kind of more or less have it how I envisioned it.

- Yeah, and how did that like feel and why?

Like why do that?

- Yeah.

- Being behind the set so often, like what made you kind of pivot to producing?

- I think if you wear one hat and see things from one lens, that's the only point of view you have.

Very pun intended, but if you see something, that's all you're seeing.

So I just kind of took a step to the side, from managing artists, promoting artists, and I was like, "You know what?

People don't know that I'm actually talented within a little bit of singing.

We're not gonna sing on the record."

A little bit of singing, but also, just being able to curate a body of work.

And yeah, so the song was recorded in 2020.

We all know what happened in 2020.

- Mm-hmm.

- And it's titled "Revelation" just for the irony of things and the situation we were going through, very uplifting song, wanted to have a positive message, that's kind of like my thing more or less.

- And it's a really great stepping stone in your career of growth too.

And I know you're going back to school for music.

- Yeah.

- Wanna give us a little bit of details about that?

- Yeah, yeah.

- Congratulations.

- I'm super excited for that.

I haven't been in school since 2018, so it's gonna be a very interesting moment.

A little like Ferris Bueller type situation.

But yeah, I'm going back to Schenectady Community College.

I'm gonna be doing like getting a music certificate.

It's not really like straight up degree, but still classes in school.

- Mm-hmm.

- Doing digital beat making along with audio recording.

So a lot of the stuff that I've been actually doing already, but more so learning the fundamentals of it, which is kind of what piqued my interest about it.

- Yeah, it's beautiful.

And you're like really just like, I don't know, just like a holistic care for your art and your passions, which I find really beautiful.

- Yeah, thank you.

- Not only are you growing yourself constantly, but you're also growing others.

So let's talk a little bit about More Music Less Violence.

- Yes.

- Like give us a little bit of background of like- - It's my baby.

- Yeah, I know.

So what is this initiative and why is it important for a community to have things like this?

- Yeah, yeah.

So More Music Less Violence, I was trying to figure out how to coin the organization.

But as of right now, it's a community concert series.

I book artists to perform.

The youngest I've ever booked was eight years old.

- Oh, my God.

- The most seasoned I've ever booked, like late 60s.

So that's my guy, Doc Horton.

The whole thing about it is bringing artists together and giving them a free space to express themselves, but there's guidelines to it.

So I tell 'em not to curse.

And when I say not to curse, you can have a song that might have swear words in it, but get a clean version of it at least.

And putting that perspective also into artists' mindsets.

We've worked with a bunch of different organizations, MLK Saratoga, we've done stuff in Troy, Lucas Confectionery, done stuff in Albany at the Capital Rep. Also been out to Cafe Lena too.

So some very legendary locations out here.

And just being able to move around in different cities out here, Schenectady as well, can't forget Schenectady.

But being able to move around in different cities out here and notice that there's talent everywhere in the world, which is crazy.

But yeah, we use grants, which has been hard to come around 'cause there's hoops, loops- - These days, yeah.

- and everything else.

But yeah, we use grants to basically pay the artist.

So I've paid an 8-year-old, X amount of dollars to perform before, which is just- - That's great.

- That's amazing.

I couldn't imagine being eight years old, getting paid to perform somewhere.

- It's your first gig.

- Crazy.

- People watching you.

- Mind blowing, yeah.

- Now, where did the name come from though?

'Cause it's More Music Less Violence.

Was this, I guess, created from you seeing something in the community, like violence in the community, or?

- Yeah, yeah.

So a little double-edged a little bit.

So the movement started in 2020.

That was around the brink of the George Floyd situation, along with the pandemic.

So what happened there was we artists couldn't be outside anymore, but however, somehow, some way, people in general couldn't be out anymore, but somehow, some way, there was still violence happening.

So that was like the aha moment, pun intended, where I was like, well, what if we did a popup show?

And that's kind of how it started up.

We did a popup show outside, at the Troy River Front.

That's kind of where everything kind of started, and I was just like, "You know what?

We need more music and less violence."

And it just- - Clicked.

- Yeah, and it just clicked.

And the light bulb went on, and I knew to keep it going once people started asking, "Hey, are you gonna do it again?"

'Cause I did the popup, like a legit popup.

Brought a camera guy, the Riverfront had outlets, probably wasn't supposed to be doing it, but it was for the good of the community and it felt right.

I'm big on doing what feels right.

- Yeah.

- So yeah, we did it.

I got like four artists to come out and they were like, "Well, I haven't performed in like a year, so yeah, of course I wanna perform."

And yeah, it was just amazing.

Initially, before that it started as house cello, which is very interesting.

And going from online house cello, Instagram Live into real, in person, into forming into an organization and now a nonprofit, it's just been a big blessing.

So yeah, I'm looking forward to what's next for More Music Less Violence.

- Yeah, it's beautiful and you're creating a movement.

Like this isn't just a nonprofit or just an initiative.

Like this is truly a movement that will impact everyone in the capital region.

- Yeah, I agree.

- As it spreads throughout.

- I agree.

- And the way you're able to mentor a lot of youth and take them under your wing as well, to then grow this movement even more, I can't wait to see how it's gonna be in like five years.

- I know, I know.

Me too, me too.

It's very interesting in how everything just has evolved over the years.

But I got faith that everything happens for a reason.

- It does.

- Yeah.

- Empire Legacy vibes.

Let's go.

- Exactly.

- All right, thank you so much.

- Yeah, my pleasure.

Thanks for having me.

- Of course.

- Please welcome, Reality Distortion.

(soft music) (singer vocalizing) (soft music continues) (instrumental music) (singing indistinctly) ♪ I confess ♪ ♪ Take my hand and stand ♪ (singing indistinctly) (singer vocalizing) ♪ It's like gold ♪ ♪ Like gold ♪ ♪ Gold ♪ ♪ Like gold ♪ (sings indistinctly) ♪ And feel the world up on (indistinct) ♪ ♪ I still see you standing by my side ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ There's a gold ♪ ♪ Like gold ♪ ♪ Gold ♪ ♪ Like gold ♪ ♪ It's like a prison, hey, hey ♪ ♪ Hey, hey ♪ ♪ It's like a prison in the water ♪ (singer vocalizing) ♪ Gold ♪ ♪ Like gold ♪ ♪ Gold ♪ ♪ Like gold ♪ ♪ Gold ♪ ♪ Like gold ♪ (instrumental music playing) ♪ Hold me tight ♪ ♪ Keep that grin in place ♪ ♪ Til the (indistinct) ♪ ♪ At the end of the day who we'll be ♪ ♪ At the end of the day who we'll be ♪ (singing indistinctly) ♪ I don't wanna wait ♪ (singing indistinctly) (upbeat music) ♪ Hold the faith ♪ ♪ Yeah, hold that faith ♪ ♪ Don't overthink ♪ ♪ At the end of the day who we'll be ♪ ♪ At the end of the day who we'll be ♪ (singing indistinctly) ♪ I don't wanna wait ♪ (singing indistinctly) (continues singing indistinctly) ♪ Do you ever think ♪ ♪ Do you ever think ♪ ♪ Do you ever think ♪ ♪ At the end of the day who we'll be ♪ ♪ At the end of the day ♪ (singing indistinctly) (light music) (light music continues) (upbeat music) - Funding for "AHA" has been provided by your contribution and by contributions to the WMHT Venture Fund.

Contributors include the Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic Foundation, Chet and Karen Opalka, Robert and Doris Fischer Malesardi, and the Robison Family Foundation.

- At M&T Bank, we understand that the vitality of our communities is crucial to our continued success.

That's why we take an active role in our community.

M&T Bank is pleased to support WMHT programming that highlights the arts, and we invite you to do the same.