The kid's bouncing around, and rather than turn on the TV, I thought we'd both mellow out for a few minutes by watching Kenji Hirata's chill animated felt video for the equally chill "Theme" by DJ Klock, which was featured on DT in February. That's when I saw the sidebar that said Klock, who's name was Ryo Kato, took his own life in April, leaving behind his wife and young child.
Besides being the creator of the only music CD's I've bought in three years, I didn't know Klock at all. I had no idea who he was as a person, or that he was a husband and a dad.
But two artist friends I've known for years recently killed themselves, and over the last few weeks, their deaths have been a periodic source of baffling sadness for me. Which is still comparatively insignificant and manageable; just thinking of the pain and grief their families are going through [they were a couple, though they didn't have any kids] twists my stomach into knots.
I couldn't even begin to comprehend the effect of a dad's suicide on his family. Not exactly the kind of question you expect to deal with when you click on a sweet little YouTube video.
DJ Klock RIP at Spin Science and The Memory of DJ Klock at his European label, Rumraket
Previously: Soft, Smooth Stop-Action Felt Video for DJ Klock
We've ripped and watched that video so many times, I feel like i even know when the felt strips will get all jumbled. It's fantastic.
Sort of surreal when someone has a hidden moniker also ends up having a real life behind that name. Like you, i guessed that someone named DJ Klock was some single guy rockin' the underground scene.
RIP
Oh, crap. That really stinks.
I'm just listening to Klock's San album; you can hear little samples of a child -- probably his -- on some of the songs. How sad.