Rhythm Culture

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En Espanol

Lyrics, by Darrin Lipscomb, from the 1992 song...

"Oneworld"

Destiny is deceiving us
Running away from this battleground
Brothers and sisters killing the future
Mothers and fathers hiding the pastOneworld
Our hands are joining
Oneworld
Our voices are singing
Oneworld
We are crying out to you
Oneworld
OneworldReality is killing us
Opens the doors to this hell we call this world
Why can't we be colorblind
And live in a place we call...Oneworld
Our hands are joining
Oneworld
Our voices are singing
Oneworld
We are crying out to you
Oneworld
Oneworldcopyright 1992 to 2021

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Story

Darrin Lipscomb and Rafael Robledo met in 1986 while working on a production of the Ray Bradbury play, "The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit", at the Margo Albert Theater in Los Angeles, Darrin the Stage Manager and Rafael a performer. The two stayed in touch until, in 1990, when writing songs together, led to recruiting Fernando Recinos on bass and Albert Rodriguez on lead guitar forming, "The Believers" which was the first of several names used early on. It was known quickly that the name was not a good choice unless the group wanted to be a Christian rock band.Recording sessions at Raven's Nest Studios in Santa Monica, CA gave the group the demo tape they needed to play live. Los Angeles area club dates came quickly at Raji's, The Anti Club, Mancini's, The Palomino, Al's Bar, Universal Bar and Grill, McCabes, The Alligator Lounge, The Barker Hanger at the Santa Monica Airport and many more, as well as, two appearances at the Los Angeles Marathon. The group also appeared on the community access Continental Cablevision program “This is Los Angeles” with Chuy Castro.Lead guitar changes occurred almost from the band's inception and ultimately the bass player departed to focus more on his family. At the time, it seemed easier to recruit a drummer than a bass player, so Darrin grabbed a bass and a crash course on where the notes are on the fretboard. The band took on gigs both as a full band and as a three piece toned down with guitar, bass and percussion. These shows worked well in smaller venues.Recording sessions at Present Time Recording in Burbank, CA resulted in four more songs that then led to being signed by Ten Square Records. The owner of the label did not initially divulge that he intended to use electronic drums for the album recordings and also his marketing plans were not in the best interest of the band. A release was requested and the band moved on.A short lived name change to "Little Brother" and the latest recordings, landed the group on the Los Angeles radio station 95.5 KLOS "Local Licks" program with DJ Joe Benson. The appearance led to being named "Best of Local Licks" for that month.A name conflict with another group led to another name change. Two bands named “Little Brother” both appeared in the L.A. Weekly the same week playing two different clubs on the same night. "Rhythm Culture" was suggested by the owner of "The Alligator Lounge" in West Los Angeles where the group performed several shows. The eclectic group of musicians forged onward with its fitting new name.Bass player Fernando later rejoined the band and Darrin returned to his seat behind the drum kit. At this point they headed back to the studio with a focus on the Spanish rock market. The sessions took place at Jake's Place, a studio in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, owned by Greg D'Angeleo of the band "White Lion". Greg also engineered the sessions. The momentum pursuing a spot in the Spanish rock market ended about as fast as the sessions were completed.The group’s momentum slowed further as the nineties were ending eventually going on an extended hiatus. There was always talk of reuniting and eventually in 2005 it happened with jam sessions on Sunday nights at Nightengale Studios in Burbank, CA. These sessions invited different bass players and lead guitarists. The momentum slowed again and eventually faded completely. There is always discussions of reuniting and someday in the future it just may happen.

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Rafael Robledo:
Music, Lyrics, Vocals, Guitar
Born in Salinas, California, Rafael made the move to Los Angeles to forge a career as an actor with roles in films, television and theater concurrently working as a vocalist and guitarist in a number of projects. Acting brought roles in “Darkman”, “Universal Soldiers”, “American Me” and the title role in “Atomic Blue Mexican Wrestler”, For year’s Rafael was involved in many aspects of Inner City Cutural Center. A turn in a different direction led to Covenant House, Los Angeles, working with homeless and at risk youth. Rafael is currently in the “Santana” tribute band “Zebop”.

Darrin Lipscomb:
Lyrics, Music, Drums, Bass
Originally from Hammond, Louisiana, where, at an early age, he was introduced to 50's and 60's R&B by his father that was a trumpet player and founding member of a powerful eleven piece band called "The Rocks" that performed R&B hits, as well as, original material. An interest in drums developed by way of a fifth grade classmate gifting a pair of drumsticks which then led to joining the school band.The move to Los Angeles occurred in 1982 at the age of sixteen. 1984 became an education in the Los Angeles club scene while helping a coworker with his band's gear at various gigs throughout the Los Angeles area. In 1985 roadie and stage management continued touring with the punk rock band, “The Circle Jerks”. 1986 was an introduction to theater as a stage manger for the Ray Bradbury play "The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit". This was followed by heading out again with “The Circle Jerks” for a North American tour. It was a very interesting time that fueled the creative process of writing lyrics which began a few years earlier. There were lyrics written on this tour that later became recorded songs for "Rhythm Culture" as well as "The Circle Jerks" recording the song "Living" for their album VI. Darrin wrote "Living" in the back of the tour van driving into Chicago about the Cabrini Green housing projects that can be seen from the freeway. Later that evening, Darrin and band members of “The Circle Jerks”, tossed lines and ideas around the hotel room collectively creating what became the recorded version.In the late eighties Darrin dabbled in a series of bands that never led beyond a few rehearsals. Nothing seemed to fit being that what was trending as popular and the bandwagon that most bands wanted to jump on, was not what he wanted to pursue.Conversations with Rafael in 1990, led to writing together and the lyrics that had been sitting in notebooks for years started finding music, melody and a voice. This led to a writing partnership and eventually the full band.In the same year, an opportunity in the film and television industry presented itself. Juggling managing the band as well as the new career had its challenges but the films got made and the band went on to perform shows throughout the Los Angeles area.The film industry career became an education and a new creative outlet with the first of nine scripts written in 1997. The advent of good digital technology made it possible to make a movie a lot cheaper than actual film. A short version of an original script was written, produced and directed by Darrin titled, “His Name is Bobby”, which resulted in a coveted Saturday evening viewing time at the 2005 Los Angeles International Short Film Festival held at the Arclight Theater in Hollywood where the film received the Audience Award. Another Saturday evening viewing time slot at the 2005 Los Angeles Digital Film Festival held at Raleigh Studios, Los Angeles, resulted in winning the Best Drama Short Film award. Further work as a Location Manager resulted in winning Location Professional of the Year in episodic television at the 2009 California On Locations Awards.As for now, the work continues in the film and television industry with the possibility of returning to music when the opportunity arises.

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