Video: Everything is a Remix (Remastered)

I am a remix junky, there is nothing that tickles my fancy more than being able to call out a reference or sample that’s been re-contextualized and re-packaged for public consumption. Some people truly make an art form out of it, surpassing the inspiration and flipping it on its head for something altogether unique and exciting.

Kirby Ferguson celebrates the remix as much as I do and has made his well-known series “Everything is a Remix” available for the first time ever as one long play video.  Although some of this content has been around for 5 years now, everything has been given a polish and new transitions to make it all work even better in celebration of the series anniversary.

Grab some popcorn and a drink, get comfortable and enjoy the 40 minute clip,  it might even surprise some and change your outlook on what makes something original and why we are attracted to the things that we are in the first place.

Everything is a Remix Remastered (2015 HD) from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

Video: "The Devil's Toy"

A thing of beauty, thanks to my buddy Anthony for sharing it with me.  

"This short 1966 documentary dedicated "to all victims of intolerance” depicts the dawn of skateboarding in Montreal. A new activity frowned upon by police and adults, skateboarding gave youngsters a thrilling sensation of speed and freedom. This film - the first Canadian documentary ever made about the sport - captures the exuberance of boys and girls having the time of their lives in free-wheeling downhill locomotion."

Directed by Claude Jutra, music by Pierre F. Brault.

Video: Avalanches – “ Artzone Documentary”

It’s been a hot minute since I shared anything from The Avalanches;  Of course for the most part the collective hasn't actually given us anything new in well over a decade, but I've seemingly made it my duty to offer up a handful of treats to our readership each year to keep the name and interest alive.

What we have here is an ultra-rare short documentary about The Avalanches and the creation of their classic album Since I Left You and rehearsing their live sets. The clip was produced for and originally appeared on the Artzone TV show in 1999 and was written/directed and photographed by Philippe Charluet.

Video: “Here Is A Gift For You” Old Man Gloom Documentary

As the title above states “Here Is A Gift For You” is a 42-minute documentary on metal super-group,  Old Man Gloom (Cave In, Converge and ex-Isis). Kenneth Thomas put together the feature which chronicles the band up to the making of their 2014 album, “The Ape Of God.” The film is a great mix of interviews from various musicians, family remembers and scenesters that often retain a very dry and sarcastic sense of humor. A must for fans of any of the bands these guys are involved with or if you consider yourself a fan of gloomy psychedelic metal. 

OLD MAN GLOOM: HERE IS A GIFT FOR YOU from kenneth thomas on Vimeo.

Video: The Distortion Of Sound

The Distortion Of Sound documentary recently popped up on YouTube; I’ve been interested in seeing the short film for a while now as it speaks to my concerns with what is happening to how we consume music as a society. Clocking in at 22 minutes the film is packed with various musicians, ranging from legends like Quincy Jones, Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman, to bottom of the barrel type stuff like Linkin Park; and regardless of any individuals taste out there, there is a uniformed argument being presented by this group of industry insiders that Hans Zimmer puts perfectly into words. “We are a McDonald’s generation of music consumers.”

Perhaps I chose highlight the  quote because I’ve said it verbatim for over a decade now in my own conversations, or maybe it’s because it is the obvious comparison to make , in other words, regardless of the reason it is the truth.

Tackling the subject by way of an illustrated time line and evolution of music product via vinyl, to tape, to cd’s and then to MP3s; we now listen to music that has been compressed so that it sacrifices nuance and tone in favor of brash and loud. In the film, everyone’s favorite, sometimes homophobic dogfather of hip hop, Snoop Dogg, makes the statement that people just don't know any better. I believe the problem is larger than that though, I think people often do know but simply don't care, substituting quality for the convenience of being able to access anything and everything within seconds from our mobile devices.

Somewhat comparable in it's situation but the complete opposite in how it was dealt with was the transition from analogue to HD TV in the television business, music, however,  is driven by very different metrics. For example, if Panasonic want to sell you a new TV, they have to convince you that you’re missing out on something. They show you the difference. They convince you that an HD viewing experience is the best way to fully enjoy film and best represents what the director wanted when releasing the product for public consumption. The television industry in effect has convincingly persuaded us to shell out 2k for new hardware because it’s the premium experience you can't do without.

As music goes to all-online digital delivery, any improvement to the data bit rate directly sacrifices financial bottom line. In other words, this, like pretty much everything in society now days is not based on quality, passion, vision or the need to progress but rather on a stone cold classic, money. There’s worse than no benefit to educating consumers; Today’s digital music providers are actually incentivized to keep consumers in the dark as it benefits their wallets.

Jimmy Iovine, co-founder of Beats Electronics, speaks about 24-bit audio when furthering the point. As a hardware manufacturer, Beats can sell pricier, high-end headphones, if consumers demand it. But when services like Itunes, Spotify and Pandora are selling convenience at increasingly competitive price points, there just isn’t a good enough reason to join the costly war.

Apple, who are responsible for assumedly the most popular and widely distributed form of listening to music on the go, the ipod/iphone, are selling music enthusiasts down the river under the guise of innovation. But they’re not losing any business over their horrific earbuds, in fact they are finding new and better ways to swindle you out of your hard earned cash by offering you a so-so product at a premium price that in reality really can't improve the sound quality because the data compression itself is the problem. It’s a little like owning a top of the line Ferrari with nothing but dirt roads to drive it on.  

I’ll leave you with this; when you purchase an mp3 you are experiencing a piece of music not as the recording artist intended you to experience it but rather as a cliff notes type version. FACT, up to 90% of a song is altered when its run through one of today’s many forms of accepted compressions. 90% PEOPLE! I know we all chose our own battles and causes to fight but I also know at least some of you reading this wouldn't stand for it if 90% of your nutritious, sustainable, organic dinner was substituted with unhealthy, synthetic, imitation food. If our school system suddenly made creationism 90% of how we educate or children in the understanding of evolution vs. the more logically sound studies of Darwin you would probably home school your child from that point on, so why stop the buck here?

Obviously every choice we make as consumers doesn't have to be important or make a social-political statement, but it can be and I argue that every time you purchase a god awful Fun record or contribute more money to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers retirement fund in 2014 via a live stream from Spotify or through the purchase of an mp3 on itunes you are absolutely part of the problem.  Voting with your dollars for an agenda that pretty much always looks out for itself, making sure to slap the "artsy," "colored," "queers" who create some of the best product to the side in favor of convenience and a middle of the road agenda is just as gross as that McDonald’s hamburger you so adamantly protest as being garbage or if you prefer like  when "poor people" vote republican because they one day hope to be filthy rich, in other words both the system, as it stands now, and you, suck. 

Video: A look at ALL THIS MAYHEM (Tas & Ben Pappas Documentary)

VICE documentaries’ All This Mayhem is a searing account of what happens when raw talent and extreme personalities collide. An unflinching, never-before-seen account of drugs and the dark side of professional skateboarding that stars brothers Tas and Ben Pappas. Chronicling the intense bond and charisma that took the siblings from the pinnacle of their sport into a spiraling world of self-destruction; All This Mayhem at its core is a film about what happens when raw talent and extreme personalities collide.

Utilising endless handicam footage taken at the time, paired with interviews from Henry Sanchez, Lance Conklin, Dom Kekich, Bill Weiss and others, director Eddie Martin, who has ties to Exit The Through the Gift Shop and Senna, touches upon the brothers’ revolutionary style, feuds with Tony Hawk, their ferocious appetite for mood-altering substances and where it ultimately landed them.

If you haven't seen the film and have an interest in the subject matter, really try and do so. And given we live in the age of the internet you can stream the film online HERE for a reasonable price. But if you still need some convincing or perhaps just want to know a little more before jumping in, check out the 20 minute video below where those involved talk a bit more about the project.

Video: Epicly Latr'd - Elissa Steamer

I usually shy away from posting older material on the blog or at least save it for Throwback Thursdays but that’s the great thing about being your own boss, you can decide the rules, and today I figured I’d do just that and throw up one of my favorite episodes of Epicly Later’d, 2012’s Ellisa Steamer profile.

I’ve probably watched most of the Epicly Later’d’s multiple times over the years and Elisa’s episode is no different in that it’s a great watch. So why highlight after the fact? I guess this is my way of aiming the spotlight on an issue that’s probably more relevant today than it has been in years, feminism.

Something in the air has changed, maybe for the first time in a long time woman are starting to celebrate each other without the approval of men and I want to believe that most people think that’s great. Woman most certainly don't need my help championing their various achievements and contributions to society but what I can help shine a light on are the woman of counterculture, those who are a minority in a scene made up of minorities.

Hopefully readers get the sense that I do this anyways without the need to highlight it these last three plus years but as always there will be unsung heroes.

For every prime- time news report on the Kacy Catanzaro’s out there there are woman doing equal or greater things with no fanfare what so ever. No division 1 athletic advantages, no sponsorships, and most certainly no support from the mainstream media. Even the powerhouse feminist forums like Jezebel tend to focus on the most vanilla of vanilla in their pop culture reporting, offering a much needed woman’s point of view on topics that unfortunately are as tired as the stereotypes they fight to break. Do we really need another blurb on Beyonce? Speaking for myself I don’t and while some fight to get a female led superhero movie made I’d prefer to see interesting things come out of the movement rather than female driven versions of tiered “men’s staples.” 

So with that here is Vice’s Epicly Later’d profile on skater Elissa Stemaer, watch it, get inspired and go do something interesting and different from your norm.

Part 1 looks at the first female pro skater ever, speaking to her from her home about her Toy Machine years from Jamie Thomas, Mike Maldonado, Brian Anderson, and Chad Muska.

 

In Part 2, we hear more about what it was like for the best girl skater in the world to hang out in an all-dudes world.

 

In Part 3 we find our heroine fully confident in her role as a pro skateboarder. When she was not breaking boards, she was breaking hearts, as illustrated by the love ballad a young skater penned in her honor. Elissa also decides to leave Toy Machine and joins the controversial, but talented, Bootleg team.

 

In the last part of the Elissa Steamer Epicly Later'd series Elissa explains what "life after skate" is like and how surfing may actually be the key to her future.

Video: Looking 4 Galt

The name Galt MacDermot may not ring a bell but you are undoubtedly familiar with his work.

Hair is the most popular Musical of all time, It has been translated in every language and staged all over the world, generating pyramids of money, still nothing? Ok, how about Busta Rhymes‘ “Woo hah!!” or what about “Down With The King” by Run-DMC? Even MF DOOM‘s Special Herbs tracks “Pennyroyal,” “Cinqfoil” and “Hyssop?” All these tunes sample from the legendary, reclusive Canadian composer who lives an intensely private life somewhere in New York. He has never given any interview and seems to ignore the cult following going on around him.

With the help of Pete Rock, Prince Paul, Buckwild, Da Beatminerz, Statik Selectah, DJ Whoo Kid, Bill Adler, and more,  Gasface were able to put together a humorous yet appreciative look at the man really behind some of hip-hop’s classics in this 2012 documentary that most people probably missed the first time ‘round. 

Listen: The Story of Q-TIP

90’s hip hop heads should love this interview with BBC’s BenjiB who hosts the story of hip-hop legend Q-Tip - founding member of A TribeCalled Quest. Hear from Q-Tip at length as well as Pharrell, Nas, The Pharcyde and more.

A Tribe Called Quest helped create a new wave of hip-hop in the 90's with their innovative sound, style and message. Q-Tip's production in particular has helped shape hip-hop right through to today, with artists likeKanye and Pharrell citing him as one of their biggest influences. Benji speaks at length with Tip about his musical upbringing in Queens in the 70's, releasing a debut LP as a teenager, his reluctance to fame and the part he played in introducing the late J Dilla to the world.

There is also an exclusive Tribe announcement and Tip gives more details about his forthcoming LP - The Last Zulu, which he describes as 'The Evil twin to Tribe'.

Video: Shepard Fairey – “Obey This Film”

Shot and directed by Brett Novak and commissioned by The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art  in South Carolina on the ocassion of "The Insistent Image: Recurrent Motifs in the Art of Shepard Fairey and Jasper Johns."

In the twelve minute video Shepard discusses his influences and inspirations which are pretty much spot on with anyone involved in this type of graphic art. Skateboarding, punk rock, pop culture, re-appropriation, graffiti etc…

Shepard most certainly bears his influences for all to see but sometimes I get kinda bummed out that it’s all so deeply rooted in the 80’s and 90’s. There are plenty of groundbreaking things going on nowadays, maybe we should all let the proven but very, very, very tired and overused imagery of  Black Flag, The Clash, Public Enemy, Johnny  Cash and more be set to rest already and begin championing the next generation of audio visual inspirations.  I love the work, I have since the 90’s and will continue to,  but there is nothing more depressing to me than the “guy” who still listens to and loves all the same things he did as when he was in highschool making claims that art and music aren't as good now as they were back in the day.

Video: Hunting For Rappers (Hip Hop’s Sampling of Cortex)

What we got here is a short documentary on hip hop’s recent love affair with sampling 70’s French funk/disco act Cortex. Alain Mion and his music have been used by some of hip-hop's brightest stars including Rick Ross, Drake, Wiz Khalifa, MF DOOM, Lil B, Captain Murphy and Tyler, the Creator but that’s just  a sample of the 36 plus artists who have added a little French to their U.S.A.  Minion shares his feelings on sampling including how he feels about the financial aspect of it, which at the age of 67 provides a very healthy income. The documentary doesn't really go into specifics of what was sampled and how it’s been reprocessed to fit the radio hits of today but that’s what I’m here for so you can check both the documentary and samples specifics below…

Huit Octobre (1971)
Odd Toddlers by Tyler, the Creator feat. Casey Veggies (2010)
Visions by Wiz Khalifa (2010)
One Beer by MF Doom (2004)
No Games by Jaylib (2003)
Fa We We Freestyle by Wale (2012)
Fa Fa Fa by Danny! (2011)
The Big Log-Off (Esc) by Charles Hamilton (2010)
Touch by Klaus Layer (2013)
Two More Beers by Hannibal King (2010)

Chanson D'Un Jour D'Hiver (1975)
Mary by Curren$y (2013)
Loco by Mellowhype (2010)
Dead Presidents III by Logic (Hip-Hop) (2012)
The World by Smoke DZA (2011)
Diamonds & Maybachs Pt. 2 by Triple C's (2009)

Prelude a (60 round) (1975)
Amsterdam by Rick Ross (2012)
Palm Trees by Tyga (2013)
Harlemby Rejjie Snow (2011)
Drama Konkret by Hiob (2011)

Sabbat (3ème Partie) (1975)
Mighty Morphin' Foreskin by Captain Murphy (2012)
Der Elfenbeinturm by Dexter and Morlockk Dilemma feat. Audio88 (2012)
Le Manège Des Vanités (Remix) by Klub Des Loosers (2005)
Matrix by First Light feat. Knobody (2013)

Oh. Lord (1977)
Oyster Perpetual by Rick Ross (2014)

Mary Et Jeff (1975)
Angels Sayby Fat Joe (2011)
When It Rainsby Nick Wisdom (2011)

Troupeau Bleu (1975)
Bronx Theme by DJ Cam (1997)
Mama Shelter by DJ Day (2013)
Put Down the Flags by Lil B (2012)
Clutch by Gabe Gizz (2012)

Sabbat (3ère Partie) (1975)
Never Comin' Down by Nickelus F (2010)

A little taste of Cortex proper with the full LP stream HERE if you aren't already familiar.

 

Watch: "Life After Pi" documentary

A new short documentary has been released called "Life After Pi" that follows the bankruptcy of VFX studio Rhythm & Hues 2 weeks before winning the Oscar for their work on Life of Pi. More specifically it looks at the crooked state of VFX studios trying to survive against unrealistic and self serving business models made by movie studios, thus ultimately possibly crippling the movie effects industry forever. 

The 30-minute film directed by Scott Leberecht, a employee of Rhythm & Hues, is actually a "trailer" or Chapter 1 of a much larger documentary entitled "Hollywood Ending" . The movie hits home to those not just in the movie industry but highly relateable industries such as video games, the music industry and contractor/freelance workers.

 

Video: Epicly Later’d – “Ed Templeton Part 1”

Vice’s Epicly Later’d has been one of my favorite series from ever growing multimedia company and the latest episode is an inside look at skate (and art) royalty Ed Templeton. In this first part Ed speaks on his life growing up in Huntington Beach and the beginnings of his skateboarding career, specifically key influences and the people and places that left a strong impression.  We also get some guest appearances from the likes of Jason Dill, Dave Carnie, and Justin Regan among others and some rad 80’s and 90’s video footage of people who went on to be massive in the sport. 

Video: “The ATH Documentary”

I grew up skating in Athens, it was a HUGE part of my childhood so I was pretty excited to see a new beautifully shot 60-minute documentary about the Athens skate scene with a focus on how the current economic crisis has affected the people, sport, and city as a whole. Directed by Kostas Mandilas and staring Vagelis Markogiannakis, Mike Vasilakis, Giorgio Zavos, Chris Loupis, Dicky Bury, Thomas Kolousis and Giotis Gordios.

The ATH Documentary from kostas mandilas on Vimeo.

Video: MOCA TV – Art in The Streets “Building Detroit Part’s 1 & 2”

The excellent Art in The Streets series from MOCAtv returned today with two new documentaries that were shot & directed by Colin M. Day on the current artistic scene taking place in Detroit. Many onomatopoeia favorites are featured in the two shorts, which you can read about in much more detail below…

Like New York City in the 1970s, modern day Detroit is a paradise for street art. The miles of unused facades and ample loads of refuse in this "bombed-out, dilapidated urban landscape" are grist for graffiti artists and writers from the United States and beyond. In this short film, Los Angeles artist REVOK discusses the creative community that has coalesced in Detroit, highlighting the fantastic assemblages he creates from abandoned houses and buildings, and collaborates with POSE to mount a tribute mural to local icon Sean Griffin, better known as NEKST, on the western facade and southern wall of the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. Without local authorities policing or buffing their work, the city itself becomes an enormous canvas. 

Featuring work by Nekst, Revok, Pose, Askew, Risk, Rime, Flying Fortress, Nychos, Decolonize.

In Detroit, Michigan, where economic demise has forced the city to shrink and turn its back on empty homes and properties, a community of artists thrives by continuing its rich tradition of building. Under the auspice of Power House Productions, a local nonprofit which supports neighborhood revitalization, Oakland artist Monica Canilao (you need to see her website) transforms a dilapidated Victorian into an aesthetic object straddling the worlds of street art and architecture. On the land surrounding his African Bead Museum, DABLS incorporates discarded construction material into his network of sculptures and installations. And in his backyard, a former General Motors employee named Dmytro Szylak continues to build and tinker with a massive visionary environment which evokes both the auto plant and his own Ukrainian heritage. The factories are closed, but the desire to work remains.

 

Artists:

Powerhouse Project: Monica Canilao, Richard Coleman, Swoon, Saelee Oh, Retna,

Ben Wolf.

African Bead Museum: DABLS

Hamtramck Disneyland: Dmytro Szylak

N'Kisi Concorde Filmmakers: Nikki Sass & Brittin Richter

Video: Daft Punk – “Behind The Helmets” & "Instant Crush"

A handful of Daft Punk goodies to share this morning starting off with a five minute documentary of sorts presented by Mixmag and Olmeca Tequila that looks at the conception, design and development of Daft Punk’s iconic helmets. Special effects guru Tony Gardner of Alterian Inc. goes into quite a bit of detail about what it took to get the helmets together  generously sharing original concept art, insight into  inspirations, and some of the technical obstacles encountered along the way. Like many long time Daft Punk fans I’ve read my fair share about how the helmets came about and how they run but this is easily the most informative and fun one out there at the moment.

We follow things up with the latest set of visuals from the Random Access Memories LP. The Julian Casablancas fronted “Instant Crush” see's a tragic love story taking place after hours at a museum bringing back memories of 80’s film Mannequin or perhaps even more recently Night At the Museum.

 

Video: The Art Of Punk - Episode 3: Dead Kennedys

From the chaotic, surreal, madness, of collage mixed with political folly that blazed their LP's and gig flyers; to the razor edge ultra-simplistic DK symbol that is still lovingly displayed on shirts across the world today, the latest episode of The Art Of Punk focuses on San Francisco punk band legends, the Dead Kennedys. In the fourteen minute video Jello Biafra discusses his own warped inspiration for the many sleeves and often controversial posters created in the early days of the band. We also meet pop surrealist artist Tim Biskup who chimes in about how the DK's affected and twisted his own young mind.  And finally we meet up with master collage artist, and designer of the DK's symbol, Winston Smith in his North Beach art studio, where he talks about how he was drawn into the early Bay Area punk scene - and his long and creative artist relationship with the Dead Kennedy's and Jello Biafra. 

Video: The Art Of Punk - Episode 2: Crass

From the black and white photo-realistic paintings of protest, anarchy, and social satire, to their legendary adopted brand and two headed snake and cross symbol  the latest installment of The Art of Punk is an inside look at the art and music of Crass..  In the video Gee Vaucher, and founding Crass member, writer, and activist, Penny Rimbaud discuss the art and the lifestyle stemming from the infamous Dial House, where they have lived, worked, and crated their own brand of anarchistic beauty, for more than 3 decades.  Onomatopoeia favorite, artist Scott Campbell, also chimes in to talk about how the art of Crass, and how one single t-shirt created a fork in the road of his own life and career. Finally British graphic designer Dave King - the creator of the infamous snake and cross symbol, discuss’ post war England, hippies, punk, graphic design, and more, that led him to the creation of the symbol made legend by the band. 

Video: The Art Of Punk - Episode 1: Black Flag

Whenever we can share something that combines our love of art with our love of music it’s always a good thing. The Art Of Punk, a new web show from MOCAtv premiered yesterday with an episode focusing on the art of Black Flag and is just that.

The show which was created, directed, and executive produced by writer/author of 'Fucked Up + Photocopied', Bryan Ray Turcotte (Kill Your Idols), and Bo Bushnell (The Western Empire) and traces the roots of the punk movement and the artists behind the iconic logos of punk bands such as: Black Flag (Raymond Pettibon), The Dead Kennedys (Winston Smith), and Crass (Dave King.) So you are basically getting some top tear experts in the subject matter and it shows throughout the twenty-two minute run time.

From the iconic four bars symbols, to the many coveted and collected gig flyers, singles, and band t-shirts, all depicting the distinctive Indian ink drawn image and text by artist Raymond Pettibon. The episode starts off in Los Angeles talking to two founding members of Black Flag, singer Keith Morris and bass player Chuck Dukowski, about what the scene was like in 1976 - setting the stage for the band’s formation, as well as the bands name, and the creation of the four bars symbol. Raymond Pettibon speaks from his New York art studio while  back in LA we hear from Fleaof the Red Hot Chili Peppers, about how the art, the music, and that early LA scene impacted his own life and career. To wrap it all up Henry Rollins chats via MOCA Grand Ave in Los Angeles, about all of the above and more.

Episodes exploring the visual identities of Dead Kennedys and Crass will debut soon at the MOCAtv YouTube channel. In addition to profiling the artists, the series includes intimate interviews with former band members, notable artists, and celebrities who have been heavily influenced by the art of punk rock including Jello Biafra, Tim Biskup, Scott Campbell, Steve Olson, Penny Rimbaud, Owen Thornton, and Gee Vaucher to name but a few.

The filmmakers Bryan Ray Turcotte and Bo Bushnell take a unique approach to exploring the rich histories of these three seminal punk legends by focusing on the influential imagery and seeking out stories that have not been told yet through the artwork, which is integral to the importance and influence of each band.

Video: Crate Diggers - Hank Williams III

It’s been a moment since we last checked in with Fuse TV’s Crate Diggers series, the show that visits some of your favorite people in the biz and checks out their personal record collections. I’m happy to see that the series isn't just sticking to hip-hop/electronic oriented folks as it could have easily had.

In last weeks episode, Hank Williams III got the treatment  and talks about the hundreds of metal records his mom burned, a rare Hank Williams recording that's never seen the light of day, and his punk rock rebellion, check it below…