Flying Lotus – Tiny Tortures

The force is most certainly strong with this one.

FlyLo teams up with director/animator David Lewandowski and a bionic Elijah Wood for a brief but magical clip for his interlude-ish number “Tiny Tortures.” It amazes me how 500+ hours of work can be packed into a mere 3 and a half minute clip, but 3 minutes is all it takes to leave a lasting impression when this amount of detail and emotion are involved. And you know a good actor when he doesn’t even have to say anything to speak to you. That feeling you get when talents you love from different disciplines join forces to create something special…. yeah.

Anyway in related news FlyLo revealed last night in LA that he is indeed the mind behind the mysterious mc Captain Murphy. It was only a matter of time before he gave in to flowing over his own tracks. The purveyor of brain food is currently on a creative killing spree and it will take more than the Sith to bring him down.

MUHUAHAHAHA!!!!!

Luke Ramsey + Keith Haring

I recently went to see the Keith Haring exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum and was blown away by the skill and patience behind the creation of these seemingly simple artworks. Watching the video of his performance “Painting Myself Into a Corner” I was reminded of the significant role that Process plays in creating these pieces.

After my Haring experience I decided to look back into the work of Luke Ramsey, a Canadian artist I have been following for some time. I first discovered Luke through his collaborative efforts with the clothing and lifestyle brand Lifetime Collective. His work, as I had correctly remembered, bears a strong resemblance to Haring’s.

Ramsey’s and Haring’s drawings are so pleasing to the eye but the idea that each line is a result of the movement of hand and arm leads me to believe they are more concerned with the Process of creating the drawings rather than the final outcome.

The playful repetition reminds me that I need to just doodle more and be patient and let things happen. Let the combination of movement and subconscious take over and decide what comes. It’s so organic and flowing, it’s hard to imagine it as planned in advance, rather one can’t help but think he makes it all up as he goes along. This is an approach I admire as it requires a great amount of patience and taps into meditation allowing the simplest joy of creating to come to the surface. Because that’s what its all about for me. As an artist, creation should bring me happiness. I look forward to experimenting with this in my own work.

TRV

Matthew Dear – “Her Fantasy”

Really stoked on this new Matthew Dear track that was released today, it’s like a huge breath of air after being held underwater. Black City is a great album but I found I could only really listen to it at certain times, very dark and muggy. If this track is any indication of what Beams has to offer I look forward to hearing a brighter record, more apt for the summertime. If you are in the NYC area on July 21st head over to the MoMA PS1 Warm Up party in Long Island City to catch his DJ set alongside Sepalcure and others, it should be a good one.

-TRV

Father John Misty – Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings

I was a bit disappointed when J. Tillman announced he was leaving Fleet Foxes for the “gaping maw of obscurity.” Any concern has since gone out the window. Fear Fun combines the harmonic howling of his one-time band with a bit of country twang and some old fashioned foot stomping roadhouse R&R. This is heartfelt music with a playful side that makes you want to hit the open road. “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings” is a good introduction to the seasoned batch of tunes that make up his full length LP. Plus you get to watch Aubrey Plaza spitting flowers and blood and smoking weed out of an apple.

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Canyons – When I See You Again

Further proving that Australia is among the weirdest/coolest/most beautiful places in the world is this great video for the Aussie disco-pop outfit Canyons. A few sunsets and countless interesting faces lure you through an intense visual experience that I can only imagine perfectly captures the essence of life down under. The breezy current of found and bespoke footage flows along nicely with the track, only to come to an abrupt end leaving you feeling as though you awoke suddenly from the best dream ever. Time to book my flight.

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Gonjasufi – The Blame

The brilliant photographer/director Neil Krug magically creates a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles in this clip for Sumach Ecks’ (aka Gonjasufi) The Blame. Somehow managing to evacuate every human being in the city, Krug ironically depicts Ecks as the lone Armageddon survivor despite his sinful confessions. Although there is a mild despair to be heard in his crooked croon, he seems to have found solace amid the burning stoplights and sand-filled streets. A brief moment of euphoria on an otherwise gloomy record, Ecks’ murky vocals are juxtaposed ably with chord progressions from cloud nine. MU.ZZ.LE (co-produced by Ecks) is out now on Warp.

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TV Girl – The Wild, The Innocent, The TV Shuffle

So it’s a bit gloomy out and I’m sitting in my room with a glass of iced tea longing for summer and love songs. Fortunately I’ve been lucky enough to stumble upon TV Girl’s new mixtape “The Wild, The Innocent, The TV Shuffle” With a modernized, retro sound TV Girl are channeling the 50’s and 60’s through their drum machines and samplers while maintaining a unique and interesting style all their own. Full of catchy melodies and just plain old fun songs this California duo’s mix has brought a smile to my face and bit of sunshine into my day, I hope they can do the same for you.

-MTK

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Denim Heads Unite!!

I love denim jeans, they are an American staple and with the some what recent rise in popularity of raw denim it’s nice to see the news shine a little spot light on some people who are carrying on the tradition here. Dem fades!!!

 

Also I’d like to share with you some great clips from the upcoming documentary “Warp and Weft: A Snapshot of Raw Denim in the United States”

Cali

NYC

-MTK

Mr. Oizo – STADE 3 Teaser

The French producer/DJ/filmmaker Mr. Oizo is notorious for making the most obnoxious in your face electro sound good. And while it is fathomably easier to create music on a computer these days, he refuses to let go completely of the chopped up analog sound (see: Flat Beat) that made him famous. Here he unites with his old tequila-soaked puppet friend Flat Eric to help promote his latest FREE offering, Stade 3. Even If Stade 3 doesn’t quite butter your biscuit you can still make your workday go by quicker by dicking around with the “I-Oizo SHIT MPC” he provides on the original Macintosh computer that serves as his new website.

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Clay Hickson

It’s not so often I discover an artist with as much consistently rad output as Clay Hickson. Stoned fruit, tongue in cheek typography and geometric psychedelia are my weakness and the Montreal-based artist amply provides my fix. While I like everything in his portfolio, particularly awesome are his editions of self-published zines and his project “Sunday Thoughts” which he updates every Sunday with a new piece. Dude is nice with the pencil, but his digital, screenprinting and collage skills take it to a whole nother level. Check out the rest of his work and unlock your inner chakras.

TRV