A slow moving and evocative synth dreamer dancing among the video synthesis.

-posted by Malcolm Elijah

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RAW CHOP/DARK SPINNERS/HOOD TROLL/TRASH BEAT/DEEP THUGG/CREEP CLUB/FRESH MEAT/R&BEAST/GHOST (RAP)E/WITCH BLOG/WITCH HOUSE/HYPER HOOD/NEU CLASSIK AMERICORE/DEATH DOTH/HTML HOUSE/ECTO DRONE/GAZE WAVE/MINIIMVL SLOPPED N’ SCREWED/GOTH ETC. AND SO ON

Although, Don’t cage this in. DJ Nate and Footwurk Trax are doing something all 2-REAL. Stylistically its branched outside of most contemporary styles and is a strange off kilter and darker brand of Juke. To categorize this, like many things, is an all together moot point and is best described as “Footwurk Trax”.
Check it out.

-words by Malcolm Elijah

» click--to--continue… »

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Imagine you are gazing in to the sky in rural Idaho. A clear night, with well defined clouds and a moonlit sheen to the field you are in. Suddenly a strange pattern develops in the atmosphere.Immediately following it is an ungodly shrieking high frequency that dips to a low grumbling bass. A streak of light tears through the clouds, and within seconds a swelling sensation of unnaturally white light encompasses your vision and thus, an explosion. Your fear is overcome by the possessive curiosity to investigate the crater left by the astral interruption. Within the field you see a crater with a ring of burning grass around it. Heart pounding, you race through the field to see a murmuring pink opaque light swelling from within the crash site. You reach the edge of the circular intrusion…and as if some sort of cosmic joke has been played on you, you find yourself staring at none other than an Apple IIe personal computer.

And the guiding force within you compels you to crawl into the impacted earth and ever so gently push the well traversed plastic “on” switch that lies before you. And the boot sequence is as follows….

Magic Square from Duncan Malashock on Vimeo.

Pyramid from Duncan Malashock on Vimeo.

Untitled from Duncan Malashock on Vimeo.

Temple from Duncan Malashock on Vimeo.

These sequences/videos were produced by Duncan Malashok.
I asked him a couple of questions regarding his work.

I ask: How would you describe your own work?

He replies:
In general my work is about using computers to challenge the idea that the world can be understood and controlled, and as a kind of critique of scientific-thinking and/or the culture industry, or as a comment on the digital mindset. Sometimes it can be like having a Chatroulette conversation with a pile of fluorescent garbage.

Although the work is very technical, I don’t think it’s important for people to necessarily know how the work is made. At this point, using a computer is very normal for a lot of people, so although my way of making work is new to many people, making art with computers as a novelty is not something I try to emphasize. I’m very interested in how people personally relate to the content of the interactive pieces.

I ask:What influences you in your practice?

He replies:
I’m inspired by a lot of early computer artists like Ben Laposky, John Whitney, Vera Molnar, Michael Noll, and others. I draw on their work because being I think their ideas for exploring techniques are still very insightful today. At the same time they seem to still be very excited by the “gee-whiz” view of computers, which is a perspective I usually try to frustrate in my work.I’m also very inspired by graphic design of the 70s and 80s, and how the nostalgia it provokes can be used in ways that can cause frustration, surprise, or confusion in the viewer.

More information about Duncan can be found at these internet venture locations:
http://www.duncanmalashock.com
http://www.letsmakesureeverythingisathing.com
http://www.itsalwaystimetochillforever.com

-words by Malcolm Elijah

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Here’s to these lovelies. Presented are two tracks I adore and a little background check with some info around these champs. Minimal, dark, and classic.

IT95’s 2nd single “21st Century European Temptation” was released a few months after their debut “Desire To Desire/Brazilia” and was an electro anthem,the only band in Greece with that sound during the time that “garage rock” was ruling the local scene. Song started after a rhythm track laid by Alex on Drumatix (the band’s Roland drum machine) and added a bass line on TB303, Nikos took over writing the epic choir chorus at the band’s first sampler (mirage) and additionally in the studio recording the beat was replaced by newer sounds more industrial. Political lyrics sung on aggressive tone completed the song and itenef recorded as well a dub mix for B-Side that ended up as the 2nd track on side A of the single. Due to high costs itenef shared this release with Dada Data,bringing them closer to Coti K.,who would play a significal role to the band as their “sound man”. The song was intented to be included at the band’s “Steel & Neon” concept album that although it was recorded,it wasn’t released in favor of “Code of Obsession” that happened to be their first complete work that got released.

When Itenef used to be In Trance 95,they released “Desire To Desire” as their 1st single on 1988. The band is still active as ITeNeF that is the initials of the old name. This is the video for the song filmed and edited on 35mm film back in a period that it was almost impossible in Greece (high cost and lack of media)… In Trance 95 is still and active group under the new moniker ItEnEf.

You can listen to more trax and get more info here!

-posted by Malcolm Elijah

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SCENE REPORT:::
DALLASIAN WARRIORS ->- GEORGE QUARTZ & DARKTOWN STRUTTERS performed Dallas, TX ->- 06-18-10

Last Friday, my band PSYCHIC VIOLENCE had the pleasure to play a show with two of my favorite groups creating these days.

First up, George Quartz (who performed at PENDU DISCO in NYC previously this year) started off the night by scaring away a group of curious but easily frightened Dallas yuppies having their 10 year high school reunion. You got to stick it to the squares sometimes, and put a little fire in their heel if you know what im sayin…

Anyways…George is a fantastic performer; like if Studio 54 birthed a psychotic lounge singer with a crooked sense of charisma and charm. Or perhaps a wedding singer coming down off an acid trip and wanders into a funeral accidentally. Backing him up on synthesizer was the talented Jake Schrock who is also a performing member of another fave of mine, Houston based E.B.M. group //TENSE//. Joining them that night was a new addition to the group, a smooth sax player named Lisa. The 3 of them all live down the hall from each other in a an industrial suite of lofts that used to be a candy factory, live and make music together.

Later in the night were the jewels of Darktown Strutters. I was totally fucking enamored with lead singer Kara Howell’s stage presence and the near robotic straight faced sunglasses-wearing Wes Darrin on drum pads. They have driving rhythms generated from a mixture of vintage home organ drum presets and live playing of drum samples, warm creeping organ tones, and a swooning voice glazed atop all of it. The sound and vision is unique and skillful. Pure Jammers, like being lured into a slow moving dream curiously and then it exploding into a vast pit of demons having an unworldly blacklit dance party and you keep asking where the bathroom is and the demons just point to a laptop with your facebook profile on the screen.

Darktown Strutters recently released their first 12″ and its solid. Be sure to check them out along with George Quartz!

GEORGE QUARTZ
MYSPACE
FACEBOOK

DARKTOWN STRUTTERS
MYSPACE
FACEBOOK

-posted by Malcolm Elijah

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Brilliant art direction in this ad campaign for 1980’s Japanese make-up line, Shiseiko’s “Inoui”. Elements of the occult minimalism, horror, fantasy, japanese classics, and goth cosmetixx fuse in to a truly creative series.

WATCH AND SEE FOR YOURSELF INTERNET CASUALTY

-posted by Eli Welbourne

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Here is someone I was very excited to find among the trenches of internet media I filter through. His name is Val Gesto, a young Belgian video artist who has been displaying work for just over 3 years now. I was immediately captivated by his abstraction of format using garbled VHS footage and further manipulating it digitally. A wash of color and form emerging out the degradation of media are present throughout most of his videos, accompanied by meditative drones and floating melodies. Its heavy on the “data mosh” too, which furthers it into an acid washed video hell/heaven.

For further info and to check this guys game, check his website.

-by Eli Welbourne

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New video to one of my favorite //TENSE// songs.
//TENSE// TURN IT OFF
From the limited ESCAPE 7″ on MishkaNYC Records 2010
Directed by Tommy Boy
Videography by Thomas of Black Magic Rollercoaster

-by Eli Welbourne

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Evil Pimp is a Southern Horrorcore artists born out of Memphis dirty south. He is also the leader of the Krucifix Clan and head of Slaughterhouse Records. Listening to his tracks screwed gives me visions of the apocalypse and hood trolls blazing weed. As if this style oozes out of the scariest cracks of ghetto reality.
Some of these tracks are very lo fi and range back to 1996. These are some of my favorite Evil Pimp screws along with other underground faves. Feat. Criminal Mafia, lesser known Triple 6 Mafia, Children of the Corn, Mr. Sche, and The Legendary Lady J.

-by Eli Welbourne

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Salem from Malcolm Elijah

Here is some snippets of Salem gettin’ blurred and slurred in the ATX during the chaos of SXSW. I managed to slip in the door and grab some footage of the Salem crew casting a shadow. First off, I was really pleased to see that one of Austin’s transvestite jewels Rebecca Havemeyer introduce them. You see her at the beginning of the video getting the crowd hyped up to “burn their biscuits” and “put your dixx together”.

The show was moody. You could feel the long awaited anticipation of the people there to see Salem and how their songs would translate to the stage. The environment and context was closer to how I would want to experience their dark screwgazed out dirty south style tracks. It was 3am in a random dark club, not 3pm at the fucking Levi’s FADER Fort like they played later on that week. For a band that finds such unique atmosphere in their music, they would require the venue, promoters, and sound techs to help them pull off their sound. I’m glad I caught some of it and could share it.

-by Eli Welbourne

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Here is something fun I just bumped into.
I forgot how fucking sick the Unsolved Mysteries theme is. Its totally relevant for music being made today.

Some mysteries are better left unsolved, especially if they had a syck theme song.

-by Eli Welbourne

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How I Quit Crack

Austin based performance artist Ernestina Forbes aka “How I Quit Crack” is a gem. Aesthetically her performances are thick with fog machines, lasers, and ornate effervescence via black light saturation. Objects such as feathers, skulls, fake flowers, and a black light reactive guitar are strewn about the stage and vividly glowing. Meanwhile, doomed out synth-scapes and dimension bending frequency washes allow you to slip into a trance as a soft voice guides you through the fog. She recently released 7in” titled “Gone Away” and is available on Answering Machine Records.

Take a listen to the title track from the 7”

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and an additional treat from her Youtube page.

and oh yeah, befriend her on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/howiquitcrack

-by Eli Welbourne

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