Kaiser Chiefs - Remember You're A Girl

Genesis II - Ode to Voluptus

Bronze - Poured free hand

Gabrielle Horvath © 2006

27 inches high x 20 inches wide x 7 inches deep

Florence + the Machine - You've Got The Love (The XX Remix)

Sweet beat...

♥Chicago♥

I LIKE BORING THINGS

Urban Abstract

Video by Musuta LTD.
"Musuta Ltd. is a multidisciplinary design studio working in and between Tokyo & Helsinki. The company was founded by Designer and Art Director Jopsu Ramu and Manager & Concept Designer Timo Huhtala. Musuta concept is to create experiences, to make total art & design."

via: http://vimeo.com/musuta

Movie Recommendation: EYES WIDE SHUT (Kubrick)

Stanley Kubrick is without doubt one of the best film directors of all time. His movies always captivate the most secret yet mundane aspects of the mind and soul, and transport you to a world that is known by each one of us, though unusually shared; only when there's a deep need of the inner soul to break the equilibrium of our space. A few days ago I watched, "EYES WIDE SHUT", released in 1999. The movie expresses and explores exquisitely how the mind and it's state leads us through situations, key moments, and in a few words LIFE...

I MUST NOT FEAR, FEAR IS A DISEASE THAT WILL KILL YOUR ESSENCE

Radiohead - Everything In Its Right Place (Gigamesh vs Discotech Remix)

Listening to this track 100dB loud... oh man my ears are poppin!

Don't Shoot Me Santa, The Killers

Andrew...

A couple of months ago, I wrote about my friend Andrew, a talented artist in Chicago. Now his story is also available in video, produced by kevin Beronilla, a graphic design student at UIC (University of Illinois at Chicago).
Check it out

Legend

Lindsay Hugh

This is Lindsay Hugh's latest movie, a film major student in Columbia College who's talent is manifested brilliantly and beautifully in her latest work... check it out.

Greatest Hits with Holly Wright from Lindsay Hugh on Vimeo.

Long you live and high you’ll fly and smiles you’ll give and tears you’ll cry and all you touch and all you see is all your life will ever be.
Pink Floyd

NOSAJ THING

"After cutting his teeth by making music on various archaic computers and programs in his early years, Nosaj Thing is now, without a doubt, among L.A.'s finest musical modulators. His electronic soundscapes and wild beat tectonics play like vignettes that affect the listener's mind as deeply as he hits their soul. Nosaj Thing creates nothing less than the sound mastery of beat driven, experimental electronics from a gifted noise constructor".

Via: http://www.myspace.com/nosajthing

Santos Martinez

Santos Martinez is the new up, check out his song ARGONAUTICA...

Argonautica by The Hype records

Via:
http://koopala.tumblr.com/post/249407800/via-staree

:)

Alpha - Heat

Heat is a new electro-house band in Bogota Colombia, check out their new song... ALPHA

Alpha by Heatbliss

Ganja Babe

I will always be addicted to this song...

Space travel

Sliimy, Womanizer

I haven't seen such a refined video in a long time... soo sweet

Sliimy "Womanizer" from ethandirector on Vimeo.

CROOKERS ft. SOULWAX & MIXHELL - WE LOVE ANIMALS

Fresh... check out this track.

PULLANDBEAR

Pull and Bear clothing present THE OXFORD STREET OPENING PARTY.
Amazing video...

Song name: Duck, Hush and be Still
Artist: VETO

♫ Stress (Auto Remix) Justice

Song of the day, Medina /You & I Deadmau5 Remix

Lights : Saviour

The night is deafening when the silence is listening
And I'm down on my knees, and I know that something is missing.
Because the back of my mind is holding things I'm relying in
But I choose to ignore it because I'm always denying them

I'm a bit of a manic when it's not as I plan it
Cause I start losing my head and then I get up in a panic
Remember when we were kids and always knew when to quit it
Are we denying a crisis or are we scared of admitting it?

I don't want to know

I just want to run to you
And break off the chains, and throw them away
I just want to be so much
And shake off the dust that turned me to rust
Sooner than later, I'll need a savior, I'll need a saviour

It won't ever change if you want it to stay the same
I really hate it but I know it's hard to choose if you're chained
And when it's all you control cause you've got nothing else to hold
You're getting tighter and tighter, it's getting harder to let it go

I don't want to know

I just want to run to you
And break off the chains, and throw them away
I just want to be so much
And shake off the dust that turned me to rust
Sooner than later, I'll need a saviour
I'll need a saviour

Stand me up and maybe I won't be so small
Free my hands and feet and maybe I won't always fall...
save me

I just want to run to you
And break off the chains, and throw them away
I just want to be so much
And shake off the dust that turned me to rust
I just want to run to you
and break off the chains and throw them away
I just want to be so much
and shake off the dust that turned me to rust
Sooner than later, I'll need a saviour
I'll need a saviour

Q-Tip - Life Is Better (feat. Norah Jones) VIDEO

(Click...)

Anime

I have always found very uninteresting watching anime series or movies because they have never called my attention before. However, this changed a couple of years ago when I was given as a present "Princess Mononoke" a movie by a Japanese filmmaker called Hayao Miyazaki. I must admit I kept it laying around for several months until one day I was curious to see what the movie was about. Since then I have become an arduous fan of this beautiful art; that has inspired me with their stories, music and beautiful illustrations. I began to investigate and learn about anime artists as well as music producers who have influenced my own music skills and compositions.

It was during the early 1940's that Anime industry became known to the world. However, those were hard times not only in Japan thus it was through this period that World War II was taking place. By then Japan was lacking many natural resources that held the industries and in consequence the economy of the country together. Hostility between Japan and China grew leading to a War between them; this made Japan more aggressive, wanting to expand their empire to find strategic resources that would contribute to the countries' growth. Japan was fighting against England and United States in the name of supporting Germany, but these two allies distrusted each other and it was a chaotic political resentment that caused the world to paralyze. Japan had been a military world power for more than three thousand years and by then it was confronting the US and the UK, ambition and disagreement that ended in two atomic bombs over the Japanese population.

During this time, Japan was mobilized and forced to follow the government's demands or be punished with terrible consequences. There was no choice; it was an obligation for men to join the Japanese army. This led to the organization of many artists that began to grow such as the New Cartoonist Association of Japan and the Faction group. The government took advantage of the talent and popularity that these artistic groups were gaining and through it started to promote the Japanese nationalism to advertise themselves disqualifying the power of their enemies.

















JAPANESE CLASSIC CARTOON VIDEO 1933

The Roots of Japanese Anime -- Until the End of WWII

Parallel to this in the US, a cartoonist named Walt Disney was also becoming increansingly popular with his animations. Movies such as Alice in wonderland and the creation of Mickey Mouse made him famous all around his country despite the war throughout the world. His name became worldwide respected and recognized in the animation world with his releases during the late 1930's and the early 1940's like Snow White and the Seven dwarfs, Pinocchio, Bambi, Dumbo and The three Caballeros. Disney also made training films for the US military.

When the War ended he continued making films and released "Cinderella". He opened Disneyland, an attraction park which reflected all of his animations and in which he had been working for the last decades. During his life he created other movies with a vast success such as Mary Poppins and 20,000 leagues under the sea, but unfortunately he died in 1966 leaving his legacy to his brother.

Japanese cartoonist Osamu Tezuka, whilst Disney's creations were becoming known to the world (inspired by his animations) published his first comic named New Treasure Island, followed by Astro Boy which made him achieve an incredible success throughout the world . This has given Osamu Tezuka the name "father of Anime". He began his own animation production company in the 1960's called Mushi productions where he continued with the Astro Boy series as well releasing other TV animations such as Kimba the white Lion, who is said was copied by Disney who released the movie Lion King with Simba as the main character, but denies copying from Tezuka... hmmmm!






Astroboy (openings 60´s y 80´s)

Trailer Astroboy 2009


In 1973 Mushi productions went bankrupt. he still worked with an animation production company where he released other work of his including Buddha, Phoenix and Black Jack. Other cartoonists have gained named in the next decades such as Rumiko Takashi, Isao Takahata, Masahiko Minami, Hayao Miyazaki and many others.

(Click to maximize images)

It is important to mention the Japanese animation is very different from American animations. The main differences consist in how the Japanese animations, the backgrounds do not change despite the perspective of the character. The characters remain still as well, and only their mouths moves when there is dialogue. Developements have been made however, as technology allows for more motion between the characters, and the revolution of 3D animation. Still, other characteristics such as the physique of the characters which usually have big round eyes and perfectly harmonious bodies, so perfect they overpass the human ability of possessing this figure. American animations tend to be more realistic and kinetic.

One of the most recognized studios now a days of anime movies and series is Studio Ghibli, headed by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki all anime producers, who have won multiple awards for their exquisite and magnificent creations. Hayao Miyazaki however is my favourite, he is the mind behind Movies like Castle in the Sky, Porco Rosso, Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke and his latest release Ponyo on the cliff by the sea. His films are like a romantic piece of Chopin. The melodic, sublime features, the story, the colors, the characters, the music, all play an essential part making his films an incomparable work of art. The plot of the stories usually refer to inner problems that are expressed through mythical creatures who live with the human race. Many conflicts occur due to the fallen spirit of humans who have been hypnotized by the emptiness and selfishness that consumes them. Hayao Miyazaki invites us to not only entertain our minds but to show and teach us about our everyday problems in a mystical way. He is allowing our minds to think and reflect about them in the real world, and how many times we ignore and are indifferent to certain dilemmas.

(Click to maximize images)

Images from Spirited away and Princess Mononoke by Hayao Miyazaki)





Princess Mononoke, Extract

"I want to be remembered as the girl who always smiles even when her heart is broken, and the one that could always brighten up your day even if she couldn’t brighten her own"
Unknown

Diego Chávez

I recently met with a new giant of the music industry.
His name is Diego Chavez, and he is a graphic designer and music producer whose work

is an exquisite sustenance for the senses . He is also known as Aether, Otic Angst and A.M Architect, expressing his genius through his own music. He however also produces tracks for other bands such as The Panic Division (rock) and Lotus Tribe (hip- hop).

Diego Chavez was born and is currently based in San Antonio Texas, he began to produce music when he was in school for his friends rockers, rappers it didn't matter what genre. This path has lead him to explore different styles in music, making him very diverse in his creations - he is capable of producing electronica, hip hop, experimental music, brithop, ambient lounge etc.

A lot of these mixtures of styles are reflected in
his new solo album called "Artifacts", whose expression is a majestic
euphony of music writing, it is a beyond any sensorial experience that
makes each listener imagine, explore and discover a mix of unrelated feelings
that inexplicably make you feel soulful.

Diego Chavez is so immensely rich in his creations that it is hard to
place him in a limited group to describe his style in music and art, his label Exponential best describes it in his new album single as "a lovingly sculpted expression of beauty, love, tragedy, hope, and everything that makes us human".

Chavez is quickly gaining fame and respect in the music industry. His ability to make music and art in parallel by reflecting them as one, is teaching us and opening our eyes to a new era of creativity.

Listen to:

Aether, Makeshift Sanctuary

Lykke Li's, Little Bit (Diego Chavez remix)

Andrew

Andrew Leonardo is one of the best young artists I have ever met. I was lucky to see his work and talk to this smart talented young man during my stay in Chicago this summer. I saw him at several house parties and in passing where we exchanged a salute. It wasn’t until one night that my roommate and I began running around my building that I truly understood his talent - when I went through an open door to this amazing place full of colorful paintings.



Anyone would think Andrew is majoring in art, but the truth is he’s studying psychology with a focus in Health Management. It is hard to relate these two areas and to think his career has nothing to do with his paintings but the truth is that studying the human behavior allows us to see the small details that take us beyond the usual, inspiring an artist like Andrew.

He, however, is strongly influenced by different artistic mediums like graffiti art, using principally throwups and tags. (A throwup refers to written words with a layer of spray-paint often drawn as bubble letters filled, or just outlined. They are generally one or two colors. A tag, refers to an artist's signature written by a marker or spray-paint.) Andrew is also influenced by flash art, skateboarding graphics, Japanese prints and tattoos.








It's important to mention that Andrew's deep interest in Japanese tattoos has brought him to research back to the early 1600’s, during the Edo period at the beginning of the early modern period in Japan. At this time, tattoos where used to identify criminals who marked themselves as a symbol of strength and power. These drawings were usually of dragons and demons, which not only reflected evil but also were symbols of luck and protection, just as Andrew’s paintings intend to project.

As we can see on the right hand side, some of his paintings reflect these styles fused together, while others are inclined to one style in specific, making his pieces diverse, rich in color, and kinetic. As a result, they leave a very original and unique work of art.

Andrew is currently living in Chicago, where he is working on murals for clubs (like the Funky Buddha, Butterfly Lounge and Orange; all social clubs in downtown Chicago where they display his work) house parties and private apartments.

Andrew's beautiful art, caused by a brilliant mind and an outstanding talent, is continuously spreading throughout Chicago, and I have no doubt it will soon reach other cities around the world.


What inspires you?

What motivates and inspires me the most is watching other people mastering their craft. For example, I love watching Paul Rodriquez shred at the Dew Tour and watching him kill the competition. When I see him push himself to skate better I push myself to paint better. I love watching bboy battles, skate videos, basketball, fixed gear videos, and watching other people paint. I spend a lot of time on the internet watching videos on youtube, vimby, and vimeo.

When did you first started painting?

I started painting on skateboards with spray paint my freshman year in College. I painted peoples names on skateboards for about a year and I realized that the process took way too long. The skateboards looked like a machine painted it since it was super clean with out any over spray or drips but it was way too tedious. I started [really] painting my Sophomore Summer which was about a year and a half ago. I didn't know exactly how to paint with acrylics but I just experimented, read articles, and watched other artists paint.

POGO

Electronic music has become an essential popular genre in the last 40 years. However, it's history goes way back to the 19th century when the first electromagnetic intruments were made. It's nowadays that this music has burst and lead to a new path of creativity and carries music, painting, architecture, film, etc. fussing to become a worthy beautiful piece of art of the 21 century.

I've heard many musicians say that anyone can make electronic music; they believe it is about copying, pasting and mixing samples and tracks to create a new song. But it isn't about just doing those few things, there must be knowledege and talent, and it takes a good ear to create a song that will generate some kind of feeling within the listener... It's like saying anyone can be lawyer or a doctor - it takes skills, time and dedication to become a good one.

I'm constantly trying to discover new artists and musicians. A couple of days ago in my pursuit of finding a good artist, a friend showed me a video that caught my attention. It was an electronic piece of art manifested in music, from an animation titled Alice in Wonderland, a Disney classic. Pogo, the mind behind the music "Alice", samples specific sounds from scenes in the film and then arranges them to form a new song which plays along with clips of the movie.

Pogo is a 19-year-old film major at the University of SAE in Perth, Western Australia, where he was born. He is currently studying 3D animation and visual effects, while working as a electronic music producer and a DJ of his own creations. He has used the same idea from "Alice" with other movies like Harry Potter and Mary Poppins. Pogo is a true example of how creativity is still expanding; taking us to new horizons, bringing along the genius minds from the past that have left a legacy that continues to grow.




For more tracks:
http://www.myspace.com/pogotracks