Sound:Art: A childhood dream

If the record sound like this looks it's bought. Done deal! I guess I could make pretty good use of that island and this where I should have lived with 7 or 8 years. Thuringian woods were awesome too though.

Sound:Art: Sublime - Are you a bad fish too?

If you have simply everything, you couldn't be happier, and flush it all down the drain and yourself with it, does that follow any logic?

The story of Bradley Nowell adds a whole different intensity to the music of Sublime, the sunny californian lifestyle ... and it's downside.

Sublime were different, took a totally different turn on the mixture of punk and reggae and Bradley wrote songs which definitely took you somewhere away from where you are right now, and even more so considering his person and the story behind. It's a tragic story. The story of the genius true musician in the league with others who do not need to be mentioned here, but shared his destiny. He was real, talented, so committed to his music, that he sucked at basically everything else, especially life itself. An outstanding fragile guy, over-challenged and overwhelmed by life and who finally gave in to the final temptation. It seems that when you're genius at a certain thing, you're a total fail at another one. The greater, the worse.

His story and the story of his band are hard to believe. As described by his friends and family he was intelligent and understood the danger to nothing less than his life by the drug he was dealing with. This is sadly well described by himself in the song 'Pool Shark', in which he faces his addition and paints a dark picture for himself:

"Lyin' in my plastic bed

thinkin' how things weren't so cool to me

my baby likes to shoot pool

I like lyin' naked in my bedroom

tying on the dinosaur tonight

it used to be so cool to...

But now i've got the needle

and i can shake but i can't breathe

i take it away

but i want more, and more

one day i'm gonna lose the war"

Take the time and watch this documentary from the series 'VH1 -Behind the music' and find out more behind the band Sublime, what made them who they were and what evantually killed them.










Rest in peace, Bradley Nowell, thank you for the music!

Art & Idea: Sunrise, sunrise

Oh, I love to sleep late. However, the morning has it's own beauty and value.To just sit there with a coffee or tea, enjoying the sunrise and having the whole day in front of you is a very special and great feeling. Those guys below catched this feeling in a great manner in my opinion. Watch and enjoy!

31 | the sunrise project from JJ Starr on Vimeo.

Art: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - a movie as strange as its name

It's a story about a deal with the devil, immortality and to imagine what you can't imagine; imagine!

I saw the trailer and was just stunned by the power and speed of the pictures. This could be a nice trip. Also the cast makes it a must see in my opinion. Heath Ledgers very last movie, directed by Terry Gilliam and featuring outstanding actors as Colin Farell, Johnny Depp and his majesty Tom Waits ;-)

I am sure the trailer gives you a good taste and gets your ass to the cinema, quick! That's where I'm going...




and for a view beyond:

Sound.Art: The Beatles Rockband Game Intro

Neither I'm really into computer games nor I'm a huge Beatles fan, but this one is really beautiful, it's art. 

A couple of days ago the new game The Beatles Rockband was presented at the E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) Media & Business Summit. At the press conference the intro was shown and illustrates the career of the band in beautiful cartoon pictures. Visually delicious...

Beatles Rock Band Trailer
by minitureherogames

Btw, McCartney and Starr also mentioned there, that they're planning to record an album with BOB DYLAN. Should get interesting... ClickClickSee

Sound.Art.Idea: Homemade records with strange sounds and art appeal

Source: Caleb Coppock

The coolest thing: sit at home and just draw a record. Wtf? Yepp, draw it, put it on and listen to the strange sounds you just drew. Too strange? Just put it on your wall, looks really cool. The thing is called GRAPHITE SEQUENCER exists for some time already. Definitely visit the homepage to understand how it works and see the video, a must!!!

Sound.Art: How the music works...

Getting back to the blogs, I found a nice documentary describing in an intersting and scientific way how music works. I think it's hard and not exactly necessary to describe something that emotional in rational and scientific terms. However, the product is really cool and definitely worth being seen and checked out. 

"This is the ultimate series for anyone with even a passing interest in music. Prepare to have your mind blown as the structures underlying the creation and experience of music are laid bare.

“Why do some rhythms get our toes tapping, while others make us feel mellow? How does a love song bring tears to our eyes? What links African drumming to J S Bach?

In this new four-part series composer Howard Goodall strips music down to its essential parts to find out how music works."

is what the original producer Channel 4 has to say about it. 

So how does the music work now? Have a look:

Sound / Idea: blank recordable CD-R by Dangermouse for sale! DNOTS

I came across this one a couple of days ago and the idea really got me hooked. So guess it fulfilled its purpose. But to begin with, the infamous DANGERMOUSE recorded a new full length album together with SPARKLEHORSE which can not be released. what? read yourself:

Danger Mouse’s new project Dark Night Of The Soul consists of an album length piece of music by Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse and a host of guest vocalists, along with a collection of original David Lynch photography inspired by and based on the music.

The photographs, which provide a visual narrative for the music, are compiled in a limited edition, hand numbered 100+ page book which will now come with a blank, recordable CD-R. All copies will be clearly labeled: ‘For Legal Reasons, enclosed CD-R contains no music. Use it as you will.’

Due to an ongoing dispute with EMI, Danger Mouse is unable to release the recorded music for Dark Night Of The Soul without fear of being sued by EMI.

Danger Mouse remains hugely proud of Dark Night Of The Soul and hopes that people lucky enough to hear the music, by whatever means, are as excited by it as he is.

In addition to Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse, other artists appearing on Dark Night of the Soul include James Mercer of The Shins, The Flaming Lips, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, Frank Black of the Pixies, Iggy Pop, Nina Persson of The Cardigans, Suzanne Vega, Vic Chesnutt, David Lynch, and Scott Spillane of Neutral Milk Hotel and The Gerbils.

Nuff said, a lot to be found out!

For more info visit the project site: www.dnots.com

aaaaaaaaaaand listen to the record on NPR.com

Sound and art: Edge - the movie to a lifestyle

Soon the documentary "EDGE -perspectives on a drug free culture" will be released. Having grown up with Hardcore and Punk music I have also been in contact with the Straight Edge scene. It describes an approach to life without any drugs, alcohol, cigarettes or promiscuity. The scene received it's name from the song "Straight Edge" by the band Minor Threat released 28 years ago. Their singer Ian MacKaye is also featured in the movie opens some interesting perspectives on the issue.

I always had a lot of respect for this scene, even it wasn't my way. Still I always distinguished in between those who do it just for themselves and maybe tell about it and those who perceive themselves on a mission and believe that they have to convince the whole world. I perceive it as a personal decision and this is what it should stay in my opinion.

However, I defintely recommend to give this flick a try. I am sure it will provide some interesting perspectives and insights into an alternative approach to life which has definitely something to offer. Plus, a differentiated view on life and things is a MUST!!!!

Check the trailer for a first taste:

And definitely visit the hp for more interesting background information:

http://www.theedgeprojectmovie.com/