Potion Lords

Best Films of 2011

2012-01-04T16:21:00.000-08:00

This is our yearly write up on cinema. The following are my ten personal favorites of the year. I didn't pay too much attention the order and most of the 20 films listed at the end are just as good as the top 10. I hope this helps you to discover some cool movies. Also, I started a Twitter account strictly for film reviews: @FilmPsychedelic

1. I Saw the Devil
Of all the fantastic Korean revenge thrillers of the last few years this complex web of vengeance stands out as the most brutal, the most poetic and the most all out crazy. It’s dark and violent with strands of black humor like only the Koreans can do. Jee-Woon Kim’s next film is an American blockbuster so hopefully this isn’t his last hurrah.

2. Bedeviled
It was the year of South Korean cinema- so much great stuff. In this refreshingly feminine take on a classic revenge tale, a woman is taken to an island solely inhabited by a weirdo misogynist family and all hell breaks loose. A smart and thoughtful debut from Chiu-soo Jang. Seek this out.

3. The Kid With A Bike
Another intense and unpredictable tale of everyday life from the Dardenne Brothers- this time focusing on a neglected child. Simple and touching, this is film making at it finest.

4. Snowtown
Similar in tone to last years amazing Animal Kingdom, this movie is also about the lives of lower class Australians. Specifically, a study of the environment and the culture that would produce something as horrific as the Snowtown murders that dominated headlines in the 90s. Also, Snowtown contains the most disturbing scene of the year (the bathtub) so extra points for that.

5. Bill Cunningham New York
This is a seriously inspiring documentary about a fashion photographer in NYC that has truly dedicated his life to his art.

6. Essential Killing
Vincent Gallo in a silent role as a Mujahideen fighter on the run in the Middle East. Amazing! Gorgeous and subtle filmmaking from Jerry Skolimowski.

7. Ides of March
A refreshingly smart and well made movie about back room political power-plays and their often devastating casualties.

8. House of Pleasures
Also known as House of Tolerance, this is a strange and poignant film about the lives of prostitutes in a Paris brothel in 1900, featuring lots of champagne, opium, corsets and naked ladies. The end of the film is really surreal and has some of the best shots of the year. Fans of David Lynch or Catherine Breillat should check this out.

9. Cold Fish
Yet another demented psychological mindfuck from Sion Sono, this one centering on themes of fish, family and discipline... Sono is a maniac. "Life is Pain, living your life hurts."

10. Melancholia
This has some deep insight into the nature of depression and how it manifests itself. And it's definitely one of the best apocalypse movies in recent times. I love Kirsten Dunst and it’s nice to see Kiefer Sutherland getting some decent work.

Also of note: The Housemaid (best ending of the year), Martha Marcy May Marlene (worst ending of the year), Moneyball, Submarino, Attack the Block, Man From Nowhere, Tree of Life, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Tiny Furniture, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Yellow Sea, When A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Trust, Troll Hunter, Bullhead, Incendies, Tabloid, Project Nim, Drive, Crazy Stupid Love.

Worst movie.
I don’t see any of the kid films or Adam Sandler “comedies”- I’m sure those are the worst… but one movie I did see on a plane this year deserves a mention: Trespass. Wow. I watched it because it was a home invasion movie and that’s usually a decent genre but this was incredibly bad- just one unbeliveable plot twist after another. The corniest being the bad guy that is secretly in love with the mother he is terrorizing and decides to go against his fellow robbers to protect her ½ way into the movie. Nicole Kidman has ruined her face and Nic Cage looks terribly bloated and unhealthy. The only good thing about it is the lead bad guy Ben Mendelsohn, a fine actor who played “Pope” in Animal Kingdom last year. Regardless, Joel Shumacher has further ruined his name with one of the worst movies I have ever seen.

The Year in Music

2011-12-15T16:58:00.000-08:00

In light of there not being much content on this site lately I have compiled a list of my top ten tracks of 2011. These are vinyl singles only- no album tracks. They are all dancefloor records made to be heard on a club system so don’t bother listening on computer speakers. Click the title of the song for a link to purchase.

Midland – Through Motion. A beautifully executed piece of modern big room garage that I kept coming back to all year.

Blawan – Vibe Decorium. Everything this guy has done this year has been fantastic (Getting Me Down, Peaches, the Karenn records) but this slice of industrial techno is particularly heavy.

Mosca – Bax. Anthem alert. This massive club tune manages to incorporate everything great about UK dance music within the last ten years. Also a very fun record to play out and mix with, especially pitched down a bit.

Factory Floor – Two Different Ways. Both tracks on this release, as well as the Optimo mix of Real Love earlier this year, are totally amazing pieces of modern industrial dance music. FF have to be one of the most interesting and exciting bands out there right now.

Crazy P – Beatbox (Breach Remix) . I’m not familiar with Ben Westbeech’s pop music (apparently popular in the UK) but his work under his Breach guise is some of the freshest music out there. Last years single Fatherless was an anthem and its B side Man Up was rinsed at every gig I played this year. Here he takes a mediocre Crazy P track and turns it into a bass heavy piano house epic. A masterclass in remixing.

Joe Goddard – Gabriel. The original and dub are amazingly well crafted songs but it’s the Seiji remix that really moves floors. That bassline is serious buisness. Also on the remix 12" is the Compound One mix- it has a nice old school UKG sound to it.

Slava – Dreaming Tiger. A really unique record that grew on me throughout the year. I can only describe as some sort of primitive Balearic psychedelia. (i could only find the live version online)

Joy O – Jels. Joy O is unstoppable. This take on 90’s style house is straightforward and devastatingly heavy. Out of the six records he has released there hasn’t been one song that isn’t completely awesome. One of the most consistent producers out there.

Levon Vincent – Impression of a Rainstorm. All three tracks on this EP are equally as good. Thoughtful, epic, raw late night techno. And the B2 track is a nice throwback to early tracky house like Bluemoon productions. Essential record.

Being Borings - Love House of Love. A deep and funky house cut on Crue-L Records from Tokyo. I think this is a new project by Kenji Takimi/Luger E-Go but I’m not 100% sure.

Ron & Chez D - Untitled B2

2011-10-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

Here is a piece of masterful house from a couple legends. The untitled B2 track from their KMS release- Chicago 1994.

Nick Drake - Clothes of Sand

2011-08-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

A mesmerizing piece of perfectly executed psychedelic folk.

Nick Drake - Clothes of Sand

Blawan Mix

2011-07-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

Check out this mix from the best new producer out there- Blawan. He is taking the whole dubstep/2 step/techno thing and turning it on its head, making really hard rhythmic- almost industrial- style tracks. If you listen to his tracks by themselves, unmixed, their abrasiveness almost pushes them in to experimental territory. He has only a few releases so far but each one is amazing, I recommend them all. This mix was broadcast on Mary Ann Hobbs’ XFM show in London July 23 2011. It’s mostly unreleased stuff by him with some old techno and what not. Tracklist here. It's only 22 minutes but full of the most inventive dance music I have heard in a long while. Mental stuff, play loud.

Blawan - XFM mix

Pink Rhythm - Trust Me

2011-06-08T18:27:00.001-07:00

This is one of my favorite records: the India 12” by Pink Rhythm. It's a beautifully produced 4 track EP from 1985 by John Rocca and Andy Stennett, the same gentlemen that brought you the Pictures LP. This track is a bit of a blue-eyed soul number and one of my all time favorite Rocca tunes. Ripped from my vinyl collection. Stream below or click here for download.

Luger E-Go - Path to Anacrchy Pass

2011-06-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a track by Kenji Takimi who owns Crue-L Records in Japan. This is one of his weirder projects under his Luger E-Go guise. This is a ten minute experimental dance record he released as a one sided 12" in 2004. If you think it sounds low-fi/distorted/compressed I assure you thats just how the record is, as I recorded a clean vinyl rip. It's just a crazy record. Enjoy.

Lugar E-Go Path to Anarchy Pass Dead Can Dance by Kenji Takimi

Nick Sand

2011-05-16T17:01:00.000-07:00

Nick Sand is a clandestine chemist that worked making high grade psychedelic drugs throughout the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. I think it's safe to say he was responsible for most the LSD, MDMA, DMT, 2CB and other ethnogenic pharmaceuticals made in North America during those times. An important man to say the least. He learnt his trade from the recently departed master Augustus Owsley Stanley in the 60s. After getting busted in the 70’s he went underground and lived on the lamb for many years. At least for part of that time he chilled in Mexico for half the year and then worked out of a high tech lab in Vancouver, Canada the other half. He was eventually busted and sent to jail. Here, on parole in 2001 he tells part of his fascinating story. This was taken from the Psychedelic Salon podcast.

Nick Sand - Reflections on Imprisionment and Liberation

The The - Giant

2011-05-16T16:48:00.000-07:00

An incredibly epic track by The The from their debut LP in 1983.

Pictures LP

2011-04-21T23:50:00.000-07:00

Here we have something a little bit special. John Rocca is one of my favorite artists- the prolific diversity of his work from roughly 81- 91 is nothing short of genius. This LP is an obscure album he made with Andy Stennett, his collaborator in the incredible bands Pink Rhythm and Freeez. It was recorded in 1983 for Editions EG and has never seen a CD or digital release... so I thought I'd rip the vinyl and share it here for prosperity's sake. The music itself is out there. For those familiar with Rocca- this is miles away from his dance classics, techno 12s, and early funk workouts. The music is experimental, ambient and dark with heavy electronics and Rocca's voice ruminating on weird childlike fantasies. The best way to hear this is at home with some spare time as this record definitely envelops and grows upon multiple listens. Rocca retired from music at 33 and I've heard he lives in southeast Asia somewhere- no one really knows... Stennett gave an interview about the record on the only other website i can find about the album. If John or Andy read his please get in touch I'd love to find out more about creating the Pink Rhythm records and everything else.

Side One:

A1 Lullabye
A2 Nursery Rap
A3 Dancing Mind To Mind
A4 Skrahs
A5 Battle Of The Leaves

Side Two:

B1 Black Tiger
B2 Loneliness
B3 Child In A Sweet Shop
B4 Adventure Lost
B5 Voodoo

Two from Thelonious Monster

2011-04-21T22:02:00.001-07:00

Here we have two forgotten gems from the druggier side of the 1980's Los Angeles rock scene. Thelonious Monster were a live music staple back then along side bands such as Fishbone, Jane's Addiction, Chili Peppers, Pygmy Love Circus, Liquid Jesus, and so on. I never saw them live but i remember seeing their name in the Calender section of the LA times each weekend as a young teenager. Very cool band. Below are a couple songs ripped from the LP Baby, You're Bummin' My Life Out In A Supreme Fashion. (Click the "share" button to for access to download).

Try:

Union Street:

This is a cool little clip of Bob Forrest back in '93:

David Crosby - Tracks in the Dust

2011-04-19T01:17:00.000-07:00

This song is a poignantly timeless track from David Crosby's 2nd LP from '89, Oh Yes I Can, his "recovery" album. He recorded this after falling hard once a 20+ year cocaine bender eventually landed him in jail and left him with nothing but his sailboat, his wife, his life, and his music. Some of the tunes on the LP are diluted by semi-cheesy 80's production but the quality of the material shines through. Check out his first autobiography, Long Time Gone- definitely the best rock bio I have read. And of course his first solo LP from '71- one of the best records ever made. This is the LP version version ripped from my vinyl collection.

David Crosby - Tracks in the Dust

SDC Pacific Horizons Remix

2011-01-24T18:50:00.001-08:00

Pacific Horizons have released their first remix, a radical reworking of The Peaceful Warrior by Portugal's Social Disco Club. As far as I know it's vinyl only and includes mixes by Soft Rocks and Pharao Black Magic. Buy it at Phonica, Juno, Discogs, etc... It's among their finest work.

Clips here:

Social Disco Club - Peaceful Warrior by Social Disco Club

Best Films of 2010

2011-01-10T19:24:00.002-08:00

Here is our annual top ten list. I hope you find something you like.

Didnt see: Last Train Home, Dogtooth, Film Socilism, Another Year, Inside Job, Four Lions, Tales From the Golden Age, Uncle Boonmee, Daddy Longlegs, etc......

1
Enter the Void
Bold, visionary and entirely original filmmaking. Some of the most inventive and intoxicating camera work I’ve ever seen. The best visual effects in cinema history. A deep sense of melodrama. The most psychedelic film ever made. Gaspar Noe has the strongest track record in cinema right now, with three complete masterpieces under his belt, and they just get better and better.

2
Animal Kingdom
Dang, this was good. The rare film that has a totally unexpected ending that changes the way you view the entire second half. Incredible acting from everyone involved especially the J and Pope characters. This is an dark epic crime saga based on the Pettingill family in Melbourne. I loved everything about it. That’s all I’ll write, just watch it.

3
Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child
Finally we have a proper telling of Basquiat’s story. Julian Schnabel’s movie from 1996 was good but didn’t do the man justice. As we know, Basquiat is a giant of contemporary art but with this film we get a very intimate look into his mind: his ideas, creative methods, profound intelligence, and personality. Tamera Davis unearths an insightful interview she did with him in his prolific LA phase and anchors her film with it. Jean-Michel was just a kid that hit it big- huge in his life time. This is the fascinating and moving story of someone whose work will be cherished and remembered for as long as earth is around. Amazing.

4
I’m Still Here
A bold and unusual career move from Phoenix that resulted in a movie, that is not only hysterical, but a poignant comment on the Idiocy of our Times.

5
Inception
As many have noted, there are flaws with Inception. Among them, who would actually break up their families’ empire after a dream on a plane? The film suffered from too many “handsome actor” types that, you can tell due to the over-editing, weren’t even on set the same days they were supposedly doing a scene together. Way too much expository dialogue too, they could have scaled back one dream level. Never the less, this is an incredibly accurate and trippy dive into lucid dreaming and a whole-heartedly original work on a grand scale. Nolan could have squandered the money on crowd pleasing fair- he didn’t. A minor masterpiece, and a step in the right direction for Hollywood Blockbusters.

6
Black Swan
In many ways a companion piece to Aronofsky’s the Wrestler: the emotional hardships of dedication to an art. I really liked this one but felt it lacked some of the visionary magic of his earlier work like The Fountain or Requiem. Portman’s performance was indeed incredible. The scene where she runs to the bathroom to call her mom was one of the best of the year. My only complaint would be that the story is a little too repetitive (she hurt herself, she didn’t, she hurt herself, she didn’t) but this still towers above most other films this year. Solid.

7
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The film works better thematically with its original title, Men Who Hate Woman. This is an unflinching look at the seedy side of rich sexual predators that get away with abuse. The film’s subject matter rings true, as a child porn ring was recently been discovered amongst government officials in Mexico . And, of course, Lisbeth Salander is the radest heroin we have seen in a very long time.

8
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
I have an entirely new respect for Joan Rivers. She is an old school workaholic that will take any job she can get. Watching her make fun of her red carpet gigs and the celebu-tards is really something. And she is funny as fuck. This is 24 hour access to the mind of a comedy legend.

9
Restrepo
Like a solider says in the movie, whoever has the best offense has the best defense. In Restrepo, an army platoon tries to take Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley , a strong hold of the Taliban that had never been-and still hasn’t been- taken by invading forces. This is an interesting look into the front lines of imperialism. Watching these kids suffer through such a worthless war is painful- you can’t help but feel sorry that they got suckered into the army propaganda or were so broke back home that they had to do this. The footage is incredible, up there with PBS’ Frontline (see: Behind Taliban Lines). But, unlike that piece, this is yet another story from the side of the offenders- the US military, which is getting really old. Yet the raw footage alone makes this one of the years best. The platoon leader at the end of the film gives a speech about charging the front line and dying for one’s cause that is eerily similar to many great Hollywood movie war speeches, especially Kirk Douglas’ in Paths of Glory. Except his isn’t satire.

10
Brooklyn’s Finest
This film might seem out of place here but I liked it because it didn’t try to be anything it wasn’t. It was just a well acted popcorn movie about a tired clique: corrupt cops. Maybe I was really stoned but I enjoyed it. There were a couple other procedural dramas that weren’t bad this year like The Town.

Special shout out to A Serbian Film for being extremely twisted. The Art of the Steal was a an excellent doc about powerful greedy scumbag is Philly. uTrue grit was pretty good, though I preferred the Coen’s previous effort, A Serious Man. Home with French Goddess Isabelle Huppert was worth seeing- about a family that has an actual freeway in their front yard. Police Adjective was an interesting peek into a depressed Romanian town. Mother was OK. Winter’s Bone was decent. Unthinkable was fun. Exit Through the Gift Shop was dope but spent way to much time on Mr. Brainwash, who has been ruining streets of LA with his “art” for way to long. The sheep movie, Sweetgrass, was mellow in a stony way- worth watching. Vahalla Rising had potential but got bogged down in heavy metal cliques’. Shutter Island sucked. Green Zone was a let down- crappy propaganda. Human Centipede was beyond terrible- just sub-par filmmaking all around. I watched about 3 minutes of Alice in Wonderland before I realized it wasn’t for adults… Tim Burton is a studio hack without ideas... I Think We’re Alone Now, the movie about Tiffany super fans, was awesome. This year’s season of Frontline on PBS was amazing, I’d recommend going to their website and watching those before seeing almost any of the movies on this list….

Worst movie- Monsters
I heard from reputable sources this was an interesting and intelligent movie about Aliens. Not so. Bogged down by an incredibly cheesy and contrived story, the decisions these characters make are so irrational it completely ruins the movie. This isn’t a fun horror movie where dumb decisions are expected- this is a self serious picture about aliens… and immigration. Instead of waiting 6 months in a Mexican paradise, a rich girl wants to risk her life and drive through the dreaded “Infected zone” to the North. They are accompanied by a team of locals skilled at surviving the zone- yet every one of them dies except the two White People. There are way too many “contemplative moments” along the way and not enough dialogue. The filmmaking is almost condescending- we get it, the story is a parable about immigration, no need to shove it down our throats to the point that it insults our intelligence. The score is awful- trying way too hard to make you “feel something.” The movie is basically a cheese ball love story with a few scenes of CGI aliens attacking. They don’t really focus on the aliens at all. It’s not clear if they can sniff out life forms to kill or if they just systematically destroy everything. We do know that they rest during the day but attack at night. But, our characters decide to travel by night instead of hiding…Incredibly unrealistic and cheap.

Do Piano - Again

2010-11-24T21:11:00.000-08:00

Here is a really, really nice French tune from 1985. The gentleman that sold it to me said it was a minor hit in his country back then. Imagine living in a world where this is popular music... The production is top quality and on the shorter side lengthwise- so the link is to a WAV file instead of the usual 320mp3.

Do Piano - Again

Pacific Horizons 12"

2010-10-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

The second Potion Lord affiliated record has been released. Two new songs wrapped in a sleeve featuring a painting by Jay Nelson. The first piece is The Forest Electric and, according to Piccadilly Records, is "hinting at that mid - late 70s dreamy soft rock sound." The second is Jack Parsons' Laboratory. A tune that the Spanish website Counting 9 describes as "hypnotic inner movement from the triangular form that warns you about the flood of feelings of this more acoustic piece... MAGIC AND SPECIAL." The Japanese record shop JetSet sums up the release as "chivalrous spirit Balearic fore the sorrow" So there you go.

You can buy the vinyl here in the USA and at various shops in the rest of world...

Or the MP3 or WAV files are for sale dirt cheap here.

Thank you for your support.

Ethereal Beat - Underboard (Remix)

2010-10-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

Here we have an absolutely beautiful Italian obscurity from 1985. This is the remix version, there is another version called Underboard (Samba Olec) which sounds almost identical. I think the only difference is this version is a little longer with a more pronounced kick drum. There is little to no information about Ethereal Beat online so I don't have much to write other than this song is friggin' awesome. Enjoy.

Ethereal Beat - Underboard (Remix)

Film Review : Enter The Void

2010-10-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

Gaspar Noe’s groundbreaking visionary masterpiece takes us where no film has gone before. The film centers around the heavy psychotropic chemical Dimethyptamine, a drug used ritually for ages world wide by everyone from curious intellectuals to South American tribesmen. The fact that Gaspar is putting such an important yet underground practice on the world stage for the first time is a monumental achievement in itself. DMT can be extracted from naturally growing plants or made in a lab. When you smoke it, it is one of the most powerful encounters of any sort one can have- just ask anyone who has done it. It's indescribable but something like a serious dimensional trip to the inner realms of consciousness- all ecstatically displayed in fractal beings growing around you as you melt through them. The drug also is stored in the frontal lob of the human brain, and it released a little when you sleep and a lot when you die. That is why it has such mystical qualities. Many say the DMT is trip the death experience. And that is what Mr. Noe’s film is about, among other things, - the relationship between the psychedelic experience and death. Enter the Void. Is the Void life? Is the Void death?

The story contains two major DMT trips: In the first, already high on acid, the main character, Oscar, smokes some alone in his room and for a good five minutes the film drops into the most incredibly realistic hallucinogenic visuals I have ever seen- outside actually smoking DMT or dropping acid. An extremely deep song by Coil plays over this sequence. Note: This film demands to been seen in a theater for the full effect. The second trip is later when Oscar dies and DMT is released from his brain. That is a very disturbing scene as we hear Oscar thinking his last thoughts as he dies. Here, as he has the DMT death trip, Noe launches the cinema into blinding and blinking white lights slowly morphing into unrecognizable forms..... really, really, far out shit. From then on we follow Oscar around as he flashes back to what led up to his killing- up until he sees himself die again. He then becomes a spirit or god or ghost floating above the neon lights of his seedy Tokyo neighborhood where he looks down upon the aftermath of his death. The ghost/spirit POV technique allows for some seriously mental camera work- soaring over the city, swooping into and out of rooms full of psychedelic lighting that the characters inhabit. As we travel through the wormholes of his mind we also peer into defining moments of his past, which after a while creates a otherworldly yet somehow personal cinema. And because this may possibly be the DMT trip he is having before he dies, there are all sorts of subtle and not so subtle tripped out flourishes in every detail- that I, personally, found mind blowing. This is stuff we have never seen in cinema before. I won’t go into too many more details but there are stories within all this, and the end brings things full circle yet keeps the themes open to interpretation.

There are some great dance party scenes when the characters are on MDMA that really evoke what it can be like to be high as fuck in an intense club. If you’re thinking this sounds like a trippy hippie movie, think again- there are some seriously dark hellish moments in this film. We get abortion, exploitation, grief, agony, car accidents, senseless killing, and one seriously bad trip. While all this is obviously not for everyone, this film really spoke to me at a deep level.

Noe has created an entirely original film, a near impossible task these days. I think those of us that have had similar experiences to what Gaspar is communicating in the film will have their brain blown open and any one else with artistic sensibilities and a stomach for experiential experiments will love this too. Oh yeah, the credit sequence is the most bad ass you will ever see. And the soundtrack is one long experiment ambient masterwork with music by the aforementioned Coil, as well as Zbigneiw Karkowski, Alvin Lucier, and Throbbing Gristle. Not only is Enter the Void the first film to deal with psychedelia in a serious manner but it is also a beautiful and relevant meditation on the greatest of all mysteries, death.

Jr Reid- Bank Clerk

2010-09-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

My brother is a collector of reggae tapes and records, especially 7" dubs. He's been dropping this tune at parties forever and I finally borrowed it and ripped this rarity. This is a tune from 1985 by Junior Reid, produced by Errol John Marshall and Errol Myris Lewis for Feel the Beat. At first I was only going to post the masterful dub version, but the original is just too good to pass up, so here we have both side A and side B. Enjoy.

Steam below or click the title to download:

Jr Reid - Bank Clerk

Jr Reid - Bank Clerk (Version)

Album Review: Hard Boiled Wonderland

2010-09-13T14:09:00.001-07:00

Vijay Anderson is an Oakland based drummer that has been a staple of the Bay Area new music and jazz scenes for the better part of 15 years. He continuously gigs, performing multiple shows a week for years on end. He often performs with legends like John Tchicai and Vinnie Golia, as well as his well worn posse of jazz cats that includes John Finkbinder and Darren Johnston. I have had the privilege of hearing him play numerous times- sounds ranging from all out improvised noise chaos (with the short-lived project Musical Genius with Lynn Johnston) to a set of tender and faithfully rendered jazz standards. After performing on countless albums as a side man, Anderson has just released his first album under his own name. The album is improvised; the instrumentation: drums, clarinet, sax, guitar, and vibraphone. The music is straight from the heart and is pretty damn far out. These guys aren’t afraid of any sound, any direction, any feeling: Drums rumble as horns squeak. Feedback reverberates through amped up souls. Spiraling lines march in circles of mania. Melodies form shapelessly and wander in to the realms of pure thought as sound. The record is Hard Boiled Wonderland. Buy it here.

A selection from the album:

March at the End of the World

Surf Your Own Chaos

2010-09-09T01:13:00.000-07:00

MIke Francis - Survivor

2010-08-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a bit of Italian Balearic music courtesy of Mike Francis aka Francesco Puccioni.
It was a big hit over there in 1984. Enjoy.

Mike Francis - Survivor

War in Peacetime

2010-07-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

Please enjoy this tune at loud volumes. It's a track by South African political singer Johnny Clegg with his band at the time Juluka. The song has been slowed and edited by some fools in the UK- Leo Zero and Roof Rack. I haven't heard the OG so I'm not sure what they did but this is an ANTHEM. Ripped from my vinyl collection.

Johnny Clegg & Juluka - Two Humans on the Run (Rat Salad 33 Edit)

Spirit Resisiter: A Mix

2010-06-13T22:47:00.000-07:00

Recorded a mix for Filter Magazine, all old industrial jams...

Spirit Resister

Batwings (A Liminal Hymn)

2010-05-10T23:01:00.000-07:00

Here we have one of the deeper, heavier tunes that I'm aware of- Batwings (A Liminal Hymn) by Coil from 2000. The first half of the song is about Sir Thomas Browns 16th Century tract Musaeum Clausum, which is, from what I understand, a catalog of different books and objects that never existed. Appropriately, the second half finds John Balance in his world, singing in a language all his own. A song so serious it was played in part near the end of Balance's funeral, a man whose artistic life was essentially a mediation on death and otherness. Ripped from the LP by Musick to Play in the Dark 2.

Coil - Batwings (A Liminal Hymn)

"There is no guilt, there is no shame."

The Flat Earth

2010-04-05T22:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a weepingly beautiful electronic masterpiece by Thomas Dolby, from his 2nd LP- The Flat Earth. 1984. Vinyl recorded from my collection.

Thomas Dolby- The Flat Earth

Balearic Vol. 1

2010-03-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

A mix inspired by the musics of The White Island, Ibiza, in the 1980's. Mixed by James, February 2010.

Balearic Mix

Thoughts on Salo

2010-02-19T20:57:00.000-08:00

When I was a teenager in the early 90's this film was difficult to see. It was banned most everywhere or simply not available. Somehow my friends and I got a hold of some clips or maybe the whole film, I don't remember. What I do remember is that they were of the torture scenes and they disturbed me to the point that I stayed away from this movie... Until now. Now, not only do I not find it disturbing, I find it beautiful: An absolutely insightful and unaffected observation of depravity, perversion and the limits of power (there are none). The lack of close-ups and the exquisite framed wide angle takes are nothing short of astonishing.

The scene depicted on the cover of the DVD above is one of the most demented I have ever come across- it is truly outstanding in its emotional repugnance. It concerns a young girl grieving for her dead mother forced to eat the shit of the man responsible for her death.

For those not familiar, the story is about Fascists in 1940's Italy abducting, humiliating, abusing, and probably killing eighteen young men and women. It was the last film by Italian master Pier Pasolini- made in 1976, the year he was murdered by a young prostitute. There is some proof that the rent boy that killed him was paid by right wing groups wanting to silence his long standing leftist views. Nevertheless, Salo or The 120 Days of Sodom is a pinnacle in cinematic achievement and is widely considered one of the most important films ever created. As difficult as the subject matter may be for some, I think any intellectually sane adult will enjoy this film.

"Mange, Mange!!!"

Thoughts on a Phenomenon, A Negative Perspective: Avatar

2010-02-17T00:28:00.000-08:00

I saw it. I bowed down to the hype and went and saw the almighty Avatar in 3D IMAX. I know I am supposed to like this movie. Well, the first hour was great, the 3D effects were super trippy and the film contained the only convincing CGI I have ever seen. Up until now I have found CGI, for the most part, laughable. Once I got used to it and then the hardcore corniness kicked in- I found the experience almost unbearable. I know Cameron is making a film to appeal to the lowest common denominator- but some of that dialogue was inexcusably bad. Sure, dumb it down for the masses- but not that far down! The repeated love affirmation “I see you” being an example. I’m guessing he had to use terms a simpleton would use because he was already counting his dollars, as knew he would eventually have to dub the movie in every real language out there.

Another complaint: Even though the supposed bad guys in the movie were American military and mercenaries- I still thought they managed to glorify imperialist violence with all the “kick-ass” bravado and the subtle inspirational music during the attack on the big tree. I’m imagine most dumb kids and meatheads in the audience were thinking “yeah, burn that hippie tree down and kill those Blue Man Group cat kooks.”

Also, I can’t help but wonder if people truly enjoyed the barrage of quantum psycho-babble that infected the movie like a Pandora spirit-virus. I admit that Sigourney Weavers little speech to Giovanni Ribisi about the network of energy being alive was mildly interesting- especially when found in a blockbuster. But were people really feeling the Na’vi’s cross-legged arm to arm spiritual rejuvenation dance? I found it silly. Did you not?

To a certain degree, I did enjoy exploring the Na’vi world and, of course, the psychedelic colors of the forest and dragons were amazing to look at. But as the minutes wore on and the film became yet another hour long good vs. evil battle sequence… I had had enough. Been there, done that, don’t need to see it again. The nail in the coffin of me basically disliking the film was the god-awful emo forest spirit song playing as the credits rolled. Did they still have to try and shove the quasi new age ideology down our throats even after the movie was over??????? I think not. I found it offensive.

Excepter - Stretch (J.G Thirlwell Mix)

2010-02-05T21:36:00.000-08:00

Mind bogglingly amazing heavy track! Gotta be one of the best in years. The Foetus master returns remixing a NYC noise band. This is truly futuristic music. The power of the tune gets somewhat lost in the compressed MP3 format but it's still worth sharing.
Play loud, or better yet buy the record. Ripped from my vinyl collection.

Excepter - Stretch (J.G Thirwell Mix)

Universal Horizons music video

2010-02-04T15:17:00.000-08:00

Tim Hicks, director of the psychological horror masterpiece, The Aphrikan has created a music video for our song Universal Horizons by Pacific Horizons.

P-Lords Music Mix #10: Olivia & James

2010-01-19T19:34:00.000-08:00

A new mix that was recorded for a website in Spain but I guess they never posted it. So here it is. Recorded with decks, records, and a cheap mixer. North Hollywood December 2009.

"People Don't Believe"

Lectroluv – People Don’t Believe (The Nylon Mix)
Laj & Quakerman – Bikini Endurance
DoublePlusGood – Conga Te (Mood II Swing Jungle Mix)
Wild Rumpus – Musical Blaze-Up (Cosmo’s Tele-Tubby Mix)
Idjut Boys – Droid 1 & 4
Quando Quango – Love Tempo (Mix)
Johnny Clegg & Juluka – Two Humans on the Run (Rat Salad 33 Edit)
Magazine 60 – Don Quichotte
Man Like Me – Oh My Gosh (Ed Laliq Hoi Polloi Mix)
Style – My Kind of Woman
E-Zee Posse Feat. M.C. Kinky – Everything Starts With an ‘E’ (Renegade Soundwave Mix)
Patrice Rushen – Forget Me Nots (Out in the Sticks Edit)
The Style Council – The Big Boss Groove
Joe Jackson – You Can’t Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)

Best Movies of 2009: Our Picks

2010-01-12T21:40:00.004-08:00

Here is our annual homage to modern cinema. 3 lists. Enjoy the read and check out these movies.

James:

There were so many films I wanted to see but didn't get a chance to or were not released here: Among them- Kinatay, both Herzogs, Dogtooth, Mammoth, Hurt Locker, Trash Humpers, We Live in Public, and on and on. The first four on this list are pretty much interchangeable- they are all serious efforts from awesome filmmakers.

1. The White Ribbon- Haneke takes a stance against conformity, tradition, religion and hate. The film is a layered and complex story on many levels but, at its core, is a study in the effects of systematic repression. A major work from one of cinemas contemporary masters.

2. Martyrs- An uncompromised masterpiece. An artful and seriously twisted vision of human depravity and evil. Contains the most disturbing visuals I’ve ever seen on film. Truly nightmarish.

3. Inglorious Basterds- What can I say that hasn’t already been said? The funnest filmmaker around takes us on a ride through movie history. Loved every minute.

4. Antichrist- Too heavy of a film to fully absorb in one viewing. Between the whole thing about The Three Beggars and all the psycho-analytical talk- this one had the wheels turning almost as much as The White Ribbon. It will probably climb this list with repeated viewings.

5. Julia- I watched this without knowing anything about it and it kept me guessing as to what would happen next the entire time- a rare feat in films these days. I loved everything about it- the weird characters, the plot, the tone, and of course, Tilda Swindon is mesmerizing. You can stream it on Netflix now.

6. Lorna’s Silence- A beautiful and unassuming study of guilt. What starts out as a cold portrait of the life of an Albanian immigrant in Belgium slowly unfolds in unexpected ways until the last few beautiful scenes drift into magical realism. Features an extremely realistic performance by Jeremie Renier as a pathetic junkie.

7. Bruno- Funny stuff, man, funny stuff.

8. The Road- A refreshingly bleak film from Hollywood. I don’t think Viggo really picks bad material. Loved the depressing ideas, the washed out colors, the amazing sets, the fucked up situations…

9. Collapse- A convincing argument for the end of the world that had me "glued to my seat."

10. Che- Good enough that I watched both parts consecutively without stopping. The action scenes were shot beautifully- especially the one with the rocket propelled grenade.

Worth mentioning:

Silent Light- Carlos Reygadas is an unheralded genius from Mexico. His previous film Battle in Heaven is pretty mind blowing and must have been pretty damn controversial upon release. Here we have a meditation on faith and love based around a group of weird looking Mennonites living in Mexico. Reygadas uses non-professional actors and whoever does his cinematography is extremely talented. The film is book ended with some of the finest nature photography I’ve seen.

T.I.M.:

My Son My Son, What Have Ye Done
Werner Herzog

This film makes the list because of its originality and overall dream like wierdness. Imagine if David Lynch (who produced) and Werner Herzog had a kid and he made a thriller. No other film that I saw this year came close to this unprecedented vision of style and substance packaged within a surreal nightmare depicting one mans descent into insanity.

Antichrist
Lars Von Trier

Had audiences walking out at Cannes and all over the world. Another almost perfect example of originality. Von Trier takes the thriller/horror devices and layers in surreal moments transforming the film into a true visual nightmare. The acting and cinematography are exquisite. This was the most shocking film of the year I saw.

The White Ribbon
Michael Haneke

Haneke steps up to another level with this one. His vision of modern society and its failings depicted with mirror like authenticity in much of his French and earlier Austrian work is perfected in this film, which won the Palm d'Or at Cannes. The story is described as a parable of the rising German Facism preceding World War I. By withholding information both visual and narrative, Haneke blends the story of the societal psyche of the time with the style of his visual storytelling. What you don't know and don't see is more powerful than by what you do see and know. Cinematography... breathtaking. Acting... superb. A true masterpiece.

AVATAR
James Cameron

This film take top honors in technology. The 3D IMAX experience was pretty mind blowing. His subtle use of drawing you in the frame and creating depth in the environment brought the viewer one step closer to feeling like you were really in the story. One could be extra critical and point out some flaws here and there (like the story), but when you are pioneering, there is bound to be some trial and error and compromise. 3D is the future and this movie is helping to pave the way.

A Serious Man
Coen Brothers

A Hollywood masterpiece. They take all the conventions of a classic Hollywood narrative and flip them. Lots of questions asked, plot points developed, but none answered and none resolved. There is no resolution, no ending. Like a story told by a rabbi in the film, sometimes life has no answers. This film expresses the unsure quality of reality which we call life.

The Limits of Control
Jim Jarmusch

A minimalist tale of a man's solitary existence in the world. Of a thinking man's experience with people and environments. And then a plot twist at the end to tie in a political message. A unique offering about a unique character from a unique director.

Inglorious Basterds
Quentin Tarantino

A hilarious look at Nazi hunting. I know a film is entertaining when 3 and a half hours feel like half an hour. I laughed a lot and actually didn't mind looking at Brad Pitt for the first time in years. This is a classic film about a film about a film. And when done by the master, a highly entertaining romp through history, both real and reel.

Bruno
Larry Charles

The funniest man on the planet pushing buttons no one wants pushed. I laughed so hard I almost cried. This was the comedy of the year, smart humor that blurs the lines of performance and reality. In my humble opinion, better than Borat.

Martyrs
Pascal Laugier

A brutal movie. Visually stunning, and extremely disturbing. Great concept that holds no punches. This movie will imprint your brain, be warned. Images were burned into my mind forever, like a vivid dream. Filled with more substance than most of the horror junk that comes out of the states.

Taken
Pierre Morel

Phenomenal script written by the French master Luc Besson. A story told so tightly and seamlessly like this, makes the act of suspending disbelief effortless. Liam Neeson is in top form, and the camera work is crisp. Best script of the year executed by a great director.

Chris Scotten:

2009 was an interesting year for cinema, I have missed a lot of films: Nine, Broken Embraces, both of the Herzogs, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Where the Wild Things Are, A Serious Man but I do feel incredibly passionate about the ones I did see. They build a fairly strong canon for the year.

1. Antichrist - Lars Von Trier's best film to date. It is multi-faceted, layered, hauntingly beautiful, controversial, poignant, and an interesting look at the inherent problems with gender roles. It's complexity demands multiple viewing and while I unfortunately only had one chance to see it, I firmly believe that it will hold up in subsequent viewings. Charlotte Gainsborogh and Willem Defoe are the only actors in the film and give the year's best performances.

2. Avatar: The 3-D IMAX Experience - Despite poor casting choices (with the exception of the brilliant work of Zoe Saldana's CGI manifestation), a mediocre and familiar storyline (John Smith and Pocohantas with a happy ending), there is no denying the technical artistry or sheer imagination of Pandora's world. This film will leave a greater imprint now than Star Wars did in 1979. Cameron's work is unparalleled in cinema, it draws the viewer inside of the world engulfing them in a world of striking beauty and imagination. I include the post-title for the disclaimer that the conditions of 3-D and IMAX necessitate the film's position on my top ten. For those who complain about the plot I argue that the film doesn't need a plot to justify it's achievement - the exploration of the world of Pandora and the Na'vi race is enough. The rest of the film (the part with the less impressive live actors) feels like waking up woozy after a lucid and beautiful dream, grumpily you face the real world only to wrap yourself back up in the covers and return to blissful sleep.

3. The White Ribbon - A fascinating study of a small German village pre-world war one. Much like the assassination of the archduke Ferdinand, small tragedies begat larger and more terrifying implications. Haneke is less interested in the cause but rather the effects of these events. The tapestry of a small town unravels before our eyes, and a lot is left unsaid and undiscovered. Despite the fact that the audience knows more than any one character we, like them, are left in the dark and subject our minds to rumor, innuendo, and our own prejudices towards others.

4. The Hurt Locker - A potent character study of the quintessential soldier, heroic to the point of dangerous and reckless, effective, efficient, an adrenaline addicted sociopath. Jeremy Renner and company develop very complex portraits of different archetypes of soldiers brought together in the most dire of situations for very different reasons. Jeremy Renner's return to civilian life, his speech to his son, and the final image encapsulates the film perfectly.

5. The Headless Woman - After my first viewing of this film I condemned it as tedious, plodding, underacted, boring and mostly pointless. Bothered it's universal critical acclaim I gave it another shot. What I discovered was our generation's Blow Up (Antonioni). The film's plot, themes, mystery, and brilliance are hidden in Maria Onetto's flawless and prefectly understated performance. They are hidden in the little details just outside of the foreground, in the heads cut off by the camera's framing. This is a very delicate and nuanced film that without exception requires repeat viewings. Director Lucretia Martel covers up the implications of the car accident the same way the characters do and allows the tension to mount and boil inside of it's protagonist letting it seep out in her expressions, affectations, and even through her hair. Much like Antonioni's masterpiece details will pour out with every studied viewing.

6. Munyurangnabo - Made as a classroom project by a 28 year old Korean-American film teacher and his students in Rwanda. The entire shoot took eleven days and it is the first film in the Rwandan language Kinyarwanda. It concerns the unlikely friendship between a Hutu and a Tutsis after the Rwandan genocide. One of them an orphan travels across the country with his friend on a mission to murder the one responsible for his parent's death during the genocide. Family and friendship is strained and we get an amazing sense of the country's culture, lifestyle, politics and history. Along the way Gnabo meets Eduordo B. Uwayo, Rwanda's poet laureate who recites for him his most famous poem. This is by far the most powerful scene as it informs both the story and the country's brutal history and hopeful future. Despite it's humble origins this movie shines as one of the year's best.

7. Inglorious Bastards - Tarantino's best film since Pulp Fiction. A well crafted story that is as fun as any war film should be allowed to be, funny, tense and irresistible. Impeccable casting and indelible performances.

8. Thirst - Chan Wook Park's return to form is a brilliantly realized slapstick vampire film. A clever, sophisticated, and fun take on the genre.

9. Summer Hours - I've been fairly lukewarm towards Oliver Assayas but this is by far his best film to date. A sad and poignant rumination on the fetishistic value of items that carry the sentimental, historical, or biographical weight of the people who owned and created them. After the death of the family matriarch the children are left to contemplate and mull over the physical remnants of their childhood, only to sell off their cherished memories as they watch their childhood home dismantled before their eyes. The final tracking shot is incredible.

10. Observe and Report - Part of me wants to put this one up here just to piss you off. The other part of me actually believes that this is a great film. If Judd Apatow did a modern day adaptation of Taxi Driver, this would be the result. There is something damned entertaining in it's sheer unbridled insanity. It moves beyond the it's so bad it's good into the realm of it's a bad film that so well executed it's brilliant and needs to be in my top ten. Seth Rogan's best role to date, and amazing performances all around, it's inherently flawed but ultimately entertaining and finely realized. It occupies a spot a gap film will surely take over but I can't help but look back and realize that I loved this film. A hilarious send up of my favorite Scorsese film and the perfect antidote to crap like Paul Blart: Mall Cop.

Honorable Mention: Public Enemies, The Limits of Control, The Hangover, Taken, Martyrs

Johnny Bristol - Love No Longer Has A Hold On Me

2010-01-08T21:46:00.000-08:00

I came across this tune. It's Johnny Bristol. Re-edit by the Idjut Boys. The original is one of the best break-up songs I've ever heard. The Idjuts extend the instrumental parts and cut out some bits, therefore emphasizing certain lyrical phrases. It's an unreleased monster by them. Thanks to Bill Brewster for turning me on to this.

Play it Loud & think of Freedom.

Johnny Bristol - Love No Longer Has A Hold On Me (Idjut Boys edit)

Pacific Horizons

2010-01-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

The first P-Lord affiliated record has been released. After working on the music and figuring out distribution for the last year it is finally hitting the streets. Here is what the London record shop Phonica has to say about it: "Pacific Horizons is a new band straight out of Los Angeles and this is their first release. Featuring a lush screen-printed and individually numbered cover (just 200 of these 12's) - the chaps definitely know what they're doing. On to the music though. The a-side "Universal Horizons", is a laid-back epic that's got 'balearic' written all over it and a psychedelic soaring guitar lead designed for hedonistic sunrises by the beach. On the flip, "The Amulet" ups the ante on the general balearic-ness of the record. A slowly-building journey into guitar-penned mysticism."

Hear samples and buy it here.

or here.

Sun Dogs

2009-12-18T14:11:00.001-08:00

So you’ve heard of the Jamaican bobsled team? Well this was a documentary about the Jamaican Dogsled team- a film made for and by dog lovers. My girlfriend giggled and made those sounds that girls do when cute dogs are on screen throughout the entire 1 ½ hour running time. That was the best thing about this movie.

A white haired Jamaican man had a crackpot idea to start a team and soon garnered the support of the likes of Jimmy Buffet. He and his people went to a pound and rescued some mongrels. They found an upstanding young Jamaican man that was good with animals to be the “musher”- the guy on the sled controlling the dogs. The first hour is spent getting to know the various dogs- Smiley, Squeeze, and so on. We follow the young Jamaican musher as he leaves his homeland for the first time to train in Minnesota with a 30 year mushing veteran.

Director, off camera: “How do you feel?” Musher: “I feel… Joy.”

The team starts to build up to their first race- in Scotland. Around this time the tolerable film goes seriously downhill. Turns out our smiling mushing hero isn’t such a beacon of light after all. Off-screen he takes one of his bosses cars out for a joyride and crashes it. He is kicked off the team. I would have kept him on for the sake of cinema- especially when, I can almost guarantee, the creator of the dogsled team financed the film. But, no, they kick him off the team and send some other guy with no training to Scotland. The worst part is the dogs don’t get to go to Scotland either- they wouldn’t be allowed back into Jamaica if they leave. The whole message of the film up to that point was dogsled racing is about the relationship between the musher and his animals. So now we have an inexperienced guy we don’t care about racing dogs we have never seen before at the supposed climax of the movie. I kind of admire it’s realism but the scenes are awkward to say the least. They are obviously not wanted at the Scotland race. Though it is not said out-right, the Scots and the other teams think the Jamaican musher and his and his entourage and camera crew have shown up to make a mockery of the serious sport of dogsleding. They finish 47th with the new musher arriving at the finish line crying full blown tears with an injured dog in the dog bag (the rarely used little bad attached to the sled for emergencies). The Scots run up to help the dog yelling “oh my god- what did he do to you!” as the man stands there ignored, beaten, and broken. This scene is both a testament to the dog fanaticism of these racers and the failure of humanity to help one another.

Anyway, the film ends with a montage of dog-osophy with the main characters reflecting on the importance of saving dogs and Jamaican pride. The movie, which is available to watch on Youtube, contains some good insights into the nature of the relationship between man and dog. The Jamaican Dogsled Team definitely built something from nothing that saves dog lives and helps their local economy. But does this make for a good documentary? No. If you love dogs, I recommend watching the first 45 minutes for some solid dog porn. If not, don’t bother, I already told you what happens anyway.

The Boss of It All

2009-12-18T14:08:00.000-08:00

This is one of Lars Von Trier’s experimental movies that plays with convention like The Idiots, or The Five Obstructions. He appears as himself in these films- either adding little narratives or by purposely showing the camera crew in the reflections of windows. This one is his attempt at a genre film- a comedy. It succeeds as a funny movie and would probably is hysterical if you were Danish.

An out of work self-important actor is hired by the boss of a software company to pretend to be the “boss of it all” that no one has met. That way he can blame him for all the fucked up stuff he does- like selling off the company and firing his all his employees/investors/developers without compensation. Of course the actor going into this gig doesn’t know this and throughout the film he struggles with the dilemma of sticking to his “role” and doing what he is told- and fucking the unknowing employees over. The movie ultimately deals with ethical questions. And the end is really a jab at the art of acting. It really works largely because the guy playing him, Jens Albinus’ (Stoffer from The Idiots) performance is perfectly perplexed and laugh-out-loud funny.

Trier used a technique called Automavison, probably something he made up or helped develop. He establishes a scene, points the camera at the actors, and then lets a computer select the angle, movement, pan, tilt, and zoom of the camera. Then they shoot it. So in the final product there are a lot of jump cuts but it makes for interesting viewing- and occasionally you come across some amazing unintentional compositions that are striking.

If you like the weird shit Trier does- I imagine you will like this- I think it’s among his best work. Or if you want to see a superior and subversive office comedy and you don’t mind that it’s in Danish- check this out for sure.

Remembering Whips

2009-10-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

Her catch phrase was “It’s Showtime!” She would announce it before she'd get on a table in the back room of the famous club Max’s Kansas City in Manhattan to start her song and dance routine.

Born and raised in the city, Andrea “Whips” Feldman was a character in Andy Warhol’s 1960’s scene. A Warhol Superstar who acted in three classic Paul Morrissey films: Imitation of Christ, Trash, and her greatest performance- Heat. Her bizarre disposition and heavy NY accent along with crazy improvised dialogue made her a stand out weirdo- in a cast full of freaks. Besides being a wild partier who loved drugs, she struggled with depression and insecurity. In 1972 on the 10th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s death, everybody was hanging out in the back room when she jumped on a table, and uncharacteristically, silently held Marilyn’s photo above her head. After a while she said “Marilyn is dead, love me while you can” and jumped down. No one thought too much of it at the time.

A few days later she called up a bunch of her ex-boyfriends and told them to come over to witness “her final performance.” As they gathered on the sidewalk out side of her aunt’s ritzy apartment in mid-town, Whips jumped from the 14th floor to her death. She held a can of coca-cola in one hand and a rosary in the other. She was 24. Her suicide note was addressed to everyone she loved and ended with the proclamation “I’m going for the big time, I hit the jackpot!”

D.A.F - GREIF NACH DEN STERNEN

2009-10-05T23:53:00.000-07:00

This has to be up there with The Style Council as some of the "coolest" shit ever.

A Hole In My Heart

2009-09-26T01:57:00.000-07:00

A weird little Swedish film from a few years ago. It was directed by Lucas Moodysson who is probably best known for a disturbing and important film about sex slavery called Lilya 4-Ever. If you haven't seen that- do so asap. This was his follow up and while still dark in tone, is way different. The film mostly consists of four characters in a tiny apartment. A woman and two men are trying to make a porn film. One of the men has a son who hides out from the madness in his room. He listens to noise music on his headphones to block out the sounds of degradation and fucking. The interesting thing here was he is actually listening to harsh noise, not metal or industrial like most "disturbed" teenagers in movies. I hadn't seen that in a film before. Also the noise, along with the quick and trippy editing, makes for a very jarring viewing experience. There is definitely a claustrophobic feel to this movie and it gets under your skin. The scenes in the apartment are inter cut with shots of night-vision confessionals, operations, dolls, meats, sex toys, all sorts of shit. The characters are all sad and fucked up people, emotionally isolated from each other and the world. Only through perversion and self-hate can they feel anything. Before exploring darker terrain, Moodysson's first two films were popular comedies- so the man is definitely on a journey of some sorts. If you're into challenging and unique film making, you'd like this. Everyone else, stay away.

Idjut Boys and Laj - Fool'in

2009-09-10T17:49:00.000-07:00

I Haven't posted shit lately. I wrote an entire thing about the band Music Go Music but my computer at work broke down and I lost it. Until inspiration strikes- here is a masterful house track from the Idjut Boys and Ray Mang. I was recently given this record and we ripped it and put it on Youtube. Check out the user Sharkweak, you'll find other awesome tracks we posted and a bunch of other mind blowing music.

Coil

2009-07-29T19:42:00.000-07:00

I haven’t had time to post much lately but here are two songs currently blowing my mind. They are both by Coil. The first is The Last Amethyst Deceiver: a re-working of one of their classic tracks. The lyrics are posted below. The second is The Dreamers Is Still Asleep. This was recorded just before John Balance, the singer/lyricist, died from falling 12 feet after slipping over a rail in his house in 2004. Like a lot of his writing, it’s a heavy meditation on death that is even more poignant knowing he would be experiencing the focus of his life’s work within weeks. This song was played to begin his funeral celebration. You can read the lyrics in the service program.

Pay your respects to the vultures
For they are your future
Our fathers and mothers have
Our fathers and mothers have
They have failed to release us
They have failed to release us
They have failed to release us
Into the welcoming arms
Of the amethyst deceivers
So pay your respects
So pay your respects
Pay your respects to the vultures
And to the crows
And to the carrion crows
And to the ravens
Those graven ravens
And to the carrion crows
And to the rooks
And to the rooks
And to the vultures
And to the vultures
And to the vultures
Pay your respects to the vultures
For they are our future
For they are your future
Our fathers and mothers have
Our fathers and mothers have
Our fathers and mothers have
They have failed to release us
Into the welcoming arms
Into the welcoming arms
Into the welcoming arms
Of the amethyst
Of the amethyst
The little mushrooms
The little mushrooms
Welcoming arms
Of the amethyst
Of the amethyst deceivers

Icehouse, anyone?

2009-07-14T20:25:00.000-07:00

Got turned onto this tune last night, had to share. Should I laugh? Should I cry? Who knows? This shit rules! Love the backup vocal work.

Warren's Song of the Month

2009-07-07T20:18:00.000-07:00

Another balearic jem from Warren.

Michael Jackson 1958 - 2009

2009-06-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

Michael Jackson was a beacon of light for humanity and all its eccentricities. He was a symbol of forward thinking evolutionary progress- for the powers of transformation that we have as a species now. He realized one doesn’t have to be the color they were born or the gender they were born. In this day and age, with science where it's at, we can move past archaic concepts like these- you can be whatever you want, and Michael was living proof. He harnessed creative energy and changed the world with it. He was one of our all time greatest dancers, singers, and arrangers- on par with James Brown.

But anyone shattering the status quo and living such a highly visible alternative lifestyle will inevitably be taken down by the forces that be: the people that are afraid of change and things that they don’t understand. These people found opportunistic families that Michael was nice enough to help to “make their dreams come true” and used them to slander him and rob him of his money and dignity. Throughout the trial that acquitted him the media portrayed him as a freak because he identified with Peter Pan and was into plastic surgery. One media meme led to the next and now in the majority public opinion- he is guilty. It is sickening. All his accusers admitted they were forced into lying about what happened to them. Their parents admitted they were extorting him for money, a fact sadly left out of the news. I know people that worked closely for and with Michael for decades and they say the charges against him are ridiculous. The “jesus juice” story was cooked up by a writer for Vanity Fair trying to make a name for herself by riding on the back of the Gloved One, just like that irresponsible sad excuse for a news reporter- Martin Basheer, a condescending morally righteous scumbag. I know a woman who followed the trial religiously and was there everyday. She was so convinced of his innocence she made a marionette puppet of him and marched across the country with it. This is how much people love MJ!

But all that is beside the point. What matters is the joy that Michael brought to the millions of people throughout the world with his music. Just hit after hit, groove after groove, shaking booties of all shapes and colors. That is his legacy. Go back and watch him do his thing in his prime- he is one of the greatest entertainers of all time, not to mention arguably the most famous person ever. I mean, how much more powerful can one man get?? Michael Jackson was walking, talking, empowering evolution and he challenged people’s perceptions of what it means to be a human being. And, boy, could he move.

My mother tells me that when I was 7 I bought Thriller and had a little "Michael Jackson Radio" and did the moonwalk around the house.

DVD Review: Traitor

2009-06-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, Ok we get it! All Muslims want to kill as many innocent people as possible! Americans good! Muslims bad! This film is nothing more than more right-wing propaganda. It tries to play off this intention with a few ‘tolerant’ one-liners but the message is overwhelmingly prejudiced. The FBI cops are righteous and smart, all the Muslims are deadly killers. Cheadle is the American bred non- violent faithful Muslim caught in the middle.

The film plays like a bad episode of 24. Intense situations build up only to dissolve with lazy writing cop-outs like “oh, I have a stomach ache” in order to move the plot along. The dialogue, brought to us by Jeffery Nachmanoff, who wrote “The Day After Tomorrow”, is heavy-handed and unimaginably cheesy. Most lines are standard Hollywood crap lifted from other films. The weird thing is that the one and only Steve Martin wrote the initial story. Even more mind-boggling is why he would hand it off to a hack like Nachmanoff.

Every role would have benefited from better, lesser known talent instead of rich actor dudes that are in every other crappy movie. Not that it was an exceptionally good movie, but Body of Lies is a better take on similar material, even if Dicaprio is poorly cast as well. Cheadle just isn’t believable in the role. That last conversation between him and Guy Pierce is one of the most cringe-inducingly corny I’ve seen in recent memory. My roommate actually got mad at me for bringing this home.

In conclusion, if you are a conservative ideologue or republican moron looking for justifications for your judgmental world-view, this movie is for you. Everyone else, stay the fuck away.

Final Flesh

2009-06-10T11:38:00.001-07:00

Final Flesh is a film by Vernon Chapman, one of the creators of PFFR, Xavier: Renegade Angel and Wonder Showzen. He screened the film last night in LA to a packed house at the Silent Movie Theater. The films set-up is this: There are porn companies online that do custom porn. You can send in whatever your fantasy is and they will act it out, record it, and send you the tape. Well, Vern wrote a series of absurd scripts for the porn actors to do- weird and bizarre shit, no sex. He made it so the actors thought he would be getting off on it- not turning their videos into art films. He presented the films exactly as he received them- the companies did all the titling and editing. The result is very twisted, often times gross, and always funny. The film is in four parts. The first begins with three black actors talking around a table moments before the Atom Bomb is about to drop. One of the ladies goes into the shower and pours a jar of ‘neglected children’s tears’ over herself in an erotic manner. Read into this what you will… She goes on to give birth to a piece of raw meat that she breastfeeds. And that’s just the beginning; the parts get progressively crazier from there. Check out the DVD that will be released by Drag City later this year.

I couldnt find any images online from the film so I just put the PFFR logo...

Nurse With Wound - Swansong

2009-05-29T17:03:00.000-07:00

Here we have yet another piece of music made up entirely of the human voice. After the Maja Ratkje and Robert Ashley pieces, I thought I’d include one more, this time by Nurse With Wound. NWW is Stephen Stapleton, an English guy that lives in Ireland on a farm he built himself with recycled materials. He also makes incredible art, like that above. He has been doing crazy dark psychedelic ambient noise music as NWW for over 20 years. He has barely ever performed live and had never in the US until a few years ago in San Francisco, pictured below. It was him with 5 or 6 other people creating a sea of sound that completely enveloped the room non-stop for an hour. It was one of the heavier live sets I’ve seen. Anyway, this piece is called Swansong and, according to Stapleton, was "spewed out after watching a documentary on the American A-Bomb tests off the Bikini Islands which left me sad, helpless and fucking angry- an ocean of death." The piece perfectly captures the raw feeling of destruction and devastation, especially when the ‘bomb’ drops halfway through the track. Enjoy! As always, play this very loud.

Visions of Cannes

2009-05-26T12:47:00.000-07:00

Potion Lords had a representative at The Cannes film Festival these past two weeks. Tim was out there, his film The Aphrikan was screening at in the 'Short Film Corner' of the festival. He handed out promotional scalpels. Below is what he sent us.

Visions of Cannes
05 24 09

-dark green mountains salted with pockets of white villas nestled along peachy sand beaches.

-swimming out to a buoy, opening my eyes along the way under the clear emerald water

-watching Neil Young film at sunset on the beach with yachts aglow in the distance

-mothers in high heels and 500 dollar daisy dukes pushing strollers along the croisette

-giving Quentin Tarantino a scalpel talking about Redondo Beach

-topless 8 year olds
-topless 68 year olds

-Tan young French girls poolside. No plastic surgery

-watching Dario Argento´s Giallo, wishing it was good, but witnessing how very bad it is :(

-eating Mussels that look like pink labia, and taste like heaven.

-Lobsterazzi burnt by the sunbeams from Hell

-Catching the premiere of Tetro. Vincent Gallo winning my heart back with the performance of a lifetime

-Being blessed by a screening of Von Trier´s Antichrist, one of the most original statements ever filmed. More shocking in its subtlety than any horror film this year, or ever.

-Agora, a history lesson on religion with a grace and beauty that smacks you in the face

-Having to make the choice between catching a reprise screening of Gaspar Noe´s Enter The Void or going to the to see Psychic TV play in Marseilles..........

-walking the red carpet to see Inglorious Basterds in the grand lumiere theater with Nico. the 2hr20min flew by as Nazis were slaughtered by Jews,

-giving Terry Gilliam a scalpel, him exclaiming "Now this is something I can use."

-reattached body parts, especially toes.

-missing body parts, especially arms.

-sagging leather

-attending the Min Ye premiere with a griot in attendance. Africans filing in as I listen to Am I black Enough by Schooly D.

-Standing in a HOT line for 2 hours to catch Das Weisse Bande by Haneke (pictured). His greatest photographic achievement yet. STUNNING black and white. He channeled Bergman and stepped up to a new aesthetic of emotional storytelling.

-Walking out of the palais for the final time, catching a glimpse of Gaspar Noe´s face on the screen, knowing they are inside, entering the void without me.

-realized you can´t see em all.

-running through the crowded streets of Cannes to meet my girl at the train. Hop on. Roll out by stunning ocean and mountain landscapes on the way to Marseilles and Genesis..............................................................;)

T
I
M

PFFR

2009-05-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

PFFR. An art collective from New York. These people are way, way out there. They made the mind blowing television program Wonder Showzen. Now they do an animated show called Xavier: Renegade Angel that is completely strange and totally psychedelic. It's about a philosophical faun-like creature with backwards knees "seeking the mystery of his own origin." He is often fending off violent rednecks or meeting with his Shaman. PFFR describes it as "a warning to children and adults about the dangers of spirituality." Also check out their website, it's one of the raddest I've ever seen. They are a band too and this is a video they made:

And here is a link to a totally mental episode of Xavier.

They are screening their new avant garde porn film Final Flesh at the Silent Movie Theater in Hollywood June 9th.

Book Review: Blackwater

2009-05-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

Jeremy Scahill’s Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army is a detailed and fascinating chronicle of a private corporate army run by Christian supremacists that subscribe to the idea of imposing their morality on the world. The company was founded by Erik Prince a young silver-spooned Christian wacko, whose father, Edgar, was an influential billionaire who gave millions to right-wing religious causes. Blackwater started as a small training facility in North Carolina in 1999 but after 9/11, went on to make over a BILLION dollars on the war on terror, mostly from contracting their “security” services to guard top government officials in Iraq. They operate outside the law and can kill anyone they want for no reason, which often happens, without any repercussions. This is possible because Paul Bremner, who was running Iraq the first year, handed down “Order 17” that stated private contractors could not be prosecuted under Iraq law.

The Blackwater men are mostly drawn from retired Army, Navy, and Special Forces, as well from other countries like Chili and South Africa, where those troops took part in the torture and slaughter of thousands of innocents under brutal dictatorships. In Iraq, they are paid 3 or 4 times more than an American soldiers and are often blamed for inciting hatred among insurgents and citizens, consequently doing more harm than good in the war. For Iraqis, the typical Blackwater solider is a picture of everything wrong with America: chiseled bodies, wrap-around sunglasses, goatees, khaki pants, backwards baseball caps, lots of guns and heavy artillery. They drive armored SUVs throughout the country indiscriminately firing at anyone that gets to close to their moving convoys. The stories in this book are horrifying and enraging.

Recently Blackwater have expanded beyond contract security in Iraq. They now operate a company called Total Intelligence Solutions, a private CIA type company run by J. Cofer Black, the legendary US spy and head of the Counterterrorism unit of the CIA for years and one of the architects of the government’s secretive “extraordinary rendition” policy. So now the CIA’s talent, information, and contacts are on sale for corporations and countries to purchase at will. The book explores in depth the other services offered by Blackwater and Prince’s other companies. Without getting too detailed, I’ll tell you- they’re really fucked up. It’s a jarhead fantasy of kidnapping, espionage, and violence.

Blackwater has recently come home and began terrorizing Americans too. They went into New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and “patrolled” the city with machine guns. Instead of sending food and supplies in, the Bush administration sent these worthless heavily armed douchbags in- and paid them 73 million dollars! Needless to say, these people are extremely well connected to government. Their ties to the Christian fundamentalists and their donations to crazy hate groups is probably the most disturbing aspect of their existence. Anyway, I’m merely scratching the surface of the evil antics of this company. Scahill goes way deep into it and the book reads like a cinematic thriller. My only complaint is it gets bogged down too much with legal jargon in the middle, and it repeats itself a little. But the main point gets through. Your tax dollars are funding the biggest, scariest, lawless army in the world that wants you to worship Christ, just like they do. Hooray!

Pacific Horizons

2009-05-12T20:32:00.000-07:00

The Potion Lords launched a new musical adventure last week. Check it out.

Pacific Horizons

Photo of a Palos Verdes Sunset in April by China Star

Maja Ratkje: Acid / Insomnia

2009-04-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

I figured, after the Robert Ashley piece, I'd post another experimental work created entirely by voice. This is from one of my favorite contemporary composers Maja Ratkje. She is a Norwegian woman that is one half of the noise duo Fe-Mail and the improv group SPUNK. These pieces are from her album Voice. Its an extremely beautiful and varied record from 2002 made up entirely of her voice. These are the last two tracks on the record. Acid is short and very trippy, indicative of the other songs on the album. Insomnia is an epic noisy masterpiece. I've seen her a live a few times and got to hang out with her when she was in San Francisco recording at Recombinant Media Labs. Totally cool lady and is as stunningly beautiful in person as she is in these pictures. These are among my favorite new music works. Play loud.

Acid:

Insomnia:

One of my favorite record covers ever, Voice. I wish this image showed the subtle coloring.

Frownland

2009-04-26T19:01:00.000-07:00

What happens when someone has so much social anxiety that they cease to function? How alone can one man get? When the mundane crap we have to endure in order to be part of society gets to be too much, what happens? Frownland explores these questions. Its the first film by a guy named Ronald Bronstein, a film projectionist in New York. Definitely a startlingly original debut. The tone is strange and claustrophobic as we get inside the mind of a guy named Keith that is so messed up he can hardly form a proper sentence. We follow him around as he tries to make contact with people and function day to day. Most of us have known people like this- people that say "sorry" too much and have very awkward communication skills. So we know there are people out there like this but why would someone want to make a movie about them? Well, because its interesting and Bronstein and the lead actor, Dore Mann, do an excellent job. This may seem like something difficult to watch, and at times it is, but I found it oddly fascinating. I found myself contemplating the film days afterward. This film is about as un-commercial as a film can get. A few friends filmed it over the course of a few years as they saved money. It was shot on 16mm and the scratched film look is beautifully low budget. With no distributor, this may be a tough one to find, I think it's been screening randomly for the past year or so. Hopefully it'll be on DVD at some point. I saw it at the Silent Movie Theater here in LA. There were 10 people in the audience, among them Crispin Glover, if that tells you anything about how weird this movie is. Highly recommended.

Political Reading

2009-04-21T14:21:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much time to blog lately since the corporate overlords at my job decided to treat their employees like children and take away our Internet access. So instead of fully summarizing these articles I'll just link to them. If you have any interest in politics, war, finance, etc.... check these out.

I came across this one, entitled The Big Takeover, in Rolling Stone. It is an engaging and well written explanation of the financial crisis and the bailout. The author is pissed off as fuck and maintains a refreshingly angry tone throughout the piece. Basically, with the aid of media propaganda, the bankers are taking over the government and stealing taxpayer dollars to make themselves rich.

The Other War was an article that appeared in The Nation in July 2007 and was one of the first comprehensive pieces that explored the Iraqi citizen death toll (100,000) and the morally ambiguous behavior of some US troops in Iraq. My thoughts: The US has a bunch of kids over there that grew up playing video games about killing and are spoon-fed government lies, so the fact that they are systematically terrorizing families, not to mention indiscriminately murdering woman and children, isn't surprising. War is hell. Its a long piece but worth the read.

And here are two new ones by Naomi Klein. A piece about Obama's treasure secretary and megalomanical moron Larry Summers. And A Lexicon of Disappointment is poking fun at the Obamamanics and is a call too arms to get over this "hope" phenomenon and start making sure "change" really happens. Well, it's not- the illusion is over and it's back to the same old shit.

Bob Presents: Elvis

2009-04-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

We have a new guest blogger- Bob. He is taking the site to a whole new level with this contribution. Bob on the video:

"Oh yeah - the air lasso is heavy duty - I have been watching a lot of it lately when I'm feeling not so perky - fire up some air lasso and you are ready to face world".
(air lasso around minute four)

She Was A Visitor

2009-04-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

I figured I should post more music on this site. I used to more but then I lost access to my server so now I have to use free Internet host sites. Either way, it works so I’m going to post a new piece of music each week. Most of what is already posted here is disco or balearic. I have a few hundred gigs of experimental/new music/noise/ambient type stuff on a hard drive so I’ll share some the best of that collection. A lot of it is extremely out there and challenging material so I’ll try and keep it to pieces that are more listener friendly.

First up is a piece by Robert Ashley. When I studied this sort of music, my teacher, Maggi Payne, had been a student of his and turned me on to his stuff. He was one of the early electronic music pioneers that came out of the scene centered around the San Francisco Tape Music Center in the early 70’s. Now he is probably best known for directing operas but back then he was known for a piece called Automatic Writing. She Was A Visitor was included on the same CD as that classic work but for whatever reason it resonated with me more, and still does today. It is a experimental piece for voice from 1967 performed by the Brandeis University Chamber Chorus and directed by Alvin Lucier.

Ashley's notes on the piece: "She Was a Visitor is a form of description, it is intended to be understood as a form of rumor. The chorus is divided into groups, each headed by a leader. A lone speaker repeats the title sentence throughout the entire performance. The separate phonemes of this sentence are picked up freely by the group leaders and are relayed to the group members, who sustain them softly and for the duration of one natural breath. The time lag between the group leaders' phoneme choices and those phonemes being picked up by members of the group produces a staggered, chant-like effect, with the sounds moving outward from the nearest performer to the farthest".

Play it loud.

Robert Ashley - She Was A Visitor

Martyrs

2009-03-29T23:05:00.000-07:00

I watched what is probably the most disturbing movie I've ever seen. It is a French film called Martyrs that came out last year. It is a existential journey into the heart of depravity and pain. Though it is truly horrifying, it is not a "horror movie." There is nothing supernatural in the film and there are no obvious scares and starling noises in the dark. The story is told in a cold, calculated, detached manner. It is about the bad things humans do to each other and the motivations behind their actions. I won't get into the plot here, it would ruin it. But I'll say it concerns confinement, transcendence, and ritualized beatings. The director, Pascal Laugier, wrote it in a bout of depression and has been apologetic to the films haters and thankful of its appreciators.

I watched it alone at night and I still I can't get the images out of my mind- and I'm having nightmares about it. The only other time I have been actually been truly scared by film making was in 8th grade when they revealed who Bob was on Twin Peaks. Remember the scene right before Bob/Leland kills Maddy when hes putting on the gloves in front of the mirror? That got to me. Martyrs did too.

This is a serious film not for the light of heart. If you are interested in the darker aspects of human nature and can handle un-glorified violence, I highly recommend Martyrs. This is a movie you will never forget, the power of cinema in full force.

Edit 5/2: This film is on DVD now. Don't get it from Blockbuster! Those Christian idiots censored it.

Revisiting A Classic

2009-03-26T18:13:00.000-07:00

Bob Marley is a Prophet. So friggin amazing...

Jeff Mills: The Exhibitionist

2009-03-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

I found the entirety of this classic Jeff Mills DVD on Youtube. If there was a musical hierarchy, Mills would be at the tippity top... truly intense music from a master. I suggest headphones or a good sound system to hear this.

One Line Film Reviews

2009-03-04T17:37:00.000-08:00

I've been watching new releases and semi-new releases online at home. In case you are wondering what to see, don't have a lot of time, and trust my opinion, here are some one line reviews.

Revolutionary Road- The film has some good things to say about the price of conformity but its delivery is a little heavy handed and its basically two actors arguing a lot.

Slumdog Millionaire- Couldn't get through it but I'm glad the amazing Anthony Dod Mantle won an Oscar for his cinematography.

Man on Wire- Kind of inspiring.

An American Crime- Could have been awesome (Ellen Page tortured to death by kids) but just didn’t work due to bad direction.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall- Pretty funny but I’m sick of these people.

Appaloosa- Jeremy Irons, Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen in a western, rad.

Savage Grace- I turned this story about rich gay people in the 50's off about half way, even though I heard there was incest involved.

Taken- Suspend your disbelief and this is a fun trip into the world of sex slavery.

Gran Torino- Clint Eastwood ends his acting career on a seriously racist note, he even calls white people “Ofays” in this film.

Baby Mama- I seriously regret stealing this movie, it was terrible.

The Last House on the Left- Way toned down from the classic 1972 version but still slightly disturbing fun.

Stuck- Girl hits homeless man and he gets stuck in her windshield and she leaves him to die in her garage.

Rachel Getting Married- Intense moments of sadness as well as insights into the emotional complexity of family, addiction and grief makes this one of the heaviest films I've seen in recent memory.

Burn After Reading- The Coen Brothers present a bumbling comedy of errors in which John Malcovich and Brad Pitt are particularly hysterical.

Role Models- I found this surprisingly funny, I recommend it.

The Reader- Corney classical music plays over the entirety of this contrived and emotionally manipulative Oscar-hungry Holocaust drama.

The Life and Times of Chris Gaines

2009-03-03T15:26:00.001-08:00

This is weird: ever heard of Chris Gaines? In 1999 American superstar Garth Brooks created an alter ego for himself in order to have a parallel career to his pop-country one. He claimed he created the character for a film he had written and was to star in called The Lamb. The bizarre thing is, well, look at the guy! Your supposed-to-be-cool alter ego is a cheeseball emo rocker dude? What the fuck? Brooks created a fictional back-story for Gaines, complete with 6 different record covers. He played SNL as Gaines and released the one and only Gaines record as a “pre-soundtrack” to the film. A god-awful single from the record actually charted on the pop top 40 charts. But when the film never materialized the public got a little weirded out and, as Wikipedia puts it “the majority of the American public was either totally bewildered or completely unreceptive to the idea of Garth Brooks as anything but a pop-country singer.” Brooks didn’t really get famous until his forties and after becoming the highest selling solo act of ALL TIME he probably felt he could do anything- even become a shitty rock singer. I guess Chris Gaines was just a byproduct of a mans ego gone haywire.

Clipd Beaks - Visions

2009-02-25T13:41:00.000-08:00

Clipd Beaks released a video for there new single Visions. It's one of their more intense tunes. They are a 3 piece now that Greg left the band. In his absence, Nic's vocals have come to the front of the mix. This is a good thing because his lyrics are downright beautiful. I'm surprised these guys aren't indie sensations yet. They are one of the best live bands around.

NEW MIX!!!!!!!!

2009-02-23T10:13:00.001-08:00

The Ketamine Brothers played records at Beverly Hills City Hall over the weekend. We recorded part of our set. Check it out.

COPS

2009-02-13T11:26:00.000-08:00

I applied to an ad on Craigslist looking for people thats lives had been changed by watching the TV show COPS. This was my application.

I have a sick addiction to COPS. In watching it, I really get to see what life is like outside of my little Los Angeles bubble. There is something about watching white trash getting beat up by stupid redneck police that I find strangely educational. The way they exude brute force on weak drug addled people is an insight into the nature of humanity with all its wars, hate, and disease. I find it emotionally compelling too. Did you see the second episode on Saturday? They busted that kid for coke (that’s him below). I felt for him, he was watching his life shatter before his eyes and he knew it. The dude was just trying to get high- his god-given right. COPS often makes me pissed off about drug laws. I mean, the kid was just minding his own business... I get angry about how self-important these cops think they are. They are just another gang out ruining people’s lives but the legacy of COPS makes them think they are doing good work. I hate the show in that way. I love COPS, I hate COPS… I watch COPS.

Filmed on location by the men and women of law enforcement.

"Is this Real Life!?"

2009-02-03T10:51:00.000-08:00

This kid has a psychedelic crisis after a visit to the dentist, and in the process asks some profound questions.

The look he gives the camera at .44 seconds says it all.

Upcoming Gigs / Flyers

2009-02-02T12:32:00.000-08:00

The End of Modesty

2009-01-22T16:21:00.000-08:00

The astounding arrogance of Puff Daddy and Kayne West is something to be reckoned with, but Sting may have taken the top spot as the worlds most maniacal megalomaniac with this video. Here he portrays him self as a God-like Christ figure that floats down from the sky and heals people while bad new-age effects morph around him. And I'm guessing this song is about Obama. Someone shoot this asshole. And shoot the insufferably pompous Bono while your at it. Or at least knock his sunglasses off.

Bobbie Marie

2009-01-22T12:32:00.000-08:00

This is a band that does it right. Thomas and Rene write and produce the music. They release 3 limited vinyl only 7”s on the best label on earth. Get a killer band to back you up for gigs in Los Angeles (sans Thomas). Play a free show at the best venue in LA- 3 Clubs. Bobbie Marie. Check these dudes out. They know how to put on a show. Renee is a real deal frontman, in the tradition of Nation of Ulysses/ James Brown/ Iggy Pop/ Jesus Lizard. Dude went pretty crazy. They kind of sound like a combination of those bands too. The music is weird backwoods forward-thinking rock n’ roll. I’ve heard it described as “barnyard punk.” There is also a slight house element that creeps through in slower songs. The new 12” is totally out there. Ship Overboard sounds like a sea shanty being sung from a mile under water. There are still some copies available at Amoeba. Next show is Feb 24. Peep it.

Ride Like the Wind

2009-01-16T11:36:00.000-08:00

My friend Stew turned me on to this video. It puts Christopher Cross into perspective. He's a soulfull motherfucker. The keyboard player might be the raddest dude on earth.
Da da da da- da da da daaahhhh!

Good Vibrations

2009-01-08T12:03:00.000-08:00

The Gaza massacre is bumming me out. I thought I should cheer up the vibe.
Here is a classic from the great Psychic TV, in their hyperdelic phase.

The Slaughter

2009-01-06T11:31:00.001-08:00

UPDATED JAUNARY 9th.

Look at this picture. This is the result of Israels attack on Gaza. You won't see this image on TV but this is what happens when the worlds fourth largest army bombs a UN school in a REFUGEE camp tucked into the worlds largest open air prison. The official word from the Israeli Army is there was gunfire coming from in the school and that "Hamas cynically uses civilians as human shields." Hmmm... Maybe you shouldn't fire at them then?! They are, after all, CIVILIANS. From the linked article: "A medic who treated the wounded, said he saw no gunmen among the casualties."

The mind boggles.

One has to wonder how far Israel will take this. If or when they take control of Gaza, who will get the billion dollar Haliburton-style reconstruction contract to rebuild the Gaza strip? How soon will Israel and American corporations be profiting from this? How soon will a McDonald's be opening?

Hopefully never.

Barack Obama is a piece of shit for siding with Israel and should be impeached as soon as he hits office. His "if rockets hit where my daughters sleep" argument is one-sided and backwards. Why doesn't self-defence apply to Palestine? I have lost all respect for him.

This dead little girl was one of 110 people the Army evacuated to a safe house. They were told to stay inside and less than 24 hours later, Israel shelled the house, killing over 30 people, most of them children.

On the bright side, there is a movement that is gaining traction called BDS: Boycott, Divest, Sanction. It calls for serious economic repercussions for Israel if it continues with its crimes: Illegal settlements, wars, and running the largest concentration camp ever- Gaza. Naomi Klein breaks it down in this radical article.

For more reading, I highly recommend reading this fascinating portrait of life in Gaza. It is centered around Nizar Rayan, the Hamas leader that was killed, along with his 11 children, when Israel jets dropped 2 missiles on his house.

Thoughts on Gaza

2009-01-02T14:33:00.000-08:00

The death tole rises as the oppression and subjugation of a people continues in Palestine. The Zionist war-hawks that run Israel have a few objectives with this new wave of killing. One is to create fear in the entire middle east and show that they are dead serious about their security and sovereignty. Another is to continue to systematically wipe away the Arab people and their culture from the region. They have waged what they call a “total war” against a people that are essentially defenseless. They have no army, no Apache helicopters, no F-16 bombers, not even electricity at this point. But Israel does, and with these things, they are massively bombing a tiny piece of land home to 1.5 million people. The “news” we hear is mostly pro Israel because America has a vested interest in selling Israel weapons. Like the US, Israeli companies have made millions on the homeland security boom, a disaster capitalism complex born of fear after 9/11. It has made Israel more powerful in the world market and the "terrorism" catch phrase has been a convenient one for them to adopt in order to continue Palistinian suppression.

The much discussed rockets that were fired into what was once Palestine, now illegally Israel, may or may of not been fired by Hamas. Some say it was the US backed anti-Hamas group Fatah that operates in the area, in order to provoke an attack from Israel. But even it was the democratically elected Hamas, does a few non-lethal rockets equate a full scale invasion- 400 dead already, half of them children? I don't think so. It is a crime against humanity. The sad thing is the Palestinians have nowhere to go. Their movement is restricted by Israeli troops that don't allow people to go from one town to another, let alone leave Palestine. The Israeli army does not let in food, medical supplies, or fuel. The already poverty stricken people are caged in and trapped as the war machine bombs them deeper and deeper into unsurvivable conditions.

Israeli citizens smile and watch an air strike from the safe side of the apartheid wall.

Best Films 2008: Our Picks

2008-12-26T16:25:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year when the “Best Films of 2008” lists start coming out. We figured the unique minds at Potion Lords should chime in, in order to balance out the ever-predictable Oscar lists.

James:

There are a lot of films I didn’t see but I caught quite a few… and at the top of the list is...

1. Funny Games US- Michael Haneke's condemning film on the desensitization of violence as entertainment. Between the eggs and the golf balls, this is a modern classic. I applaud Naomi Watts for taking on what must have been a demanding and emotionally exhausting role. Brady Corbet and Michael Pitt play the best psychos ever.

2. Mister Lonely- The emerging cinematic genius of our time drops another beautiful piece of art on us. Beautifully shot and totally original.

3. Encounters at the End of the World- When Werner Herzog makes a documentary, you better believe it’s going to be the best of the year. Among his finest.

4. Smiley Face- The stoniest movie of the year. Anna Ferris nails what its like to seriously trip out. The attention to detail is marvelous. Watch it high.

5. The Dark Knight- Big budget filmmaking at its best. Ledger completely disappeared into the character; Heath was nowhere to be seen... astonishing.

6. Synecdoche, New York- Inner paradigm shifting exploration of the meaning of life and art. The dark side of psychedelia captured on film.

7. Up the Yangtze- An fascinating portrayal of the industrialization and modernization of China told through the story of one peasant family relocated during the unbelievably massive 3 Rivers Damn Project. An unintentionally perfect companion piece to last years Manufactured Landscapes.

8. Gomorra- A very realistic portrait of life in the slums of Naples that are run by the ruthless Cammorra crime family. The character of Ciro (the skinny kid) is one of the best I've seen in years. That kid is amazing- he should get an Oscar. The scene with him shooting the guns is incredible.

9. Taxi to the Dark Side- Won an Oscar in 2007 but was not properly released until this year. Watching these soldiers unremorsefully recount beating and torturing innocent people to death will make you furious, and realize the American Military is the most dangerous and evil force on the planet. Terrifying.

10. Wendy and Lucy- A simple, personal film that works if you have ever experienced life like Wendy.

11. Paranoid Park, The Class, Still Life, The Last Mistress, The Wrestler, or Lorna’s Silence. Didn’t have a chance to see these but I guarantee they’re amazing.

TIM:

What a year huh? Do you feel any different? Are you looking forward to 2 0 0 9? Hope? Change? Well maybe after watching a few of these, you will………change…

“Everything is personal” –T.I.M. Dec. 13, 2008

1. The Last Mistress
2. Funny Games (USA)
3. Encounters at the End of the World
4. Vicki Christina Barcelona
5. The Happening
6. Mister Lonely
7. The Wrestler
8. Mother of Tears
9. Slumdog Millionaire
10. Trouble The Water

More lists to be added as they come into headquarters...

Film Review: Seven Pounds

2008-12-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

Will Smiths messianic complex continues with his new film Seven Pounds. Mind if I ruin it for you? Smith plays a kind God-like soul out to save lives in order to atone for killing seven people in a car wreck. He donates his organs to people that need them, eventually giving his heart (weighing seven pounds) to Rosario Dawson and dieing. There is also a scene where he cries while fucking Dawson.

Smiths involvement in Scientology has made him into The Black Tom Cruise, a Scien-zombie fake laughing his way through TV appearance after TV appearance while unknowingly being mocked by the world for his ego-maniacal disposition and his insulated-from-reality world view. He has been throwing a lot of money at the organized crime scam that is the Church of Scientology. Mostly through some of their cover groups- the New York Rescue Relief Workers Fund and ABLE. And, of course, the Scientology private school he started- New Village Academy.

Back to Seven Pounds. It was directed by the same guy who did Smiths other heroic heartstring tugger, The Pursuit of Happyness. I guess the only good thing I can say about Seven Pounds is his annoying kid isn't in this one. I'm not the only one who can't stand Smith and his movies. Check out this little review from the trade paper Variety: "Nor can it be said that Smith, whose most recent box office barn-burners, 'I Am Legend' and 'Hancock,' seemed consciously designed to set the star apart from the rest of humanity, shies away from the saintlike status conferred upon his character. Indeed, he embraces it in a way so convincing that it proves disturbing as an indication of how highly this... superstar may regard himself." Or allow me to quote the reputable New York Times film critic A. O. Scott. Seven Pounds "may be among the most transcendently, eye-poppingly, call-your-friend-ranting-in-the-middle-of-the-night-just-to-go-over-it-one-more-time crazily awful motion pictures ever made." Wow!

Full disclosure- I didn't see Seven Pounds. Any one who does should be shot.

Long Hot Summer

2008-12-18T12:28:00.000-08:00

One more from The Style Council. This is an extended and re-structured live version of their broken-hearted 1983 classic. I had never realized Paul Weller was such a great guitar player. Is this where the sweater around the waist look originated? This guy is inspiring.

"Dashing ourselves against the rocks of a lifetime." Amazing.

My Ever Changing Moods

2008-12-17T18:03:00.000-08:00

Yes, yes there is something incredibly cool about these dudes. Check out this video! Its a normal soul-boy in biker spandex countryside sing-a-long until they hit the finish line. Then, notice the random cut-aways to soliders and Vietnamise people during the champagne celebration. What the hell is going on there? They just don't make videos like this anymore....or music, this tune is marvelously uplifting.

Shout to the Top

2008-12-16T14:23:00.000-08:00

Is it me or is there something incredibly cool about these guys?

New Mixes!

2008-12-07T12:39:00.000-08:00

P-Lords Music Mix #7 & 8. Mixed by Ketamine Brothers.

The first one is mostly disco, house, and punk. Mixed late night/early morning November 26.

Here it is.

The second was recorded even deeper into the same night after already DJing for 12 hours... Some of our favorite balearic gems. It is more on the recontextualized 80's obscurities and pop side of the term than tropical Ibiza jams like our last one.

And here it is.

Email or comment with track questions if you have them...

Synecdoche, New York

2008-11-24T10:44:00.000-08:00

Charlie Kaufman is really throwing down the gauntlet with this. What a trip. While walking out of the theater, I heard someone say "that would of been really crazy if you were stoned.” It was crazy no matter what, but I agree- for with his directorial debut, Kaufman is examining the awkward and disturbing side of realization in a very surreal way. Among its many ideas, the movie centers on the role one plays in society and the storm we must weather in order to function and be accepted into the world around us. Illness, loneliness, and paranoia are on full display in Phillip Hoffmans character and he makes these feelings seem all too accessible. The film got under my skin a day or so after watching it, it made sleeping difficult because I knew it was raising questions I had to ponder. It is very cerebral and psychedelic- in the dark, lost-in-your-own mind sort of way- a la- personalities folding in on themselves and multiplying.

The story concerns theater director Caden Cotard. He gets a Macarthur grant allowing him to, without financial worries, create a theater piece that will be the culmination of his life’s work. He works on this play for the rest of his life, building a small replica of New York City in the process. He continually casts and recasts actors to play the people closest to him in his life, including himself. Along the way he re-enacts every major event in his life as it happens. 30 years into the project he is convinced to start acting. He takes on the role of his ex-wife’s cleaning lady, and it gets stranger from there.

The continual pulling back and re-shaping of perception is a re-occurring theme Kaufman has mastered- especially with this film. The ideas of Being John Malovich and Adaption are here but exploring more thoroughly. This is a film that will be probably be understood and appreciated over time, it may be too potently odd at this point in evolution. It tugs at a primal weirdness in all of us very successfully.

P-Lord Flyer

2008-11-21T17:26:00.000-08:00

Coming-of-Age Sex Films

2008-11-13T12:00:00.001-08:00

My roommate organizes his Netflix list by subject matter. For example, he had an entire series of films coming to the house in a row about “brothers in trouble.” We watched Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Cassandra’s Dream, etc… His new trip is coming-of-age sex films. You know the type- a young girl exploring her sexuality. This is classic subject matter for first time female filmmakers looking to make a “personal film.” It is a great genre. I'm only going to discuss singular stories that are told from one perspective. I'm leaving out a lot of 80's classics or films I havent seen in a long time because its too hard to remember and I don't really want to watch stuff like Heavenly Creatures or Sixteen Candles again. So the following are reviews of some of the films that document those adventurous and tremendously awkward years. I’ll keep adding to the list as more films come.

Water Lilies

A recent French indie about 3 young synchronized swimmers exploring themselves and each other for the first time. It seems every shot is framed around the girls’ breasts, each girl is at different stage of development. I think the filmmaker did this on purpose to make us feel uncomfortable about possibly being turned on by underage breasts, as the girls are pretty young. The best thing about the movie is the cinematography- beautiful camera work and colors everywhere. Between that and the innocent sex, it's pretty fascinating film. Lots of people I know saw it and loved it.

Tart

Said roommate said it best- “an after school special.” It’s the only film a woman named Christina Wayne made. It’s about growing up in an upper-class New York. Obviously a personal story, she must have got this funded by her rich parents or friends. The sound was way fucked up, inexcusably bad. The films only saving grace is an amazing performance from the late Brad Renfro. He plays an addict and a thief that takes advantage of his rich friends. Bijou Phillips also does a great job playing a sassy rich girl on drugs. The big tragic ending comes when Renfro kills Phillips when she catches him sucking an old mans dick and threatens to narc. Unless you’re REALLY into this genre or a hardcore Renfro fan, stay away.

Thirteen

Everything Tart was not, this is. This is an amazingly realistic and engaging film. I can’t really see the genre getting better than this. Evan Rachael Wood gives an incredible performance as Tracy, a girl trying to fit in and grow up in modern day Los Angeles. She and her bad girl hottie friend, played by co-writer Nikki Reed, shop on Melrose, steal, huff, drop acid, make-out, fight, and generally be naughty girls. The director, Catherine Hardwicke, did an excellent job of depicting bratty confused teenage behavior; and we are there every step of the way on Tracy’s tortured journey. Holly Hunter (Raising Arizona) plays the mom and Brady Corbet (Funny Games) the brother. I watched some of the commentary and that was pretty insightful as to how a first time director got the film made.

Malena

This one is told from the less-documented male perspective. It takes place in a Mussolini run Italy. A kid becomes obsessed with Malena, the town hottie, played by the stunningly perfect Monica Bellucci. He follows and spies on her and through his fascination he learns to jerk off. Malena is also the town slut and gets beaten up and humiliated in the town square by all the other wives in town. It would have been nice to see more of Malena in sexual situations, instead of just alluding to them. But I guess we see Bellucci having sex in Irreversible (ha ha, just kidding). It’s a nice little period piece but I found it ultimately forgettable.

Romance

This one isn’t exactly coming-of-age but it’s about a woman in her 20’s exploring her sexuality. It is by French filmmaker Catherine Breillat, who has made a career of making films in this genre like A Real Young Girl and the incredible Fat Girl. Marie lives with her male model idiot boyfriend who won’t make love to her or even let her give him head. This makes her feel horrible because she is emotionally in love with him. In order to deal with it and get one up on him she starts having sex with all sorts of other people. She finds solace in being tied up and gagged by the principal of the school she works at. When she finishes with her bondage sessions she goes home to her boyfriend and feels empowered, not needing a thing from him. Not since Larry Clarks’ masterpiece Ken Park have I seen a film depicting sex this graphically. There are lots of dicks, pussies, fucking and cumming. It works in favor of the film. There are really long beautiful takes of bondage and sex acts from start to finish. They are done in a way that isn’t gratuitous and serves as a study of sexual relations. Ultimately this is a totally unromantic film about roles of power in relationships.

A Nos Amours

This was amazing. Maurice Pialat directed this in 1983. This was the debut of the beautiful and gifted Sandrine Bonnaire. She plays a troubled 15 year old that sleeps around with random guys because thats the only time she feels happy. Her home life is a nightmare, there are some disturbingly realistic scenes of the family fighting at home. Her mom is a nutcase and her brother is a weirdo that beats her. I like the costumes in this a lot, Bonnaire wears some really cool stuff. Also check her out in another underated French film called Vagabond.

Towelhead

This one generated some contraversy here in consevative America but I found it to be pretty mild. Its about a 13 year old Iraqi girl, Jasira, living in Texas with her annoying and close-minded father. The actor plays him being a dickhead so well he is almost unwatchable. Jasira gets taken advantage of by an older neighboor until some other neighboors step in to save her. The film is refreshing in that it doesnt ram any morality down your throat. It kind of lets the viewer decide whats right and wrong and what the characters real motivations are. Good stuff.

Another Day at the Office

2008-11-05T15:05:00.000-08:00

I just fully realized the genius of the TV show The Office. Why? Because I now work in an office environment. In a staunch, cubicle infested, working class, boring as fuck, paper pushing office. Sure, there is some knowledge needed to do this work well and it can be very complicated, but once you get it down you just go through the motions. Day after day, week after week, and for some- year after year. That would be the equivalent of giving up on life for me. I have worked in many office situations and usually here in Hollywood there are artists and young people to hang with and have interesting discussions. I work in a post production house for films, so all the interesting creative parts of the filmmaking process are over. Its nuts and bolts from here on out.

The Office makes so much more sense to me now because I see that its all about capturing the little uncomfortable moments that happen in a place like this. They happen when people from totally different backgrounds with different ways of seeing the world try to find common ground. Its amazing the stupid and inappropriate things people say. In the office I work in there are 10 people, if you say anything, everyone can hear you. I am the youngest. I go out at night. Everyone else goes home and watches TV. Not that going out makes me any better than the others, but if you don’t watch crap like Pushing Daisies and Dancing with the Stars-its tough to get in on the workplace conversations.

It is slightly fascinating to see what peoples lives are like outside my little world. The only other person who goes out drinking is the lady next to me. She is the coolest. She was a punker in the 70s and brought in her scrapbook with ticket stubs and pictures. She saw Iggy and Bowie A LOT. We confide in each other our hangovers. The dude that sits behind her is a high-pitched voice ex-military guy. Every morning he does "boot camp". At 5:30 am he meets with ex military instructors and does pushups and jumping jacks and shit. He told me a crazy story about his air force training. They locked him and the other soldiers in tiny metal boxes all day long, so tiny they couldn’t stand up and only had a little window to breathe through. Then they pretended the warehouse they were in was on fire. There was fake smoke, fire alarms, etc.. and they left them there. Apparently a lot of the men flipped out and thought it was real. They “failed” the “exercise”. Sounds like what they do to torture prisoners in Iraq. What a life, huh?

Next to him is the guy I have to deal with most. He is loud, crude, condescending, and yet occasionally funny. He claims he used to be a DJ and “spun breaks and jungle.” He eats smelly microwave dinners at his desk every day. It's disgusting. I guess he's inspiring because if I give up DJing and stick with this job I’ll end up like him. In his defense- he did teach me how to properly staple (a 45 degree angle!) and is, like most people, deep down a nice guy.

There’s a guy that sits in the corner who may be a secret pervert. I see him staring at the bosses tits. He told me he used to buy hash by the kilo in Germany, so points for that. He makes lame jokes about Canada. Why do people in this environment do this? It keeps happening. Canada is amazing, these jokesters are morons. One other cool lady sits across the room from me. I think she used to be a hippie because her energy is positive and slightly ecentric. My boss is pretty cool. She never lets us leave early or anything but is generally pretty hands off. She is of some sort or Incan or Mayan decent and is pretty beautiful. There are a couple of other un-noteworthy people around as well. Anyway, that show is amazing; it perfectly captures the sad monotony and current state of awkwardness of this sick little bastion of human culture we call The Office.

Saint Dymphna

2008-11-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

Holy shit-- have you heard this record?! Gang Gang Dance is taking it to a whole new level. This is the music of the future, the band calls it "neo-tribal." It could be the soundtrack to Terrence McKennas Archaic Revivial. This record is way cleaner and better produced than the last one- Gods Money. Experimental, dub, psychedelia, grime, and Eastern musics are all blended seemlessly here. There is even a pop song that could work on a dancefloor. The music is nonstop, sequenced perfectly, presented as a cohesive and thought-out album, not singles. Don't bother checking it out on Myspace, you have to hear the whole thing. The singer, LZA, printed the lyrics this time and they're beautiful. Saint Dymphna is the Irish patron saint of "those who suffer from mental illnesses and nervous system disorders, epileptics, mental health professionals, happy families, incest victims, and runaways." There are some amazingly strange photos in the liner notes- all kinds of eyes staring back at you, a tradition for GGD albums. There is one really trippy shot of gorillas sheilding themselves from the rain. The image works really well with the music. I dont think anyone has made music anything like this before. Buy this shit, you wont regret it.

Jay Nelson

2008-10-30T15:30:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with you some of Jay Nelsons new art. His work has been steadily evolving in the 20 or so years I've known him. His current exhibit at Triple Base gallery in San Francisco is called The Autonomous Zone. He draws inspiration from the "western frontier as a destination for a romantic solitary experience." Its all about being self-sufficient and existing peacefully within nature. He makes sculptures that are functional vehicles for rolling around solo. Jay also builds treehouses throughout the country. I think he even built one in the Oakland airport. His paintings are beautifully psychedelic interpretations of nature. They are really something to behold. Its been interesting to see him cultivate an earth based vision of the future, honing his personal interests and beliefs into this amazingly expressive artwork.

Dead Mans Finger's State Park, 2008
watercolor and gouche on paper, 40" x 25"

Paul's Vision, 2008
oil on panel, diptych, 47 3/4" x 71 3/4"

Humblot House, 2008
oil on panel, 34 3/4" x 47 3/4"

Acorn Treehouse, Ukiha, CA, 2008

Study Case, mixed media, 2008

Honda Spree, Study in Temporary Autonomy, 2008

Memoirs Volume 1: Liftoff

2008-10-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

My friend started telling me about it in 9th grade. I was a "boarder," I stayed at school all the time- my parents weren’t from around there. It was cool, I loved it. We lived two to a room adjacent to the 18th hole of Spyglass golf course, which we used to make out with girls. My friend Jeremy was telling me all year, “you’ll see colors” “it’s like the encyclopedia is floating through your brain”--- hmmm. “Wow, that sounds cool; I’d like to try that. I don’t know if lesson after lesson on the adventures of Holden Caulfield are quite doing it for me” I replied. This was 1991. The day after school got out we saw Rage Against the Machine open for Pearl Jam at the Warfield in San Francisco. The next day we were on Haight Street near Stanyan, outside the McDonalds (pictured below), scoping the scene. A weird young indescribable kid with a cane took our order. A sheet. I think it was 70 dollars. Word made its way over to the gutter punks in the park, who were gathered in a circle. We went over and received our LSD wrapped tin foil, McDonald’s golden arches on each and every one. Kyon, our acid experienced guide was happy. We dosed.

Next thing I know, we are in the parking lot of Los Gatos shopping mall, sitting in the cab of a white truck. I was asked “Do you see now? You are going on all these different little trips” I saw. Every minuscule detail interested me so much that my FULL attention was paid to it. This would happen each instant, until the interests blended together into being completely immersed in a flowing mind voyage, experiencing multiple realities on many planes simultaneously. I remember losing the ability to converse and Jeremy trying to talk to me, unsuccessfully. “He’s gone, man” Kyon said. I was taken into the mall and into a cassette and CD store, Sam Goody or something like that. So far it had been a wonderful walk through the castle of consumerism; I marveled at people and was fascinated by paintings we walked by.

I think someone told me to pick out a tape. Or I saw one I liked. But either way, I put my finger into the tape rack. I wanted to touch the tape to signify it was the one I was verbally referring to but my finger slipped through the plastics and pushed on in. It came back out like elastic. This was a new sensation. I thought about it a lot before I was shuffled along. It is not often one can put their finger through solid objects.

On to Burger King. What a place! Things were getting unprovokingly contemplative- but I was together enough to talk to the lady who took my order. I tried eating a chicken sandwich and it just could not happen. Was I eating it now or was that 2 hours ago? Lucidity and time/space began to mingle in very confusing but marvelous way.

Someone gave me a piece of gum- Bubblelicious grape gum. Its flavor knows no limits. As Dr. John Lilly said- “In the province of the mind, what one believes to be true is true or becomes true, within certain limits to be found experientially and experimentally. These limits are further beliefs to be transcended. In the mind, there are no limits...”
I sat on the grass in front of Burger King for I what I carefully estimated to be 4 to 6 hours- chewing. Eventually I asked “how long has it been?”

Five minutes.

They couldn’t be serious. That makes no sense. Five fucking minutes?! Apparently, I had a time revelation (time doesn’t really exist). Like most things, it's all in your mind. This notion turned out to be an important tool in working towards developing an educated happiness or what some call Enlightenment or Nirvana.

Speaking of, Nirvana was on Saturday Night Live that night. Jeremy and I sat in the summer bedroom of his step mother’s home. The come-down was happening; the clarity was creeping in. It was beautiful. I stuck a bunch of the remaining acid in my wallet, eager to share it with my friends back in Los Angeles. I remember wondering why Kurt Cobain’s voice sounded so different, so raspy. I thought it was the acid but I later learned, as Courtney Love put it, they “got high and went to SNL”. They were on heroin and it makes your voice fucked up. What an amazing performance. Then, in classic psychedelic spirit, we watched the dancing broom part of Fantasia.

I Can Hear Your Heartbeat

2008-10-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

A big hit around here these days, I Can Hear Your Heartbeat by Chris Rea:

Rape-mania

2008-10-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

Blindness was pretty good. There were about 8 people in the theater when I saw it and 4 walked out. Sure the premise is a little silly: The whole world goes blind except one woman. The film follows her and some blind people into their quarantine wards and we watch what happens. Their world goes to shit, literally. I found it to be a refreshingly bleak look at society, morality and human nature. Like the superior films Time of the Wolf and Children of Men, there are some good post apocalypse scenarios- with people fighting for food and dogs eating humans. Fernando Meirelles, the guy that made City of God, directed it. He definitely has his own style utilizing semi-experimental lighting and camera work. Gael Garcia Bernal plays a good evil guy: The King of Ward 3. Everyone is talking about the rape scene. It is one of the more disturbing I’ve seen. The screen falls mostly black as we hear the sounds of a long gang rape orgy. That’s when most people left. I found it disgusting and unbelievable. Would the men in Ward 1 let this happen, even if they were starving? Never in real life. And why didn’t the one girl who could see just kill The King or get the gun BEFORE the rape. Ridiculous- but it made for good cinema.

T.I.M: The Top Ten Most Disturbing Movies

2008-10-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

“Every dark needs its light, every day needs its night.”

I am a longtime fan and collector of dark and disturbing movies. When other people turn their heads, I stop and take pictures. If a friend sees something they think is twisted, they always send me the link. I like to explore disturbing places, and have been that way since birth. So after 29 years of exposure to all the fucked up realities of society, I have felt the need to share some of my top picks that I feel represent the dark side of humanity. I know many of you will be horrified, if you ever choose to watch these films, and others will say “What about this one… What about that one…” No list is complete, and there is a lifetime of movies I have yet to see, but this is my offering to you. If you are curious, come take a trip to the other side, but remember, this is some heavy duty sick and twisted shit. Saying that, I hope you can put all of your judgment aside and take a trip into these filmmaker’s nightmares. (Some of these were listed before on my horror list, but absolutely deserve a second spot)

TIM Hicks

The Vanishing (European Version)
I recommend this as a terror inducing appetizer. It is the chilling story of a Dutch cyclist whose girlfriend disappears while they are vacationing. His obsessive journey of finding out what happened to her is masterfully told. The film expresses our need for closure, and if there is such a thing. How far will you go? The ending will fuck you up, guaranteed. (Don’t even bother watching the US version.)

Cannibal Holocaust
If you think reality entertainment started in the nineties, you better watch this one. It chronicles the search to find a lost group of documentary filmmakers in the cannibal infested jungles of South America. The jungle locations, unbelievable special effects, and 70’s film stock create an extremely disturbing atmosphere. The production is so raw that people believed they were watching an actual documentary. The director even had the actors go into hiding for a year after it was released to heighten the effect. A brilliant film, way ahead of its time.

I Spit On Your Grave
This is the story of revenge. A carefree New York woman decides to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. She heads down to her country home and frolics in the forest. What she doesn’t know is that she is unknowingly being watched by a bunch of horny rednecks. The scene that follows is demented, almost unwatchable. No happy ending with this one. Just pain, pain, and more pain. The director was so worried about audience reaction he used a fake name.

Last House on The Left
A slashing blow to the innocence of the sixties. A pair of hippie girls head to a rock show. The only crime they commit? They ask the wrong guy for some weed. And his friends want to have some fun- total, unrestrained, depraved fun. The mixture of folk music and depictions of torture tap into something powerful. It doesn’t matter if you think this is positive or negative, you will never forget it. A must view.

Salo: The 120 Days of Sodom
I showed this film to a friend of mine in high school and he is still shaken up about it. Salo will leave a lasting impression, I assure you. The film details the journey of a group of fascist Italians on the run from the Allies at the end of World War II. They know their time is running out so they start playing “games” with their servants. They put them through every humiliation possible. Saying that, I have never seen such depravity depicted in such a highly artistic way. Pasolini letting it all go.

Flower of Flesh And Blood
This movie is the closest on the list to the snuff category. Shot on video, it has no story, only one location, and just two actors. Simply put, it is the depiction of a man disemboweling a woman, period. Supposedly Charlie Sheen saw it and immediately contacted the FBI because he was convinced it was real. The authorities were so convinced they made the producers show them behind the scenes footage. This film influenced a Japanese man to go out and re-enact what he saw in this movie. Viewer beware.

Henry: Portrait of A Serial Killer
The terror classic. Based on the true story of the serial killer Henry Lee Lucas and his antics with Otis Toole. The story of a disturbed man with no conscience. There is not a drop of remorse in this movie. From beginning to end: murder, murder, murder. No other serial killer biopic has come close to this ice cold depiction of killing for sport.

Nekromantik
The most lighthearted film of the bunch, which isn’t saying much. This adorable German film depicts the love affair between a man, woman, and a rotting corpse. Need I say more? A truly sick and twisted work of art. The musical theme, when coupled with the imagery, is both heart wrenching and vomit enducing. And believe me, they don’t hold back. Enjoy it with a date.

Johnny Got His Gun
So absolutely horrific that it boggles the mind. An infantry soldier is shelled during World War I. He is left blind, deaf, and mute. All his limbs are gone. He is basically a brain in a jar. The only thing left are his memories and his daydreams. The eerie black and white footage looks like it was shot in the silent era. The voice over sounds like a distress call from hell. This film is your worst nightmare. A living hell.

Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door
A friend told me that this film is by far the most fucked up movie he has ever seen. Well, I didn’t believe him so I ordered it right away, watched it… and let me say this, I was absolutely disgusted. Based on a true story, it starts slow, a pair of sisters are forced to live with their aunt after their parents are killed in a car crash. Soon the aunt starts having problems, some serious problems. She starts taking them out on the kids. She lets her sons “play” with one of the sisters. I can only describe this movie as one of the most demented, disturbing, and twisted things I have ever seen. I was so affected that I had to sit down and write this.

Now go out and get a good movie!

More Madness in China

2008-10-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about this? The Chinese company Sanlu Group has been putting Melamine, a white crystalline chemical used to make plastics, in its milk powder. It has shipped products with this in it all over the worldt. Over 53,000 children under the age of three have fallen sick in China, 4 are dead, and 14,000 hospitalized from Kidney failure. Many candies, baby food, and chocolates are contaminated including Cadbury chocolates and the popular White Rabbit candies that are readily available all over Chinatown. It is so bad the European Union has banned importing all Chinese food products for children. But here's the fucked up thing: Sanlu Group did it on purpose and once the government knew about the poisonings- they covered it up.

It started because the communist government, in order to control them, would not let Sanlu sell their products at a competitive market price. Under pressure from their superiors, the Sanlu food scientists started adding Melamine to watered-down milk because its high nitrogen content masks the resulting protein deficiency. In March they knew their products were making people sick and instead of recalling the food, they made a much publicized donation of 1.5 million dollars of poisoned baby formula to victims of the massive Sichuan Province earthquake!! Evil! Then the government got involved. Up until September, when the recall was announced, the food continued to be made and anyone speaking up against it, often times hospital workers or human rights workers, lost there jobs or were arrested. When lawyers tried to help victims of the poisoning, they were threatened by the State and were told not to help or their licences would be revoked. The Chinese Central Propaganda Department issued a statement saying that no one was allowed to print anything about food safety without their permission. That is how they deal with problems of this magnitude- through oppression and denial.

There is a great blog that has been championing this issue called the Haphazard Gourmet Girls. They monitor what they call the Chowpocalypse. There are a lot of good articles on the site, the one about the evils of Whole Foods is particularly eye-opening. Apparently Whole Foods works with some really fucked up meat companies, are anti-union, and their CEO is a megalomaniac.

I can't help but marvel at the disregard for human life these animal exploiting corporations have.

WICKED SOUND SYSTEM

2008-09-30T15:56:00.000-07:00

Wicked. How can one describe the magic? Wicked was based around four English DJs that threw parties in San Francisco from 1991 to 2004. They continued the debauchery and hedonic musical tradition of 1960’s Haight Ashbury. SF is a strange place, there are a lot of psychedelic and far out people there. Wicked brought some of us together. The music was the guide, a uniting force as we explored ritual magic and ancient rites together. And we danced. A lot. To house music. The celebration of the heartbeat. Everyone from homeless Grateful Dead lot freaks to gangsters in Kangol gear to old school disco lifers would be getting down together. I remember coming out of the club one morning and a black dude in a perfectly pressed suit was casually strolling out the door, and out of nowhere he busted a full on flip and just kept walking. He had some magic spring in his step. Did I just see that?! That’s what it was like. Stuff like that happened all the time. A friend was recently recalling his favorite moments- at the end of the party when the music stops and the lights come on. Then the crowd yells and yells until one last joyous track is played, often times disco or an 80s obscurity. At first the parties were outdoors on the beach or in the woods during full moons. When the crackdown commenced on those they moved into clubs: King Street Garage, Jessie Street, DNA Lounge, and a long residency at 177 Townsend. They would always bring in their own sound system and had SATSI doing amazing light and video work. They brought out guest DJs on occasion: K-Alexi, François K, Rob Paine, Joe Clausell, Doc Martin, Harvey, Mike Clark, Stacy Pullen, and many others. The following are some thoughts on each DJ, memorable sets, and links to some of the best music you’ve ever heard.

Jeno. The shaman. Silent and powerful, he spoke through his music. A Magician of the highest order. Every set he played was better than most other DJs sets I’ve seen. Out of the four, he was probably the most consistent mix tape releaser. Inside the Mind, Bang the Drum, and Rise are excellent examples of the dark psychedelic house vibe that Wicked represented. He also always played great daytime music at the free Sunset parties. I saw him a do rare non-house set once- barely anyone was there. It was unbelievably dope. Check out his Noise from the Void radio show to hear what he is currently up to. EZESkankin mixtapes hosts most of his classic mixes. Inside the Mind is my favorite. Side A. Side B.

Markie Mark. A master. Expertly crafted mixes. I saw him probably once a month for 6 years- every time just perfection. He really knew how to take it deep... The djs dj. The backbone of Wicked. Best set? Turn this up really loud. He didn’t release many recordings of his DJ sets in the later years, this is a rare promo CD he sold me. He has since retired from DJing and is a Science teacher. The recording is from September 28, 2001. 177 Townsend, 5 to 7am slot.

What can you say about Garth? Extremely dynamic. Everything goes. Dub sets…Deep sets.. Disco sets…the world of Garth is wonderful place to be. He wrote some classic jams for his Grayhound label. Most memorable set? I missed the early Full Moon parties that I hear were transcendental. For me, it was probably a Townsend session when I was super super high on acid. He took us on a very deep unified psychic journey, as it usually was at those parties when a lot of people were high (often). Unexplainably mind-blowing. Another time, in a little brick loft in the Tenderloin, he did a guitar based disco rock set and tied all the records together by jamming solos. That one accidentally wasn’t recorded but here is a link to an old tape from 1998, live at Come-Unity. Side One. Side Two.

I have never seen anyone rock a party like Thomas. He usually played first or last. I was once told the other guys thought he was too unpredictable and wild to play in the middle. Not sure if that's true but he was certainly different. “The crazy one”. “The Mad Scientist". His energy is so incredible and his selections so forward thinking. He’s been inventing styles for years. Lately he has heavily cut back on his DJing to concentrate on producing. His newest project is Food of the Gods. Best set: Probably the first Rubntug party in LA. Heads came out of the woodwork for that one. The vibe was intense. I asked Thomas about it a few weeks later and he said it was one of the best parties he had ever done. Also, the set at the Wicked party Eye of the Tiger when he stood on the turntables and yelled for 15 minutes at 6:30am was the greatest DJ performance I’ve ever been a part of. Links to that set are below. When listening, keep in mind this was when 2-step was new, the disco revival hadn't happened, and when electro clash was just starting. No one had heard Playgroup or Peaches yet. Part One. Part Two. He began by stopping the relentless thumping and started tweeking the lights. The video screens got way trippy. He panned sounds around the room. The combination of these elements made the vibe electric. You knew something special was happening. He stared at the crowd and made eye contact with everyone in the room for the first track or two. Later things got crazier. In the first minutes of part two on the mix, through the needles, you can hear him and the crowd yelling at each other. The lights were on and the club was on the brink of a riot when he jumped down and dropped Zongamin's Serious Trouble, a devastatingly sick track on a proper system. Wicked.

All pics courtesy of the amazing collection at Wicked Myspace.

Cries and Whispers

2008-09-22T23:19:00.000-07:00

This is a screen shot I took of the film Cries and Whispers, an incredibly deep and haunting masterpiece by Ingmar Bergman. This picture is from the most intense and realistic death scene I have ever seen performed. It is Harriet Andersson. If you rent it, make sure and watch the OG Swedish version, not the weird English overdub. I watched them both and the performances don't get across as well dubbed. Also check the extraordinarily heavy interview with Bergman on the extras.

Upcoming Shows

2008-09-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

I made these flyers for some upcoming gigs. Come on out if you live in the Los Angeles area.

Masculin, Feminin

2008-09-14T13:55:00.000-07:00

Cinema pioneer Jean-Luc Godard made something like 16 or 17 feature films in the 1960's. 1966's Masculin Feminin is one of his best. It follows young people in France as they go about there daily lives. Paul is an Marxist and an anti-war activist that spray paints graffiti all over town. He is trying to bed Madeleine, a beautiful Ye-Ye girl with the prettiest smile I've ever seen. Ye-Ye is cute innocent pop music that was popular in France, Italy, and Spain back then- it provides the films soundtrack. The girl that plays Madeleine, Chantal Goya, was a real life pop singer that had never acted before. In fact, she barely acts, she just reacts. Godard shot the film with no script, just setting up situations and filming them. When he first set up a meeting for Chantal to meet her co-star Paul (Jean-Pierre Léaud from 400 Blows) he was there, already set up and shooting it, and the film had already begun. In some of the best scenes Godard has Jean-Pierre wear an earpiece and he feeds him questions to ask the actresses. No one knows what Godard will ask so the reactions he gets are real (see clips below). It works in a fascinating way. Some of Godard's other films are hard to get into initially, this one is not. The film is divided into 15 acts, each one starting with Godard's famous titles flashing on the screen, as well as the sound of a gunshot. Upon release it was deemed inappropriate for kids under 18, due to the frank sexual questioning and a scene of 3 people in bed together. One of the French New Waves most engaging and creative works.

This is an interview with a real life beauty queen, Miss 19, that gets a little uncomfortable:

This is Paul and Madeleine's first discussion:

Hardcore Treehugging

2008-09-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

I found this creepy little clip on myspace tv. It is called "Hippies Wail For Dead Trees". Destroying old growth is terrible but- is it me or is there something culty and weird about these people? This can't be good for Earth First.

Bob's Steely Dan Setlist

2008-09-04T17:07:00.000-07:00

Do you dig Steely Dan? We do. First time guest blogger and Master P-Lord Bob has contributed his ultimate Steely Dan set list. Here is Set One. Two to follow later. Click to hear the tunes.

1. Kings

2. Haitian Divorce

3. Bodhisattva

4. Caves of Altamira

5. Old School

6. Peg

7. Sign in Stranger

Al Roker!

2008-08-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

File this in the What The Fuck? category. Check out Matt Lauers reaction.

Michael Phelps Mania!!

2008-08-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

What the fuck is up with all this Michael Phelps mania? The world cannot get enough of this guy. I’ve heard terms like “a Phelpsian lifestyle” being thrown around. What the fuck is a Phelphsian lifestyle?! Eating fast food and swimming? Sounds like every elementary school kid in America. Speaking of fast food, when they asked Phelps what kind of sponsor he’d like now that he is uber famous, he said, “fast food would be cool.” What the fuck? Someone please educate this half-wit! Fast food is toxic! Childhood obesity, now linked to childrens colon cancer, is one of the greatest health threats to our youth, due to processed foods and fast food marketing. The chlorine has gone to his head. They call him the greatest Olympic athlete ever. What about people that do decathlons? In swimming, one has the chance to win so many golds because there are so many strokes- not the case in other sports. After NBCs sappy over-the-top coverage of him and his mom, the backlash began. I’ve heard him called a “flapping farmhand” and his face and demeanor compared to Simple Jack and Dustin Diamond. Ouch. Don’t get me wrong- I appreciate and admire athleticism. Working on ones body and reaching a goal is (almost) as noble as the arts and intellectual pursuits. But the world’s obsession with the concept of winning and losing seems archaic to me. I’m calling for the End of Sport altogether. Half the world is a war zone, babies are dying, the planet is being raped, and we humans are obsessed over who moves their arms and legs through the water 1/100th of a second faster than the other. It doesn’t fucking matter. Insanity.

Random Internet Quote #2

2008-08-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

From a comment board making fun of the film Righteous Kill:

I've never heard the words "badge" and "gun" used more times than in the preview for this movie.

Literally, Pacino's voiceover in the trailer goes something like,

"Where I come from, you make a choice between a badge or a gun. You respect the gun? You hate the badge. You love the badge? You fear the gun. Sometimes a gun looks like a badge. And sometimes, well a gun, it looks like a gun. But there's no mistaking, that a badge is more powerful than the gun. When I wake up in the morning, I find my hand on my badge, when it should be on my gun. I ask myself, What came first? The badge or the gun? The difference between a badge and a gun, is that a badge knows that he's a badge, but a gun- a gun don't know he's a gun. If you got a badge, and gun, all you really gots a gun. And a badge. One fish, two fish, badge, gun, badge, gun. Knock, knock? Who's there? Oh, a badge? I though it would be a gun. Good one."

-a poster named JudgeFudge