7.30.2010

Bakshi


Wizards, an animated film by Ralph Bakshi, 1977
An innovator of rotoscoping animation, Bakshi produced several movies in the 1970's, including: Fritz the Cat and Heavy Traffic. He is most known for The Hobbit, which Bakshi produced 2 years after this film. Wizards is a post-apocalyptic story where humans are extinct as a result of nuclear war.

Fantastic Planet, 1977

La Jetee


La Jetee, a film by Chris Marker, 1962

7.29.2010

7.28.2010

Strictly Business


EPMD Live 1989

7.23.2010

Trouble Man



A must have soundtrack written and produced by Marvin Gaye. 1972 Tamala records.

6 minutes of comedy

7.20.2010

FUNK

Another great David Axelrod production. This one is posted for its illustrative value as much as musical. There should be no question why hip-hop peeps pillage this guy. This album is produced while Prestige is still the shit for jazz production. Soon after this album (around 1975), studio technology ruined the industry as it did with rock and other genres. Engineers took over studio production and their equipment overran creative influence. The complexity of an album's production became more important than just writing a good song. Look back at bands that produced records from the late 60's and throughout the 70's. If they survived past 1975, their albums became quite different and far less accessible. (See Soft Machine, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Roxy Music, etc.)
I wonder if our field is falling to a similar fate. It seems to be more important to have created ceramic art with 3D printers, casting technology, laser cutters, etc. than to have created something profound, good or unique. The ceramic world has fallen into the trap of technology and research. Like the recording engineers of the 70's, ceramics is moving further and further into the private studio and away from public interest. Needless to say, punk rock and metal responded to the musical trends of the 70's. What will happen to us?

7.18.2010

Assfactor 4


College pals while we were at the University of South Carolina, Assfactor 4 is still one on my favorite punk bands. These were the days. This show is filmed at Senseless Beauty in 5 Points, Columbia, SC around 1995. Senseless Beauty was ultimately closed when its owner was arrested for distribution of LSD and pimping underage male prostitutes. Despite it's egregious owner, countless amazing shows played at this short-lived venue.

7.14.2010

Fennesz


From the amazing Christian Fennesz album, Endless Summer.

AUS

aus from Tina Frank on Vimeo.


audio: Christian Fennesz
production: Mego
video: Skot
produced: 1998
re-issued on Editions Mego 2007

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Irritationen und Überlagerungen bilden die wichtigsten technischen Aspekte bzw. Mittel, die in »Aus« eingesetzt werden. Kratzspuren und Körnigkeit des für das Video verwendeten Super 8-Materials werden darin ebenso exponiert und hervorgehoben, wie die plastische »Dehnbarkeit« und »Verflüssigung« alter Aufnahmen mittels Computerbearbeitung. Die Filmsequenzen (etwa von zwei älteren Frauen in der Küche bzw. kalifornischen Meerlandschaften) erscheinen wie durch kaum merkliche Filter überlagert, worin nicht zuletzt die Instabilität von visueller Erinnerungsarbeit ihren Ausdruck findet. Die Bilder sind zudem entlang der Musik rhythmisiert und werden in winzigen, ruckartigen Bewegungen vor und zurück »gescratcht«. Und immer wieder leicht kitschig wirkende Strandszenen bzw. sentimentale Varieté-Aufnahmen, deren Oberfläche in digitale Wallungen, ein computerisiertes Flirren, versetzt wird. Entscheidend ist auch die Sichtbarmachung der Bildrahmung und der Kadrierung des Ausgangsmaterials, die das Stück hindurch zunehmend in den Vordergrund gerückt wird.
Die Manipulierbarkeit und Fragilität der verwendeten Filme bilden damit zentrale Aspekte, die »Aus« – perfekt auf die leicht melancholische Musik abgestimmt – zur Schau stellt. So handelt das Video primär vom Abschiednehmen: von Erinnerungsbildern, von ungetrübter Materialqualität, schließlich von »alten« Medien insgesamt und deren Repräsentation der Welt.
(Christian Höller for
sixpackfilm.com)
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Irritation and layovers are the main technical aspects within »Aus«. Scratches and the graininess of the found footage (Super 8 film) are heavily exposed and emphasised. This can be seen within some kind of plastic ’extensibility’ or ’liquefaction’ of old movies by means of computers. The images are rhythmized along with the music moving forward and backward in single frames like being “scratched”.
It is important that one can see the framing and the projection itself; the possible manipulation und fragility of the chosen movies are central, fitting perfectly to the slightly melancholic music. In this way the video tells of saying goodbye: of memories and untroubled quality of the material, in the end of »old« media and its representation of the world.
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¬ about skot
Mathias Gmachl and Tina Frank started collaborating under the name of Skot in 1997. “Playing and working with recorded visual material on the basis of live sampling and live construction of new forms of visual media” was their aim. Skot is no longer active since 2000. (Tina Frank)

7.10.2010

7.09.2010

CONS

The perfect skate shoe in 1988.

Jim Phillips

Sweet 80's Santa Cruz Speed Wheels logo by Jim Phillips

Phillips 66



from the 1989 Santa Cruz Speed Wheels team video "Speed Freaks"

Notice Jeff is wearing some of the first Airwalk shoes. This is back when they were actually cool to wear and a rip-off of Vans #36. One of the best vert skaters ever, Jeff Phillips shot himself X-Mas, 1993.

7.08.2010

The Creation


I'm A Man performed in 1964 on the German TV show Beat Beat Beat

Gun Club


Gun Club performs My Dreams from the album Las Vegas Story on German TV show Konvoy. Lineup includes Patricia and Kid Congo. 1984

A Certain Ratio


WILD PARTY & INSIDE from 1985