2 tracks on the 22nd

The first one, I believe is from an Italian opera, I listened to it on Tim Sweeney's show Beats in Space when he was having Mike Simonetti from Italians do it Better as a guest, it took me a long time to figure out its name, but now I have it on my iTunes and I'm so happy because it is so fucking good:



The second one is an astonishing collaboration between Matias Aguayo the enfant terrible of minimal techno with my newest favorite duo from Paris: Discodeine.

Discodeine - Singular feat. Matias Aguayo (click to download it!)

Robert Smith is not in love

"What a weeeird combo" I thought a couple of weeks when I read that Crystal Castles had a song featuring Robert Smith, the legend from The Cure, this song exists on the band's second album Crystal Castles II but they released this enhanced version which I really like, it's melancholic, upbeat and catchy as hell, what a formula huh!? the kind of thing you get when using the unforgettable Robert Smith's voice on a CC track. I know you're sick of reading my senseless lines so I better shut it and you better download it here -> Crystal Castles ft. Robert Smith - I'm not in love (save as to download it)

3 clips in a post

A couple of months ago I finally joined Vimeo which makes the function of a mailbox for high quality video makers in an era where hybrid sites between web and tv rapidly increase, if you haven't go to vimeo.com, create your own account and lose yourself among the tons of amazing works that are daily submitted in there.

1. Your lucky day: a very well made short movie influenced by contemporaries as Guy Ritchie and Tarantino.

Your Lucky Day from Dan on Vimeo.

2. Break-ups: a series in which the actors improvise the whole sketch, particularly in this episode the guy we see on the screen is the creator, director and editor: Ted Tremper.

"Break-ups: The Series" Vimeo Submission "Best Original Series" from Ted Tremper on Vimeo.

3. Bicycle city: was created for the Danish Pavilion at the Shanghai EXPO 2010, according to its website 5.58 million people visited the Denmark's pavilion and I believe most of them stopped to contemplate this beautiful video.

EXPO bicycle city from martin de thurah on Vimeo.

Oldies circa 2010

It's been a while since my last post and I'm more than happy to come back with and to share these great refixed, remixed, revisited, "call it what you want" tunes.

I know tons of people do not truly appreciate their favorite bands tracks being "refixed" what's that refix b.s.? they must be thinking right now, specially when talking about huge bands such as The Cure and Nirvana; but I invite you to download them, listen to them and who knows maybe play them over and over again for the next week.




Jaques from Austin uploaded to Soundcloud this refix of one of my favorites by The Cure.

The Cure - Love Song (Jaques Fix) click to download it







This duo from Paris accomplished in an amazing way to transform Kurt's cries for help into pretty danceable french house vocals. Keep an eye on The Hijack Brothers, they could be the emerging Falke and Braxe of the 2010's.

Nirvana - Smells like teen spirit (The Hijack Brothers remix) choose save as to download it

around the world . around the world . around the world. around the world.

Previous to the screening of the antology of shorts To each his own cinema, I had a little fun making this compendium of cinemas around the world, I've just had the opportunity to visit a couple of them, but I believe they're all amazing.

The colonial one

Cinema Impero was designed by the italian architect Mario Messina and was built in 1937 in Asmara, Eritrea. 45 lights are located in the front part of the art-deco building along with the lighten "Cinema Impero" letters. It was named in that way in honor to the conquest of Ethiopia and to the proclamation of the Italian Empire by Benito Mussolini. Suprisingly, today movies are still shown there because it has avoided possible damages caused by ongoing conflicts on the Horn of Africa.

The modern one

The Cinémathèque québécoise located in Montreal, Canada was founded in 1936, it's mission: "to preserve, document and promote national and international film and television heritage",the Cinémathèque's collections nclude over 35,000 films from all eras and countries, It was largely redesigned during the 90's by the firm Saucier + Perrot.

The majestic one

The Raj Mandir Cinema opened on 1st June 1976 with the film "Charas". It was designed by architect W.M. Namjoshi in a spectacular Art Moderne style.

This jewel is the best known cinema building in India and is also on the tourist trail for visitors to Jaipur. It certainly lives up to its reputation as one of the most remarkable cinemas in India.

The one that evolves

The Colosseum Kino in Oslo, Norway oppened it's doors in 1928, designed by the architects Jacob Hansen and Gerard Iversen and a year later it was bought by the Norwegian government. This Scandinavian treasure caught fire, and was rebuilt in 1964 keeping its original design . It reopenned with a screening of "Lawrence of Arabia". In 1987 it was divided into three screens, eleven years later it was both externally and internally renovated. Today it is the largest cinema in the world with a THX sound certification.

The one from the future

This AMC Cinema is located on the ground level of the high category complex Pacific Place in Hong Kong, it was built in 2006 by the prestigious firm James Law Cybertecture. It shows international blockbusters as well as local movies in its six screens. It has bar service with canappés, imported cheese trays, assorted beers, fine wines and more that ten different varieties of imported mineral water.

The chic one

This open-air cinema resides on the fourth floor of the luxurious Marriot Hotel & Omar Khayyam Casino in El Cairo, Egypt. Besides having a view to the Nile River, it has restaurant service as well and flavored shishas. It offers two nightly functions; one in Arab and one in English.

The indie one

Conveniently located in the heart of trendy Shibuya in Tokyo, this cinema has two screens that project international independent films. Right at the corner of this impressive building designed by Atsushi Kitagawara. Inside of it there is also a small cinema which is a smart variant: the Rise X which advocates to screen mostly japanese digital films.

The one ahead of it's time

The Cine Teatro Plaza in Montevideo, Uruguay was built in the 1950's. It is part of the Cultural Complex Plaza, in which other artistic disciplines such as theater, dance and music are set in place. This beautiful vanguardist building looks like it was built a couple of years ago.

Y△CHT remix

Last night I saw the best show of 2010 so far, Y△CHT is simply amazing live!

YACHT & The Straight Gaze (PT. 1) from Jona Bechtolt on Vimeo.

Please find as a treat this great Classixx's remix of Psychic City (right click, save as!)

Minitel Rose & Pictureplane

De trío francés Minitel Rose tenía por ahí un remix medio popero de Electric Youth, ya le traía ganas al disco -The French Machine- desde hace un buen, para mi sorpresa este disco fue mucho más allá de lo que pensaba.

Minitel rose - Continue
por pej16

El Dark Rift de Pictureplane (de Detroit) me tiene más intrigado, se me hace genial lo que hace esta banda, son demasiadas influencias en una sola canción, son excelentes y afortunadamente van a estar en Monterrey en un mes exactamente (aunque su acto sea el Lunes a las 2:30pm, creo que son un must), en el festival MTY MX que organiza el Garage, que por cierto va a estar buenazo, lo que hicieron fue aprovechar que la crema y nata de lo venidero en música van a estar en Austin en el festival South by south west a escasos 700km de la Sultana del Norte, entonces se los van a traer para acá para que los que no podemos ir nos sintamos en casa con nuestra mini versión del SXSW con nuestras aportaciones nacionales como los chilangos Fancy Free, y los regios de Quiero Club el lineup es excelente y la idea y el esfuerzo son considerables y agradecidos por la gente (quiero imaginarme). Ya veremos como nos va en el MTY MX, que por cierto es para todas las edades y las fechas son del sábado 20 al lunes 22 de marzo en el autocinema Las Torres, ¿qué opinan del venue, para un festival de tres días?

yeah yeah yeah A-Trak!

This is a grrreat remix by Montreal-born A-Trak, he's David Macklovitch's (from Chromeo) younger brother, produced Kid Sister and Lupe Fiasco, and has tons of great mixes like this clubby version of Heads will roll

Yeah Yeah Yeah's - Heads will roll (A-Trak remix)
download it here! (1.right click / 2. save as)

A contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind

A couple of months ago I posted the teaser trailer for Inception, from what I've read, Christopher Nolan has been very secretive about his most recent film by simply describing it as "A contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind". I believe it was pretty smart not to let know any of the plot details, well maybe it's because I have always been puzzled by viral marketing, it really works with me, besides Inception will be one hell of a summer blockbuster. Nolan is going to be reverbed once again, as he was with the great great Dark Night.

I had already found out that a proper trailer had been released on the last days of 2009, I didn't want to watch it because I was amazed by the teaser, but today it came across my screen I just couldn't restrain myself from watching it, it's pretty good, and it just features Di Caprio and Ellen Page, but the cast in the film is pretty impressive, it goes from the likable Joseph Gordon Levitt to the recently Academy awarded Marion Cotillard. Filmed in Egypt, Japan, France, and who knows where else this multimillionaire production is something that needs to be watched.

Check out the new trailer:

3 mixes in a row

I'll cut the bullshit this time:

1. Devendra Banhart - Carmensita (Toy Selectah Raverton Re-Fix)

download it here! (1.right click / 2. save as)

Toy Selectah (a fine and prolific mexican DJ)

2. The XX - Basic Space (Astronomer Remix)

download it here!

Alex Egan a.k.a. Astronomer (from cloudy London)

3. Radiohead - Everything in it's right place (Gigamesh v2.0)

download it here! (1.right click / 2. save as)

Gigamesh from Minnesota also makes music with Discotech

Bonus. Shakira - She Wolf (Ghosts of Venice Remix)

download it here!

Ghosts of Venice make out of Shakira's single a kind of disco/dancey track

Jerry Fuchs

I know this is not news, since Jerry Fuchs the drummer from The Juan McLean, !!! and some other side band projects died almost three months ago on November the 8th. According to the Post, Fuchs was attending a benefit party in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, when he and a friend became stuck in an elevator between floors. The two opened the elevator doors and attempted to jump across the elevator shaft to the nearest floor. The friend made it; Fuchs didn't.

It really saddenned me to realize how sudden his death was, I mean he was only 34, and he was a talented drummer who was having a good time in his life, Fuchs attended the University of Georgia in Athens, GA where he studied graphic design and started drumming for some bands, then he moved to NYC and was associated with DFA Records, he recorded the highly acclaimed album Myth Takes with !!!, and he often performed live or recorded with LCD Soundsystem, MSTRKRFT, and Moby, among others.

The Juan MacLean - The future will come

Maybe it's my imagination but I even find the album cover a bit nostalgic and its title a bit scary, I know of course that "the future will come" and that the only certain thing in life is death, but his death gave me the thrills, I don't know maybe because he died in such a daily life way, riding an elevator, or maybe I just need to watch a couple Six Feet Under episodes. Anyways, this was one of my favorite albums of 2009, and I just found today this great live performance at the Double Door in Chicago of the last song of the album: Happy House, which was largely remixed (I really liked the Lazaro Casanova one - download it here!), and played in almost every indie-electro-club in all over the world. Watch how Fuchs just never stops!

The Juan MacLean - Happy House (Live @ The Double Door) from The Belmont Sessions on Vimeo.

R.I.P. Jerry Fuchs.

Performing Everywhere

I've been noticing how artists are performing everywhere, the more random is the venue, the coolest is the gig, anyways, during the years I have been delighted by watching some of my favorite bands do such gigs, here are some of them, I urge you to explore the sites, you never know what you could find.



Site: La Blogotheque

Band: Architecture in Helsinki

Where? - Street: Pierre Bonnard, Paris

Architecture in helsinki - #58.1 -Heart it races
por lablogotheque

Being Architecture in Helsinki an excellent hippiesh Australian band I didn't find this strange, but I think it is pretty good the way they handled this thing, being empathic and all with the people, they look genuinely happy conquering the quartier parisien with their song: heart it races!.



Site: Black Cab Sessions

Band: Britt Daniel (lead singer and guitarrist from Spoon)

Where? - A cab driving around London streets



This is my favorite, maybe because I like Spoon so much, but I bet Daniel a guy from Austin, TX never thought he would be singing I summon you on a taxi in London wearing sunglasses.



Site: Pitchfork

Band: Vampire Weekend

Where? - The Alpha Delta Phi Literary Society at Columbia University, New York City



I found this one pretty amazing, at first I thought what the heck are the doing playing there?, but then I just realized how much they fit, their preppy-geeky clothes, the songs, being Vampire Weekend from NY, I don't doubt they're friends with the girls and the guy playing the chords. I just liked the intimate feel to it.



Site: Mange ta ville

Band: Coeur de pirate

Where? - In front of the old train station Viger at Montreal



A friend just showed me this clip today, and I said to her I'd marry Coeur de pirate tomorrow, I just liked this session too much, I think she's quite good, and of course she's playing outside an old train station in Montreal that looks like a castle, it just couldn't get better.

The Owl of Minerva

The Owl of Minerva flies at dusk

2010 Summer Blockbustah!

I can't hardly wait to see this film

random songs

Lately, I just don't get tired of listening to these songs:

The flash and the pan - waiting for a train : I heard it for the first time in Rocknrolla, I didn't really like the movie that much, but the scene where they dance to this song is amazing and it's burned in my mind



Lismore - 1979 : I dowloaded this cover a long time ago from a blog, and didn't really listened to it, just went through it pretty fast and found it kind of boring, but I just rediscovered it and I really enjoy it every single day for the last week at least, pretty sweet!.)

Download it!: Lismore - 1979

La Roux - In for the kill: A good friend of mine introduced me to this pretty amazing and catchy electroclashy-pop hymn, which I'm almost sure it's already being played all around London, Montreal or Paris, but here in Mexico this will be huge in a year or so.

P.S.1: nice looks huh?

The sublime and impressive works of Jenny Holzer

Hace masomenos un mes vi en el Marco la colección de art-cars de BMW, la verdad vale la pena ir a ver qué fue lo que hicieron artistas contemporáneos de renombre como Andy Warhol o Roy Lichtenstein, cuando una compañía como BMW, se les acercó para que hicieran "arte" con carros reales.

Después de admirar los trabajos a los que se llegaron, ver los videitos del proceso de ejecución, me detuve en una vitrina en donde había modelos a escala 1:18 de otros BMW Art Cars, y para mi sorpresa vi que mi recientemente idolatrada Jenny Holzer hizo uno de estos caprichos de la firma automotriz alemana. Para mi gusto, el mejor de todos:

Este carro como algunos otros, de hecho si corrió en carreras, y bueno Holzer se lució reflejando su excelente trabajo.

Jenny Holzer nació en 1950 en Ohio, estudió pintura en la Universidad de Ohio, y luego hizo una maestría en Fine Arts en la Escuela de Diseño de Rhode Island. A mediados de los 70's se mudó a Nueva York y entró al programa de estudios independientes del Museo Whitney, fue ahí en donde desarrolló su proyecto "truisms" (obviedades), las cuales son frases cortas que incluyen mitos comunes y otros son frases acerca de hechos al azar en forma de eslogans. Los críticos han mencionado que el trabajo de Jenny es filosófico y que invita al especador a la reflección.

Comezó pegando posters anónimos en Nueva York, luego hizo instalaciones con pantallas de LED's, en edificios, monumentos y memoriales.


A partir de 1996, realizó proyecciones de xenon en gran escala en edificios y paisajes en Florencia, Roma, Venecia, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Oslo, Paris, Burdeos, Berlin, Washington, Nueva York, Singapore, y más. Ha sido galardonada varias veces, uno de sus premios fue el León de Oro que recibió en 1990 por su instalación en el pabellón americano en la Bienal de Venecia.







Tuve la oportunidad de conocer su obra en el Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Chicago, en el que hacía un ejercicio interesante: ponía información en pantallas de LED relacionada a la Guerra que Estados Unidos llevaba a cabo Iraq, entre la que se encontraban documentos que en algún momento fueron confidenciales para el gobierno de Estados Unidos pero que despues fueron desechados, obviamente con la información más relevante completamente eliminada, habían informes oficiales militares de cómo realizar torturas, correos electrónicos con información de posicionamiento militar, así como conversaciones entre víctimas de la guerra con reporteros, o hasta la transcripción de conversaciones de radio entre soldados estadunidenses.




Esperemos que algún día esta artista vuelva a nuestro país a llenar el Zócalo de sus obviedades, o a instalar pantallas de LEDs en los túneles de Guanajuato. Pero me quedo preguntándome ¿Qué escribiría yo en una de estas megaproyecciones?

Lo que escuché mientras escribía este post:

Rock N'Dudes - A Bizarre Kind of Hardcore Mix (9D Mix) (Chéquenlo)

DAT Politics en tiempos de elecciones

Vive la France!!!

Esta genial banda de música electrónica llegó a la ciudad de las montañas el pasado Jueves, una fecha rara para un gig de estos en el Garage, pero si pensamos un poquito más nos damos cuenta que el viernes empezó la ley seca, y que al Garage le conviene tener hidratados a sus clientes, más en esta ciudad en la que a las 10 de la noche podemos estar todavía a unos insultantes 32 grados.

Ya tenía tiempo queriendo ver a estos franceses que se conviritieron el año pasado en unos de mis favoritos cuando los vi por primera vez en vivo, no sabía que era lo que estaba pasando, volteaba y preguntaba, qué es? qué es esto?, estaba hipnotizado entre tanto sintetizador, glitch, voces,y la lead singer saltando y cantando a lo lejos.

Esta vez los chicos de DAT Politics no trajeron su proyector que tenía su logo y hacía más único en su especie su concierto, optaron por los cómodos y confiables spots de LEDs, estrobos, aaah y eso sí la lead singer traía una t-shirt del Unknown Pleasures de Joy Division.

La música que nos puede recordar a las bandas sonoras de los juegos del Nintendo o del SEGA Genesis tuvo a la gente bailando toda la noche. Una vez más salgo super contento de haber visto a estos visionarios de la música electrónica, que se burlan de ellos mismos, que innovan en cada álbum, que arrasan con el escenario y que es lo más divertido verlos en vivo. El mejor concierto que he visto en el año.

Sección de quejas

El calor que hacía en el Garage era algo increíble, deberían de comprar unos ventiladores industriales (whatever that means) aparte se verían "chidos" con la decoración improvisada que manejan. (i.e. carritos de super llenos de botellas de cerveza vacías) no lo tomen a mal, me encanta el Garage no es su culpa que haga calor.

Ahora si estuve hasta adelante en el concierto, lo único que medio me nefasteó fue una persona con una cámara que estaba a tan solo 5 centímetos del escenario, y que durante veinte minutos descargaba su flash hacia la banda una vez al menos cada cinco segundos, if we do the math, son como 240 fotos en 20 escasos minutos, lo peor es que todo el tiempo tomó lo mismo, la cara de la lead singer, como en la foto 100 quería ir a decirle, que buenaaas fotos tomaste ya!, para ver si su ansiedad por tomar y tomar y tomar la misma foto una y otra vez se calmaba pero ya como en la 200 quería gritarle: give it a rest! she´s gonna go blind!.

Yo me pregunto tendrá más motivación esta fotógrafa para haber ido a ver (en este caso léase literalmente ver) a DAT Politics que llegar a su casa y subir las fotos en su Flickr ?, porque honestamente yo si fui solamente para poder escribir este post.

italodisco para los sentidos

F O R Z A I T A L I A

Hoy descubrí a este gran exponente del Italo-Disco,
amigo de los Italians do it Better !
trae una onda aunque no del todo innovadora
bastante bailable.
Y el video, ni hablar,
Roma en tiempos del espacio!
pfff...

pitaya frenesí

ayer en la exposición que postée antes de Eltono organizada por Nrmal y El Narval (chequen estos proyectillos están interesantes), me tocó ver un rato al DJ Alvin Rebolledo para mi tristeza no tocó esta increíble rola que estuve escuchando todo el día, chequen el video porfavor aún estoy intrigado con saber en qué lugar lo filmaron, según yo es Playa del Carmen...

Eltono

(París/Madrid)
http://www.eltono.com

Eltono es uno de los mayores exponentes de arte urbano a nivel mundial. Comenzó como graffitero en 1989 y su trabajo se encuentra disperso en las calles de más de 30 países.

Sus intervenciones en las calles crean un diálogo entre la ciudad y sus habitantes a través de piezas sencillas, geométricas, que mutan según el espacio donde se sitúan. En repetición, crean un lenguaje único y armonioso que se enfrentan a la saturación visual que abunda en el contexto urbano.

Entre sus proyectos está “Puerta Lumbreras”, donde pintó 150 puertas en una comunidad de España. Además, ha expuesto su trabajo en la Tate Modern de Londres, en Anonymous Gallery de Nueva York, y en la Feria Arco en España, entre muchos otros espacios.

-

Residencia Tampiquito: Eltono
Jueves 21 de mayo, 2009

Exposición: 8pm a 11pm
Instalación, fotografía, documentación de su trabajo y venta de obra

Fiesta: 11pm a 2am
Música por Dr. Rudds, Rebolledo, y Beatniks

Lugar: “La Galería en el Taller Mecánico”
Taller mecánico “Autocity”
Plutarco Elías Calles 419
Barrio Tampiquito, San Pedro Garza García
Nuevo León, México

RESIDENCIA TAMPIQUITO : ELTONO from Nrmal on Vimeo.