ARCA & Jesse Kanda video for Knot

The video has wax-like embryonic musclemen synchronized dancing to ARCA's track Knot from his &&&&& mixtape.  This is the first scene in a full film titled TRAUMA, a collaboration between ARCA and director Jesse Kanda.  The pair will be take on tour this year and show exclusively in selected international galleries.  It will be interesting to see the dark and creepy video that they have come up with to match the sinister music of ARCA's &&&&&

Click here to listen or download ARCA's &&&&& mixtape

Queens of the Stone Age and Nine Inch Nails Gig Poster

Tonight we are going to see Nine Inch Nails and Queens of the Stone Age play a coheadline show. When I first started working on Medusa I had plans to make a mock/fake poster for this show.  I like the way the text worked out and fits into the look of the poster.

This is my first attempt at the text for this poster and while I like it I think it so too bright and stylised and takes away from the image.

This is the original linework that I did using Illustrator over some hand drawn elements.

The finished poster without any text.

A Message from Comcast

Comcast Doesn't Give a F*CK from Tarik Ellinger

Future Islands perform Seasons on Letterman

Future Islands made their TV debut earlier this week on Letterman and although I have been a fan of these guys since I first heard Beach Foam in 2008, I have never had the chance to see them live.  I have to say that I really want to see them after they destroyed my expectations on Letterman.  The singer's voice as incredible as it is on the album is even more unhinged live and his delivery is as theatrical as a voice like this should be.  His dance moves are reminiscent of Carlton on Fresh Prince of Bel Air but  less comical as he intensely stalks and sways across the stage, even though they should still make you smile.  Up to this point these guys have released a lot of excellent music with little recognition, so maybe with the upcoming release of their album Singles and this TV appearance they will get the recognition they deserve and tour enough that I can finally see them.  I have also included some of my favorite songs off older albums.

  
 
 

Batman: Arkham Knight Game Trailer

The first look at the next generation console game Batman: Arkham City.  This looks absolutely insane and so fun.  The graphics and design is similar to the Nolan Trilogy of movie but even better.  The Batmobile looks like a tank but just as much like a muscle car that is maneuverable and practical and the Batsuit has even more armour but is just as sleek.  The universe that this Batman exist in is not so concerned with taking place in reality and while it is just as dark this looks not to take itself quite so serious.  Can't wait to try this one.

Twenty Years Since the Passing of the Irreplaceable Bill Hicks

I don't know how I missed this and never saw news or info about this event but February 26th marked the 20 year anniversary of the passing of comedian Bill Hicks.  I don't know many comedians because I do not find many of these funny men funny so I generally stay away.  As has been said many times before, Bill Hicks was ahead of his time and changed comedy for better or worse.  He existing in a time before the Internet, his criticism of government, religion, marketing, corporatism, war and misinformation was a lone voice.  His rants were well informed and backed by little known facts (at the time) and delivered with rage to an unaccepting American audience.  While he only played to small audiences, especially in his home country of the United States (he had a much larger and accepting  following (of his anti-US government/military views) in the UK and Australia), his voice was never heard by the masses.  His opinions were not in line with the views that are needed for broadcast airtime to receive a larger audience and as I said above, before the Internet, a tool that has since help spread his comedy and message.  As time goes on he becomes more relevant as his warnings come true and leaked government documents continue to reveal the corporatocracy in which we live in today.  It is tragic that we lost his voice years prior the fall of the towers and the ensuing endless War of Terrorism, NSA and government spying, and the deception and slow crumbling of international democracy.  But we still have his words.  Even though he spoke of a different time, they are very much about today.

Below is a fantastic documentary American: The Bill Hicks Story on the life and comedy of Bill Hicks as well as a HBO Special, an interview on Austin Public Access, and a send off from one of his shows (at the end of his act he would often leave the audience with a message or a statement to take home and think about).

WILLIAM MELVIN "BILL" HICKS

December 16, 1961 - February 26, 1994