Visualati Substantia 1

I am and have always been extremely inept when it comes to creating anything remotely visually appealing.

And this bums me out huge.

As animated as my visual vocab can seem at times, when it comes down to actually translating any sort of mental to the medium, everything must be funneled into the motor system and then fumbled out of my clumsy little hooves. Unfortunately, seeing as my fingers have been blessed with the dexterity of a cerebral palsy victim, my wayward scribbles have never progressed much farther then the linings of some notebook pages. So, I've got loads of respect for those who just bleed pictures.

These dudes are on some peel-the-lids-off-your-third-eye shit. Check it.

(Oh but be sure to stick around for a brief mp3 giveaway bonanza following the presentation...basically this is an audioblog+ now)*

*The plus is for additional content! Wink!




Presenting DJ Scallywag's Dandy Little Art Symposium Vol 1.

Thomas Han







King of the dayglo-pastel, Dr. Mario-pill-rocking, cute-but-crazy school of art.

MARS-1







I want to go to the places he paints more than anywhere else I've ever dreamt of. I hope I get to go when I die. Please God, let me tear around these environments in some sort of gnarly organic spacecraft at some point. I promise I won't pretend to be retarded in order to skip the lines at Magic Mountain anymore (for reals though...).

Kozyndan





White guy, Japanese girl artist couple. By the looks of it, a match made in heaven. Their shit is soft and intimate yet bugged out. Bunnies, Giant Robots, mutants, school girls. You name it. Awesome. Their city panoramas are the jam.



akiza





Akiza's got the real honed in iconographic thing down pat. Now all this little shapeshifting china doll needs is some homies to help her get all viral in the States. I would love to see Akiza's start creeping across the urban landscape, covering up all these borrring Obey and Seizer posters.

Alex Pardee





This dude is definitely insane...insanely talented that is! A-haa!

No seriously, this guy is insane. He's also the best demented artist in the world, bar none.

He does the awesomely awesome comic Bunnywith and His Secrets of Hollywood book is also hilariously fucked up/brilliant.






Craola

Greg Simkins aka Craola is right up there in Pardee's range though. Simkins is the random tentacle go to guy fer sure.



Naoto Hattori








Ooops, almost forgot ya boy Naoto. Japanese transplant who specializes in extracting the gnarliest part of that one trip where you were just like "Fuuuuuck,this is tooo much...does this shit ever ennnnnd" and some transdimensional entity's all, "No! this. is. ETERNITY..." and you go "Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck". Yeah, he can paint that part no problem. He's like the illegitimate mutant child of a Geiger/Cronenberg headfuck.



Ok, now a smattering of random images...some of these just got right click saved with the quickness so I don't have the Artists name. Apologies. If anybody knows who's responsible for the one's I don't list the name on, by all means, hit me off with that info.

Initiate Eye Candy Overdrive Round 2

Alessandro Pautasso


Blaine Fontana




Stan & Vince







Chuck Anderson


High horse please...thank you. Can I get a monocle or something too...no?...alright, no, it's cool. Ahem...

As you've no doubt deduced at this point in our proceedings, I tend to gravitate towards art that exudes an air of, shall we say, universal peculiarity? Imagery perhaps best described as though the artist has somehow siphoned large swaths of raw, unconscious understanding from an unbound pool of creativity. Yet, without the application of extravagent analysis, the art still manages to stand alone as being aesthetically distinct and immersive. Alas, these inconsequential little trifles that so effortlessly circumvent the whole laborious process of overwrought scrutiny (as is dictated by the so-called "art world"), are, in turn, dismissed as merely "lowbrow" meanderings. As such, they are shunned for their abilitity to elicit,umph, gutteral reactions from those of us too enamored with these spastic utterings from the recesses of the reptilian part of our brains.

Well, aren't I the brute then! ::Laughter like the in the movie Amadeus:: Really...And so, I've no choice but to adopt a philosophy as follows: If you can't topple the oligarchy, then why not just disregard it entirely! ::Roomfuls of Amadeus laughter:: Hmm, yes yes, well allow me to speak frankly about the matter for just a moment...

I could gives a fuck about the supposed sea of metaphors and sexual parallels that surround your big ass red dot, shitbag.

Oh look, it's being bisected by a dashed line. I can not begin to fathom the implications. Oh and the edges are offset ever so slightly. Catch me, I feel faint. How large did you say? 50 feet across? My that's a lot of canvas. No mere peon could afford that, let alone get the studio space to house it, let me tell you. But I guess that's why you're the artiste and they're just poor! Ah! Oh, and will you look at these paint speckles in the corner. Was that an accident? No! Then here's a million dollars. Now where are my pills...darling, fetch me my pills...I'm restless. My mood has gone a pale blue...or is it...crimson?

Fuck that. Your shit looks laaaame. The 5 paragraph essay detailing precisely how hard you are blowing my mind is just the icing on the cake. That's the real high art...concocting some ultra premium bullshit statement so impenetrable, yet seemingly profound, that all the other overlords of bullshit feel the need to cozy up to your brilliant little enigma. Then the dominoes start falling and the next thing you know you're the Toast of the Town, the Belle of the Ball! ::Amadeus:: Pffff. Whatever helps you sleep at night. And not to say this isn't how things are with everything subjective: music, movies, fashion etc...but with "art" art (high fashion too), it just seems sooo much more painfully obvious that shit is arbitrary and people are fickle, sheepish, and most of all, retarded. All I can see is the man behind the curtain, surreptitiously sucking his own dick.

But hey, I'm young and naive. Look at me, trying to fight pretension with pretension like I'm the first person who ever questioned the ridiculosity of the system. Sigh...when will I learn. But truthfully, I just don't usually find the need to treat art like it's this Rubik's cube, when it can be this direct pipeline of communication, bundled as is for consumption. That inexplicable personal magnetism that a piece of art has, where you are subconciously deciphering and integrating the styles and symbols that have also been subconsciously embedded and layered, and you either connect or you don't connect, that's what fascinates me. When two extraordinarily complicated beings, the observer and the art (borne of another person's observations), each beset with countless rules, ideas, understanding, pasts, futures, etc., engage each other, the fact that a clear cut attraction or repulsion from this huge fucking equation can be reached at all, let alone in mere seconds sometimes, is amazing. Same with a song, same with people, same with anything. And when it's abstract, it's communication on a path seldom travelled, where certain logics and associations can be overwritten or dismissed and can spark a reaction or interplay not familiar to any other form of expression...but still it's there, that feeling. Maybe it's a clue to unraveling the world, maybe to understanding yourself, or maybe it's nothing at all, but it's personal, it's honest, and basically, it is what it is.


Yep.





Aw shit, I said mp3's too, huh. *(&$(*%$@@!!. (that was supposed to look like swearing in comic books or q*bert or whatever).

Cut Chemist- Spat

Cut Chemist- Storm (featuring Edan and Mr.Lif)

Maaan. This shit (Audiences' Listening) took forever, it was supposed to be fucking mindblowing. It's just good. Not even great. Oh well. It's basically exactly what you would expect from Cut Chemist if you weren't expecting an album like 5 years in the making. "Slap" is cool in a Kid Koala kind of way, just doing something goofy but inspired with turntables. And "Storm" would rock my world if it weren't for those fucking turntable stabs mixed waaay too loud that hit every bar. Why is that shit in front of the vocals??? It would be dope as a little background thingy but it kills this awesome song for me. Shiit, I wanna hear Edan. I can't even concentrate on his verse with that shit. Is that just crazy talk or are my speakers fucked up or what??? Help me out here.

Still, other good jams are The Garden, that Hymnal cut (check out Omid's Monolith for more of him, he's ill) and 2266 Cambridge.

Thom Yorke- The Eraser

Thom Yorke- Atoms for Peace

I like this. Yay. I was pretty worried I wouldn't after Hail to the Thief, but this definately feels like a solo affair. The density of the tracks are stripped down a great deal, straddling the line between complicated and accessible, which allows plenty of room for Yorke to do his thing. The over all feel of the album is much closer to Kid A, which is a good thing in my opinion. It's not amazing but it's really really good, which is more than I was hoping for.

Burial-You Hurt Me

Burial-Gutted

Burial-Forgive

Best thing to happen to dubstep since the Vex'd album. This self-titled album by Burial is fully shrouded with this deep ominous mystique that makes it shine above the standard dubstep club tune. The depth of production is amazing. The cryptic vocal sample intro and outro and the ambient interludes make it completely necessary to listen to this album as a whole in order to get the full effect. In fact, "Forgive", essentially an extended two bar loop, is one of the most beautiful things I have heard in a great while. It sounds like an angel, stuck halfway between two dimensions, singing a misty hymn that's being refracted by cracked mirrors through a blanket of fog. Sleep Spindles 3 material.

Dr. Octagon- Our Operators Are Masturbating

Dr. Octagon- The Turtle Skit

These two skits from the Return of Dr. Octagon are the best things off the album. The 3 new Kool Keith projects (this, Project Polaroid, and Mr. Nogatco) are as follows: weak, weaker, and fucking weaksauce. Dude's basically not even on the Return Album, the highest profile one, apparently over some gay ass dispute. There's some ok tracks (that one that's like mufucka's dress like they from Pakistan) but, aside from the skits, this shit does not feel like the legit return of the good doctor. Booo.

Wizone-Dissect the Style (feat Kool Keith) (Ming & FS Remix)

Here's some rarely heard Kool Keith over some vintage Ming & FS dnb/hip hop. See how much better he sounds with decent beats?!? But speaking of which...fuck man, what happened to Ming and FS!!! Subway Series was awful and Back to One was pretty crappy too. Aside from maybe this track.

Ming & FS-50 ft. Moleman

They need to bust another one of these epic transformer jams ASAP.

Ming & FS-The Human Condition

Ok, now some high flying pump up tunes to brighten your mood and mine. We got the ball tingling combo of Chromeo and Ed "so hot right now" Banger records, plus some obscure slap happy electric oompah jam that can and should generate smiles for miles.

DJ Mehdi feat Chromeo- I Am Somebody (Montreal Version)

Sagor och Swing- Not even gonna attempt typing the name...just dl it.



Goddamn. And now, a thousand years of sleep..................... This button turns this into a megapost

MEATY!!!

Today I'm gonna make an effort to beef this bastard up with less fluff and more stuff.

Translation: Here's a fat gaggle of mp3s.

I'm going full on menagerie mode here. Genre's are just a crutch for the weak. Now get to getting.

Hot Chip-Colours

Hot Chip-The Warning

Normally, I am kinda flabbergasted by how hard people dickride everything the DFA do. However, I gotta give them respect for swooping on Hot Chip and giving them the coveted James Murphy nod of approval. These nutty little English dudes are making some fucking SONGS and they are crazy original. There's some electro, some dance, some idm, but the key component is just really really awesome melodies and lyrics. Their new album, The Warning, is similiar to their debut, Coming On Strong, just a little more polished, and a little bit DFA-ified. I love the single, boy from school, but it's actually their goofy/sweet shit that really does it for me. Colours and The Warning, for example, are mad tender, even if the chorus on the latter is "hot chip will break your legs, snap off your head". Sensitive thug's take notice.

PS Shining Escalade (off their first album) is the bizness. The tenderest of all thuggage.

DJ Shadow-This Time (I'm gonna try it my way)

From his forthcoming album, The Outsider, this one isn't all hyphy like 3 freaks or that David Banner song. It's actually a really authentic sounding soul jam with some soaring strings plucked straight outta Marvin Gaye or Bobby Womack's arsenal. Super shitty mp3 quality though, but it should be enough to wet your whistle for the album.

Bronx River Parkway- Nora Se Va

Jackie Mitoo- Black Organ

Some more badass old shit. The first is a sick latin jam and the second is some dope roots reggae.

Brookville-Nothings Meant to Last

This song is pretty soft but whatevs...I dig the lounge tropicalia and that chicks voice in the chorus.

Jamie Lidell-What's the use (Mocky Remix)

Best song off the otherwise mediocre remix album, Multiply Additions. Stick to the original Multiply. It's pretty timeless and amazing.

Dabrye- Encoded Flow

I was anticipating Two/Three pretty heavily. While it doesn't quite live up to my (really high) expectations, when it does hit, it hits hard. This beat sounds something like listening to an Apache helicopter stalling while being swallowed in a pit of quicksand. Meanwhile, back on the surface, newcomer Kadence spits the cold, hard factual. It's the type of track that should make El-P and Co. wanna step their game up (or at least sign Kadence). Bleak Futurism at it's finest.

Dabrye-Air (featuring MF DOOM) (Remix by 100dbs)

The homey 100dbs snagged DOOM's verse from Air a little while back and whipped up this headnodder. If you ask me it's even better than Dabrye's version. It's featured on his new album, Brenner's Breaks, which should be dropping very shortly. You can also download his ridiculously good Black Album Remix project, the Argyle Album, on his page. Dude is sampling the Cure, Modest Mouse, Aphex Twin, all kinds, putting the Grey Album to shame. Expect big things from this guy in the future.

tstewart- A World Generated Every Answer Ever for All To Know

Known primarily as machinedrum, Travis Stewart proves on his latest outing, Living Exponentially, that he's much more than Prefuse 73-lite. His work as tstewart shows that his compositions have progressed significantly in complexity and scope. This track has a live jazz feel, with subtle strands of idm and hip hop woven through it. I bet you could slap Four Tet's name on this and people would eat it up. Point being, this kid deserves more shine. Also, the Machinedrum remix album, Mergerz and Acquistionz, is surprisingly good. You'll be hearing tracks from it shortly when I finish (PLUG!) Random Access Melodies.

Drumcorps- Grist

May seem a little to generic-deathmetal-meets-electronics at first, but at about the two minute mark, these gatling gun drums come careening out of the time-stretched oblivion and the next thing you know, the walls are painted with the remnants of your melted brain. Yeah, no you've got it, your face exploded because that shit was so fucking hardball. And even though the last thing you thought was "but I don't even really like metal", the epic stadium riffs that are unleashed henceforth demand that your headless corpse throw up "the horns" and start wriggling like an epileptic. I hear Satan is so impressed by this shit that he actually gives you a minute after the song ends to let it all just soak in before he devours your everlasting soul. Full length album coming in September.

Metronomy- You Could Easily Have Me

Post Punk Munster's theme song? You tell me. Alls I know is that if I ever made a hardcore haunted house, this song would be playing on loop in every squatter-filled room.

Plastic Little- I'm not a Thug

Best opening skit for a rap song ever.

David Shrigley-Dont's

A dash of the twisted, delivered with that deadpan british wit.

Caribou- The Snow Capes

Caribou had a tour cd he made while touring around promoting the Milk of Human Kindness last year. I thought it was almost better than the real album. Here's a nice blurry downtempo number.

Pepe Deluxe-Real Simple

One from the archives (meaning 2003: not new, but not old enough to be "rediscovered"). Still, an overlooked gem in my opinion. A lazy downtempo track with some nice wispy vocals.



Hmmm, yep.

The gamut has definately been run. This button turns this into a megapost