love loving me pearl DJ Mix (2010)

Deeper Shades of Wax Radio Show @ 98.5FM The Beat Radio Plus Bali

“love loving me pearl” DJ Mix by Marlowe Bandem, Thursday, June 24, 2010 from 18.00-1900 WITA

To say Steve Rachmad plays interesting dance music is an understatement. He spins intelligently, tech-mospheric to the utter most, mind body soul.

“love loving me pearl” is a cut up of a DJ set – supposedly a cooling down one – I did early morning at home for friends post Steve Rachmad’s gig at rooftop S0S Anantara (June 18, 2010). Steve Racmad, the living legend of everything tech from the Netherlands really tech-blazed the intimate privileged beauty of a crowd that night. Together with the funked-up Patrick Bodmer, the integral half of M.A.N.D.Y. who spun two days earlier (June 16, 2010) at the same venue, both surely set the standards and fulfilled the weekly doze of good music, tech-house and techno that is for Bali.

“We love techno”, said Silvie B. Nebauer of Massivevibrations VIA Bali as we danced and danced to the underground beats welcoming the dawning days of tomorrow. Enjoy.

“love loving me pearl” (58:37 minutes) tracklist:

Goldwill_Matikal / Adverb_Kill the Host / Kevin Saunderson_Bassline (Loco Dice Remix) / Claude Von Stroke_Who’s Afraid of Detroit? (Audion Remix) / John Dahlback_Tiny Stars / Steve Rachmad_Rond / Morgan Geist_Detroit (c2rmx2 by Carl Craig) / Guy Gerber & Shlomi Aber_Sea of Sand / GummiHz_Los Los (D’Julz Remix) / Tiga_Beep Beep Beep (Loco Dice Remix) / Consistent_Proper Balance (Original Mix) / SCSI-9_Horse’ N Apples / SCSI-9_Kroy Menya V Pol Bita (Pawas Remix)/ Dean DeCosta_Paper Hat

Click here to stream Deeper Shades of Wax Radio Show: love loving me pearl (Continuous Mix – Various Artists) or you can always right click and save as… to download.

Record Lovers (Photo by Ade Adinata, 2010)

Here’s the interview I did for the Beat Magazine Jakarta (The Beat jakarta 15) originally posted here.

Marlowe Bandem grew up in an artistic environment, and has blossomed into into one cutting edge graphic designer, artist and DJ. The Beat pulled a chair to to find out more about this multi-talented man.

Q: Marlowe, how did it feel , being raised in such an art influenced environment? How did it affect the way you grew up?

A: Surely suffocating. I mean you get encircled by too many great figures, accompished artists, quick-witty thinkers and brave souls that don’t necessarily push you to the right direction. There were times when I believed I couldn’t accomplish many and do good in such milieu. As I matured, I embraced music and believed in it since.

Q: How do you cook it all to your own art form?

A: Those stomping grounds are my muse, thus my art serves the muse. Say the muse is this out-of-the-blue girl, then I’ll faithfully cater for her needs. If a political struggle becomes the muse, I’ll endure it all the way. If the muse is nothing, I’ll mend something out of it. I’m just a chef, I’ll combine and heat the ingredients in all its variety depending whose here for the feast.

Q: Does your father’s big name (I Made Bandem) put pressure to your art producing, or is it a huge motivation instead?

A; Both at the same time. I find the proximity pleasing and gives me that added confidence, not to forget also all access to the art scene herein. Compounding that with the contemporaries surrounding me, life is good.

Q: Please define 5 Marlowe Bandem’s most personal interest / pursue in life…

A: The tales of five? I just pursue my self; thrills not in the context of extreme sport; sounds/images close to the heart; and most definitely warm conversations over the coldest beer in town.

Q: Your graphic designs, what stories do they tell?

A: DigiArts are my designs against tyranny, my so-called perspectives of living life as part of a burden to the good mother-earth. It’s simply an intimate medium where I share the beauty I have witnessed, the exuberance I have felt, and the anxiety I have suffered. The poet I am not, images do convey 1001 stories.

Q: You seem to avoid the limelight in DJing, playing in communities etc, what’s the mission?

A: My spouse won’t allow me to play in clubs (laughing) anymore. Too many occupational hazards, I suppose. Seriously, club is the place for me to wind up, plus playing clandestinely in communal settings does have it’s own surprises.

Q: Name 3 of your favorite song in the playlist and why…?

A: I’ll rattle and shake in all the right places by cutting up Everything is Borrowed (Jin Choi), then A Walk in the Dunes (Alexi Delano Mix) by Terry Toner and work the starry night by setting Other People (Original Mix) by Adultnapper on rotation.

Q: Any rituals for inspiration..?

A: Again, cold beers and tuning the dial to 98.5 FM The Beat Radio Plus. Everyday.

Q: You do some different activities in life. How do you keep your equilibrium steady?

A: Actually, I keep it real by doing the many things. It gives me the edge. You know, the more complicated and tense it becomes, the more creative one can be. You do live for the extremities.

Q: Any words to inspire new artists / musicians?

A: Do it as you mean it.

Interview by Athron McCann for The Beat Magazine Bali – Jakarta

Photo by Ade Adinata of 3 Graphis Bali

love is ever so blind (DigiArt, 1280x960px, 2010)

love is ever so blind, here’s my shakespearean sonnet bout being blindful

Love is ever so blind, i need to learn braille alphabet and numbers.

Love is so blind because cupid is so farsighted…

Love is so blind, I’ll master knitting in an hour.

Love is so blind, I use shampoo to soap.

Love is so blind, I keep bumping into you.

Love is so blind, I don’t mind when you score from an off-side position…

Love is so blind, I sense the world by your silent sighs and indistinct murmurs over the static and odd frequencies …

Love is so blind, I keep coming back to you for sweet sinful green tea frappuccino’s instead of those blended at starbucks…

Love is ever so blind, you’ve mistaken me as cupid. Lucky me…

Love is ever so blind, you’re medusa stare only distends and rigids the state of my manhood. Lucky you.

Love is so blind, I keep driving my wood on your par 3 hole in one’s…

Love is ever so blind, I keep raising the stakes of this poker game to keep safe its addicting thrills…

Love is ever so blind, I keep clinging on to you…

Love is ever so blind, it made me realize black is created by the affairs of all the other colors …

Love is ever so blind, if you don’t mind, i’ll keep you as mine…

Love is ever so blind, i moon-walked reversely to the tones of your gleeful chuckle and sweet refusals of a good time…

Love is so blind, the golden pot at the end of the rainbow knocks me out threefold yellow, orange and yellow like a fast relief …

Love is ever so blind, you can run for cover, but you can’t hide from the sweet sour aftertaste…

Love is ever blind, i listen to you more clearly…

Love is ever so so blind, it doesn’t mean i’m an idiot. just physically challenged…

Love is ever so blind, it intensifies my tactile signals to a slight degree when it comes to you…

Love is ever so blind, i couldn’t care less about being outdoors or indoors…

Love is ever so blind, no torch can shed light on how warm it has been with you under the cover of darkness..

Love is ever so blind, i trust every inch of you even if you’re brunette and crippled…

Love is ever so blind, it is.

Love is ever so blind, i’m all ears…

Love is ever so blind, i don’t mind if you keep whining from the sidelines like rafael benitez…

Love is ever so blind, i’ll keep my preferences blank for you to fill…

Love is ever so blind, it may be short lived by the faint hearted…

Love is ever so blind, you didn’t even notice I was blowing kisses like crazy over the statics and odd frequencies.

Love is ever so blind, i only prune wild roses…

Love is ever so blind, just figured out that love is series of attachment in space and time, both repulsive and pleasing…

Love is ever so so blind, can’t even read the calendar, so i’ll just keep loving you in the still of the starry nights to come.

Love is ever so blind, fill the _ _ _ _ _ _ as you please…

Love is ever so blind, i don’t need sight to see that two wrongs does make it right…

Love is ever so blind, cause i never use my mind…

Love is ever so blind, it makes us the right kind…

Love is again ever so blind, my senses keeps telling me that she’s quite the queen of hearts.

Love is blindful, jeff healey has an angel for an eye whilst gently letting the guitar weep…

Love is ever so blind, it didn’t stop zohar sharon winning golf tournaments.

Love is so blind, now I see clearer why the lack of visual perception never stop ray charles and stevie wonder do good for the world.

Love is ever so blind, a few to many blind dates with john barleycorn makes me heavenly blah and spew god.

Love is ever so blind, it makes twitter over capacity…

Love is ever so blind, it seems picture perfect when your bent out of shape…

Love is ever so blind, i have the most surreal dreams..

Love is ever so blind, i get concessions for forgetting how you look…

Love is ever so blind, i always get to touch faces…

Love is ever so blind, i make up all colors of the b/w world by rubbing my eyes hard and long…

Love is so blind, i trust my versatile rottweiler instincts to hunt and sense you, love.

Love is so blind; it’s not web 2.0 i’m booting, but more likely the same old web 1.0 patched and updated by service pack 3…

Love is so blind, i forage the room for the long lost tv remote, instead of walking straight to the box and switch the channels manually…

Love is ever so blind, i sneak up to you like batman – but with goggles…

Love is ever so blind, the fulfilling surprises keeps draining my viewpoint…

Love is so blind, it defies gravity and all reasoning…

Love is so blind, we owe it big time to shakespeare …

Love is so blind, i really know how it feels when you say i never want to see your face again…

Love is so blind, the lack of sight makes me see the imperfectness of love most clearly…

Love is ever so blind, people do come to me and ask for directions…

Love is ever so blind, i need you to recite poems of mislaid slippers and misplaced glasses to me, like now.

Love is so blind; one, two, three, four, it’s true by the hour…

Love is so blind, it only needs 10% infatuation and 90% desperation to set the spark just right…

Love is ever so blind, your playful pleasures is pulpy pure…

Love is so blind, i hope my spouse doesn’t read all of these…

Love is ever so blind, you clear the ghosts – i save the host..

Love is ever so blind, I think people wouldn’t notice when I keep smiling for no particular reason.

Love is ever so blind, I get high sniffing your sweet scented smell…

Love is ever so blind, I keep drawing circles to make the love between us go on forever…

Love is ever so blind, I don’t need eyes to visualize how special you are to us…

Love is ever so blind, you’re the apple of my eyes…

Love is ever so blind, I’ll lend you my sight for you to see howright da vinci captured your mystical smile…

Love is ever so blind; it never dies, it justly shifts shape over space and time…

Love is ever so blind; if your white, i’m black, and the kaleidoscopic range of colors in between is surely the playful us…

Love is ever so blind; your cancerian quality is my unicode to decipher the perplexing constellation of love zodiacs…

Love is ever so blind, not many can feel let alone see why love is the only universality in life…

Love is ever so blind, what would it take for you to see all the freewill journeys we could’ve embarked …

Love is ever so blind, it’s fittingly perfect to be unconscious, undiscerning, unmindful, unobservant, unperceiving, and unreasoning.

Love is ever so blind, when I land on my knees loving you it still kinda hurts.

Love is ever so blind, I don’t even have an emergency exit plan.

Love is ever so blind, your scars and torments are lullabies to me…

Love is ever so blind, it helps to be an alcoholic…

Love is ever so blind, trados and trodat are surely universes apart.

Love is ever so blind, I don’t need blinders when we stroll around the big apple, one day.

Love is ever so blind, i keep calling 1-800-LOVE-SHALL-SET-YOU-FREE

Love is ever so blind, even plato is multitasking for socrates in aristotle’s cave…

Love is ever so blind; i’ve been here many times before – it’s an addiction turn enslavement.

Love is ever so blind, i don’t even need the hearing-impaired calculus and the heroic reporter tintin to tell me i’m in love.

Love is so blind, do make sure you clip all the thrones of your bed of roses…

Love is ever so blind, just realized the only thing missing in us is u..

Love is ever so blind, these blinding love lines are because of you…

Love is ever so blind, it tricks your mind…

Love is so blind, when it comes to you, the only competition around is me…

Love is ever so blind, you have only one collect-call to god to bail you out…

Love is ever so blind, make sure you have a bold h h h h heart….

Love is ever so blind, I’m tailored to suit you…

Love is ever so blind, negroponte’s switch is all true, love is wireless and it’s in the air!

Love is ever so blind, the greatest view is seeing you come for me during my washed-out wantings…

Love is ever so blind, I’m not single, nor married. I’m just available.

Love is ever so blind, what you see is still what you get…

Love is blind, I just evol(ve).

Love is ever so blind, it sparks heroic battles and great wars among men…

Love is ever so blind, I call telkom 103 to check your biological clock…

Love is ever so blind, even during public holidays…

Love is ever so blind; hugs and sweet caresses are substantial, but you filling the spaces between my fingers is completely immaculate…

Love is ever so blind, don’t even try to explain these pathological sensations i feel from head to toe…

Love is ever so blind, Gibran limits it as spiritual affinity…

Love is so blind, it’s vignettes of feebly knees, sweaty palms, racy hearts, and shivery bodies to the power of nervous suspenses…

Love is ever so blind, your saline salty kiss blows away my daily fails and epic falls…

Love is so blind, elevator kisses defies the conviction of gravity. collarbone kisses, well, it’s quantum leap to …

Love is ever so blind; look for me at the lost and found services

Love is ever so blind, we get tangled up in the matrix of revised love lines alight birdy cabs as wherewithal city dims down…

Love is ever so blind, your angelic breath makes the sun perspire, the moon chant amorous sonatas, and overwhelm earth with heavens…

Love is ever so blind, you express your thoughts like ikebana.

Love is ever so blind, there’s one thing you should know: I’m blind.

Love is surely blind, i can live with kinda, maybe, sorta and all your perhaps…

Love is ever so blind, we’ll just let love decide.

Love is ever so blind, i keepsake stop motion animation of our pulsating moments through airy-fairy rapid eye movements…

Love is ever so blind, out of reach calls and voice mails are only setbacks caused by bad cases of weak signals and low batts…

Love is ever so blind, i keep driving on the wrong side of the road whilst making sure i’ve dialed the right number…

Love is ever so blind, i entertain my self driving in circles…

Love is ever so blind, wait till i get on that pink plane to your doorsteps…

Love is ever so blind, cupidity is the study of stupidity…

I don’t have the passion anymore, and so remember, it’s better to burn out than to fade away.

Peace, Love, Empathy. Kurt Cobain.

Kurt Cobain (in his suicide note), Lead singer for American grunge band Nirvana, referencing a song by Neil Young.

Cobain Christmas (DigiArt, 1280x800px, 2009)

Rejoicing The Christmas Spirit: Holiday Classics on Rotation (DigiArt, 1280x1280px, 2009)

At Christmas, play and make good cheer, for Christmas comes but once a year.

Thomas Tusser (1524 – 1580), English farmer and writer

Yes, it’s that time of year again, a month of ebullient secular customs, a week of wishful window shopping, a day of unwanted gifts, and a wholehearted toast from loves one – those who tell us how much they love us and completely disregard us till another year be gone…

Hooray, it’s Christmas, where ever you are – even here in Bali.

Honestly, it’s been a while since the last time we’ve had a Christmas gathering: chatter nearing an open fire, roasting chestnuts and marshmallows, misplacing Christmas ornaments, murmuring about brightly decorated fake plastic Christmas trees and its cotton snow, as well as tampering the eggnog with more brandy and rum. And yet, I must confess that I (still) get a sense of kindness and cheerfulness every year about this time, following the encirclement of the holiday spirit and its merrymaking significance: plump jolly Santa Claus, Christmas trees, Christmas cards, Christmas stockings, Christmas sweets, Christmas cakes, Christmas pudding, as well as Christmas carols.

Christmas is all around; once more.

Personally, I get a “kick”, a sudden stimulant effect of mental and physical soundness whenever I hear someone like Sinatra, Mann, Fitzgerald, or Crosby take on a saintly rendition, singing about the Promised Land, the Holy Spirits, Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and how Mr. Grinch stole Christmas.

Why?

It’s tradition. In my native culture no ritual ceremony/festival is considered complete without the presence of music, which is why (for me) a holy day is not a holy day, Galungan is not majestically Galungan, Christmastime is not really Christmastime until you have compiled at least 60 minutes of jolly tunes as a soundtrack to enhance your quest of spiritual blessings or at least to hum to when the social conversing becomes tiresome. I do believe that we not only correlate most of the noble and good things about a holy day, including Christmas through our own perception and experiences, but more often from the picturesque articulation of religious songs, in this case the Christmas carols, we have heard since pre-school.

Thus, as Christmas nears with a certainty of a Christmas gathering this time around then it’s inevitable for me to sort my 12” LP’s for a holiday classic compilation, put it on rotation, and share it with all of you.

So what’s in stock this time of year?

Honestly, compiling a Christmas music album is quite an uneasy task. Firstly, the repertoire and mood of Christmas songs are seemingly quite predictable. Christmas songs – relaxing, uplifting and spiritual in nature – can be a drag and surely most people would rather not hear the same songs and typical cover versions every year. I also feel that the divine iconic lyrical elements of the genre (the jolly jingling bells, etc.) are too much to bear and the persistent joyfulness of most tunes – oddly enough – contradicts the veracity of the days passing by (at least my life).

And yet, the genre augments the much needed solace for self-assured reflections, to momentarily rethink about the year be gone and what was really achieved, you know; the-meaning-of-life stuff.

So again, what’s in stock this time of year?

Plenty, I must say. While it would be damn hilarious having William ‘She Bang’ Hung’s “Hung For The Holidays”, South Park Tunes, or Henry “Anger Management” Rollins on rotation, let’s arouse inspiration from the lovely and hopeful jingles we breathe within us.

“Song of Hope” – delightful Christmas stories – by the traditional Irish folk band Bohola surely sets the mood, followed by “River” (Will Taylor & Strings Attached With Molly Venter) and “No Child Should Ever Cry on Christmas” (Daryl Hall & John Oates); which for me are among the finest Christmas albums in recent years – in addition to Aimee ‘post-new wave pop queen’ Mann’s “One More Drifter in the Snow” album and Sarah ‘atmospheric-folk-pop diva’ McLachlan’s “Live from etown: 2006 Christmas Special.”

While I’ve always been a faithful devotee of Marilyn Monroe’s cover version of Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby”, having heard the smooth jazzy rendition of familiar Christmas tunes by versatile saxophonist Boney James in his “Christmas Present” album, I just can’t help to put his version, which features the soothing vocals of soul songstress Chanté Moore vibrating my senses.

Meanwhile, ex-Sixpence None the Richer frontwoman Leigh Nash, features Gabe Dixon in a such a candid interpretation of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”; truly mesmerizing. Other perennial favorites this time around include “Angel” by Allison Crowe, “Christmas” by Rachel Kershenbaum, and “All I Am” by the dynamic duo George Benson and Al Jarreau.

Jars of Clay’s “Christmas Song” album is also worth your time and money, as their faithfulness, magical touch plus their dedication enduring the one-take recording sessions for this album really emphasizes a belief – as summed by their frontman, Dan Haseltine – that art can “make people feel what’s true rather than telling them”.

Songs such as “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man” by Lena Horne, “Love At First Sight” by Michael Buble and “When You Wish Upon A Star” by Stig Møller not only brings a sense of warmth and sensuous spiritual acquaintances, but also underlines the fundamental conception of holy days – sacrifice, passion, and love.

I also suppose “Make Someone Happy” by the classy LA native LaVerne Butler highlights the fact that Christmas or any other religious holy days is all about shouldering the burden of the good earth to make just one someone happy from time to time…

Furthermore, the sultry jazzy tone of Karrin Allyson (Santa, I need more of her LP’S) and Maria Muldaur’s tribute and reinterpretation of Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love” definitely shows why they are prominent legacies of American roots music: folk, blues, and jazz.

At the end of the day, concluding this rotation with “Silent Night, Holy Night” or “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” by Bing Crosby – the man who defines Christmas music – may seemingly be on the agenda, but I guess I’ll fade away in a rejoiced content mood, (closely) reminiscent to Mr. Tony ‘American Entertainer’ Bennett, singing “This day was just a token, too many words are still unspoken
Oh, well, we’ll catch up some other time…”

or you can always right click and save as… to download.

Rejoicing the Christmas Spirit: Holiday Classics on Rotation / (17 songs, 64:33 minutes, 73.9 MB)

Artist / Title / Album

1. Bohola / Song of Hope / Bo Ho Ho Hola

2. Will Taylor & Strings Attached With Molly Venter / River / Back To The Garden: A Tribute To Joni Mitchell

3. Daryl Hall & John Oates / No Child Should Ever Cry on Christmas / Home for Christmas

4. Stig Møller / When You Wish Upon A Star / The Spirit Of Christmas

5. Jars Of Clay / Drummer Boy / Christmas Songs

6. Boney James / Santa Baby / Christmas Present

7. Aimee Mann / Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas / One More Drifter in the Snow

8. Allison Crowe / Angel / Tidings (Bonus Tracks Edition)

9. Lena Horne / Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man / Jazz: Love

10. Michael Buble / Love At First Sight / Totally Buble

11. Maria Muldaur / Make You Feel My Love / Heart of Mine: Love Songs of Bob Dylan

12. George Benson & Al Jarreau / All I Am / Givin’ It Up

13. Karrin Allyson / Angel Eyes / In Blue

14. Rachel Kershenbaum / Christmas / Love Is Not Love…

15. Leigh Nash (featuring Gabe Dixon) / Baby, It’s Cold Outside / Do You Hear What I Hear?

16. LaVerne Butler / Make Someone Happy / A Foolish Thing To Do

17. Tony Bennett / Some Other Time / Tony Bennett Sings for Lovers

PS. Bali is a small beautiful island situated in the archipelago of Indonesia with majority of its people are Hindu. It’s an open space and scape, it’s sacral and secular at once, it’s my birthplace which I love and loathe all together. Meanwhile, Galungan is a Hindu-Bali festival celebrated passionately every 210 days; its a day symbolizing the inner struggle of humankind to forward dharma (righteousness) and cast away adharma (evil).

AirGuitar.Sex.Drugs.Rockn’Roll is a compilation for Rudolf Dethu’s Block Rockin’ Beats” @ The Beat Radio Plus 98.5 FM (Bali)

Wednesday, November 4, 2009  (8-10 PM Standard Local Time)

For me, Rock n’ Roll is not so much a phenomenon about sex and illicit substances; its always been more about the frequent playing of an air guitar – dancing, heartrending, and pretending the larger-than-life strumming, plucking and picking motions of an imaginary rock-style electric guitar.

Yet again, for me, the fanciful mental image to sex someone up and occasional experimenting of drugs is more a reality of (my) daily life.

1. “There’s A Fire In The House” / Steve Vai / Fire Garden (2006)

Vai truly embodies what I call “ a virtuoso of anything with strings.” I mean he has really come along way from the boy who visited Joe “Satch” Satriani with a pack of strings on his left hand and a guitar on his right hand; saying “when I grow up, I wanna be a famous rock n roll guitar player…”

2. “Middle Man” / Living Colour / Vivid (1988)

Vernon Reid, guitarist of unnerving-unconventional “funky-chunky” rhythms and vigorous italic sounding melodies is the mastermind of this New York based band. Their debut album Vivid really augmented the band’s personal quintessence to the themes of political marginality and darker yet sublime subculture of rock in black communities. Living Colour is truly the pioneers of black-funk-metal.

3. “Cupid’s Dead” / Extreme / III Sides To Every Story (1992)

I praise this album dearly. By far, it’s the band’s most ambitious album and also the best. The concept of interchanging yet interrelated sections of the album: You-Mine-The Truth makes you set repeat on the dial. It’s a journey about denial, anger, pacification, sorrow, and enlightenment at once. Soak yourself wet into the never-ending funk-metal guitar riffs!

4. “Fire It Up” / T-Ride / T-Ride (1992)

Another hard to find record, “T-Ride” is a concoction of wild, bemusedly expressive, complex, and mentally deranged angelic screams, atmospheric backing vocals, and “out of this world” instrumentation. Jeff Tyson, the “finger zinger” on guitar used to learn and jam with Joe Satriani, while imagining about his sister being held hostage by the Mob, to which would take pleasure killing his loved one – if he ever misses a note. Fret Righteously or Die!

5. “Crash Victim/Black Science Navigator” / Praxis / Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis) (1992)

I bumped into this record, while searching materials about Buckethead – the weird/eccentric/multi-talented six-string wizard. Seriously, I can only imagine what’s buzzing in his brain under that “KFC-Funeral” bucket he frequently puts on. Interlocking such beautiful strangeness to the prolificacy of Bill Laswell, then Praxis emerges as permutations of somewhat dramatic and ever complementary.

6. “Nineteen” / Bad 4 Good / Refugee (1992)

Under the mentorship of Steve Vai, you’d expect bigger things from these youngsters in the years to come after the release of this Refugee album. But it seems the heavy metallic sounds, long shiny hair, and bangin’ good times is too much to handle for this quartet of good promising young musicians. It turned out to be good gone sour; too bad.

7. “Kong Foo Sing” / Regurgitator / Tu-Plang (1996)

Regurgitator is a jukebox blasting out intelligent and explicit hard rockin’ and electronica sequencing, home-brewed in Brisbane, Australia. Full of zest, the band is notorious for putting up a show; blending animation, visuals, and kinetic stage presence worth gorging ourselves into. Really, their awesome: sing, sing, sing the Kong Foo Sing “ancient wisdom in a crunchy treat – the place where the faith and the flavour meet.”

8. “Freedom Exists (Acapella)” / Jim Morrison & The Doors / An American Prayer (1978)

Released couple of years after the fall and demise of Jim Morrison, a record as backing tracks to Jim’s psychedelic story telling, poetry and spoken words. A lifelong legacy of a legend!

9. “Suram Wajah Negeri” / Navicula / Alkemis (2005)

Bali’s Green Grunge Gentlemen at their best! A tenacious domestic legend, highly spirited to the art form in a country full of agony. This song is raw, aggressive, distorted, rattling and shaking in all the right places. Go do the frantic moshing!

10. “White Rabbit” / The Vincent Black Shadow / Head in a Box (2008)

From the net release Head in a Box EP, by far the best rendition of Jefferson Airplane’s smashing hit from the 1967 “Surrealistic” album. TVBS lives by the code “If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself”. Sounds familiar, don’t you think? So, grab your instrument of choice, start a band, front a singer as awesome as Cassandra Ford (if you’re lucky enough), roll an internet label, go out, and play. As TVBS say “not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely.”

11. “Aneurysm” / Nirvana / Incesticide (1992)

Come on over – Overdo it – Beat me out of me – From a love so sick – Beat me out of me (again and again) – We just need a fitting fix now and then…

12. “Black Widow” / Kyuss / Wretch (1991)

An influential American stoner-rock band, Kyuss is the heavyweight champions of heavy-fuzzy-flangey-mid-tempo sounds. Although already disbanded, the personal musical influences are present elsewhere in the respective new formations such as Fu Manchu and Queens of the Stone Age.

13. “Schizophrenia” / Sonic Youth / Sister (1987)

Genius of the unorthodox, Sonic Youth’s experimentation in sound is equal to none, they are the masters of turning noise to art vice versa. Sister is analogously warm, haunting and poetically justified; “Jesus really had a twin who knew nothing about sin … “

14. “SEX” / Frank Zappa / The Man From Utopia (1983)

An adroit being, Zappa masters diverse art forms. A prodigious composer/musician, Zappa truly shines in enduring the trial and tribulations of (his) life, to which compounds his prolificacy and determined productiveness tenfold as a megastar of undisputed bluntness. Surely, there is a glimpse of Zappa in every great composer/musician.

15. “Ezekial 25-17” (Acapella) / Samuel L Jackson / Pulp Fiction (The Movie) (1994)

Remember the scene?

16. “Another Body Murdered” (Radio Edit) / Faith No More & Boo-Yaa Tribe / Another Body Murdered (Single) (1993)

Judgment Night: Music From The Motion Picture. It’s a milestone in rap-rock history of the world.

17. “Without You I’m Nothing” (U.N.K.L.E. Remix) / Placebo feat. David Bowie / Without You I’m Nothing (Single) (1999)

I love this threesome of a remix…

18. “Release” / Timo Maas / Pictures (2005)

This album holds Maas under a somewhat eerie scrutiny, as the album os slightly odd to his previous “maases” of stellar remixes. Overall, it’s a snapshot of astoundingly well crafted vibes and collaborations. While not necessarily floor-fillers, it surely crates a healthy dose of brisk and edgy tech-house tracks. Perfect for a 3 AM cruise-craving for munchies.

19. “We Have Explosive” / The Future Sound Of London / We Have Explosive (Single) (1997)

Embark a pilgrimage to untainted soundscapes and push-push all boundaries. Classic.

20. “Frantic” / Bullyrag / Songs Of Praise (1998)

From the seminal work on jungle-ragga-rap-metal, “Songs Of Praise.” A fantastic eclectic album, expertly blending the temperateness of laid-back and heaviness as one big pot of hysterical radiating joy. I guess there is something wrong with the industry, cause this band isn’t receiving much praise as they should be.

21. “Song To Say Goodbye” / Placebo / Meds (2006)

A shadow came up to me and softly said, “Save yourself to save one’s son and one’s father.” View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13HnYhiE7xU

22. “Friends Of P.” / The Rentals / Return Of The Rentals (1995)

Matt Sharp, ex-Weezer bassist fronts The Rentals. This is a trivial song: what’s this thing about P.? Some say it’s a lovely little musical ditty to Paulina Porizkova, Ric Ocasek’s (Producer of Weezer’s Blue Album). Also there is reference about having two love ones (maybe Weezer and The Rentals or who knows what), about his short-lived 15 minutes of fame in the 90’s and the possibility of royalty payments as in “Somebody’s fame and fortune is gonna come to me early.” See, songs about personal experiences are the best!

23. “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” (Acapella) / Nancy Sinatra / Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (The Movie) (2003)

Yes, she also did it her way …

24. “Monsters in The Parasol” / Queens of the Stone Age / Rated R (2000)

Came to life after the parting ways of Kyuss. The rocking riffs are unyielding as prehistoric megaliths, pounding your senses with naked emotions. Its surely is tough enough for boys and lovable for girls at once.

25. “Mama Said Knock You Out” / Scatterbrain / Encino Man OST (1992)

Crappy movie, great soundtrack. The OST knocks out the film big time.

26. “Psycho Therapy“ / Skid Row / B-Side Ourselves (1992)

I feel well already …

27. “Power Of Suggestion” / Steve Stevens / Atomic Playboys (1989)

Steve Stevens: Another wicked overworking guitarist.

28. “Some Velvet Morning” / Primal Scream / Dirty Hits (2003)

I still can’t get over the sight of Kate Moss in the video clip. Love or loathe her I guess…

29. “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” / Spoon / Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007)

The Cherry Bomb I know is rather an aphrodisiac consisting a shot of vodka, a tad splashing of grenadine and ½ glass of Krating Daeng. Shake, then gulp quickly. Healthy.

30. “Space Oddity” / David Bowie / Space Oddity (1969)

Major Tom is my favorite junkie. On a tangent, the tin can and vast looming dimness of space represents the conception of casting out from the overcrowded conviction of stardom surrounding the likes of Bowie.

31. “Marie Douceur, Marie Colere” (Paint it Black) / Marie Laforet / La Moisson (1966)

Respect the Stones. Seriously, it was tad difficult to choose, the version by long lost master shredder Guy Mann Dude or this one.

32. “Sunday Morning Coming Down” / Me First and The Gimme Gimmes / Love Their Country (2006)

The Gimmes is a punk rock supergroup and cover version specialist. There’s always a profitable corner of the market for good wedding, party, tribute or function bands. Be frank in your approach and keep faith along the way. Nevertheless, Sunday Morning Coming Down is a tribute for those recurring hangover Sunday mornings.

33. “Tomorrow Never Knows” / The Beatles / Revolver (1966)

A must album for any music collection. Well fitted as the ending track of the album, “Tomorrow Never Knows” evolves as a spirited contemplation blanketed by sensory sonic vibrations reverberating the reign of expressive freedom and futures sensibly distorted. On a lighter note, its a track so ahead of its time.

34. “The Crystal Ship” / The Doors / The Doors (1967)

The shadows of the past tend to lurk subconsciously as transparent images in the present and future. Interpret as is and rejoice Morrison’s flair for always being pure at heart.

35. “Outro” / U.N.K.L.E. / Psyence Fiction (1998)

Buy this album. End of discussion.

36. “Hallelujah” / Jeff Buckley / Grace (1994)

While we remain ashore, the forsaken ghosts of Wolf River Harbour swept Buckley out of reach, eternally tucked in the dusk of Mid-South, poised slumbering afloat the grieving mist of Mississippi River …

Roll In, Rock On and have a listen:

The scenes of "Imagemakers of the Future" by Made Nagi

It was all smiles, giggles, and hugs during the opening night of the“Imagemakers of the Future” exhibition at Alila Ubud last Saturday, October 10, 2009. It was truly a change of scenery from the seemingly strained, hustle and bustle of preparations couple of days earlier. I’ll take this moment to pause, pose, and snapshot the rejoicing grin on my face.

For those yet to visit, “Imagemakers of the Future” is a photography exhibition showcasing the creative outputs of eleven Indonesian photographers, who so far are engaging short yet established careers in the field. Encompassing different genres of the photographic spectrum, these talented youngsters do typify the future image makers of the already rich Indonesian photography.

The group includes Made Nagi (Photojournalist), Eka Nickmatulhuda (editorial, photojournalism), Sonia Prabowo (commercial, fashion, portraiture), Muradi (photojournalism), Andika Wahyu (sports, photojournalism), Tjok Bagus Kerthyasa (travel, documentary), Andi Ari Setiadi (photojournalism, fine art) , Diana Putri (travel, movie stills), Eric Chang (commercial, fashion, portraiture), Gus De (editorial) and Nicoline Patricia Malina (fashion).

Meanwhile, the curatorial board responsible for nominating and selecting the photographers and artworks include senior Indonesian photographers Darwis Triadi, Firman Ichsan, Oscar Motuloh, and Rio Helmi.

First of all, the exhibition presents various creative styles (genre) of photography, to which all advances comprehensive testimony, remembrance, and critique upon realities enclosing us; appreciations that are not only honest and factual, but most significantly conveyed in an artistic manner. I do believe that photography is such an expressive language in revealing the veracity of a story, as well as a reflective surface for discourses full of multidimensional comprehensions and interests.

For me, large portions of the artworks art artistically crafted and precisely portray the dynamism of life at once. The portrayal of realities are aesthically pleasing, yet not blurring the truth lurking behind each and every moment.

Eka Nicmatulhuda - Newborn

For example, the artworks of Eka Nickmatulhuda; a beamingly-fun-religious-conservative Betawian girl that visited the Philiphines in 2006, embarking a solo creative adventure. Therein, she managed to get permit to visit a birth center and maternity hospital for the poor at the outskirts of Manila, and used the camera as her diplomatic passport to make sense about the substandard social reality. Her black and white pictures are powerfully evocative and staggering. At first glance, Nickmatulhuda augments a story about medical misfortunes, hardships of labour, babies yearning for warmth. But once embraced, her pictures depict a spiritual sensation that even in the harshest of conditions, heartbreaking screams of mothers in labour and cries of newborn babies will ultimately result in something wonderful, it’s a blessing in disguise.

Furthermore, we can attain fruitful lessons from the adventures of these young photographers. Look at the works of Tjok Bagus Kerthyasa, a Balinese royalty, born and raised in Sydney, Australia in 1980. Seemingly bored with the burden of a (his) good earth, he went on a lengthy and tiresome trip backpacking across Indo-China countries such as Burma and Thailand – curiously and jubilantly taking pictures, reporting his keenness and sharpness in capturing the alien circumstances of societies and cultures and their subsequent development in those countries. This purports a form of visual anthropology, where the daily activities of social community can be analyzed from a collection of clear and concise photographs. For all its worth, this is the educational aspect of travel photography.

Tjok Bagus Kerthyasa - Red Truck

Another personal favorite is the artworks of Made Nagi. Well it’s easy to like Nagi, following his all-embracing charms. He projects a humble, polite personality that  seems to shine vividly in his creations. In 2005, Nagi was selected for an apprenticeship under the wings of John Stanmeyer and Gary Knight of VII Photo Agency, and currently is member of the EPA – European Pressphoto Agency. His photograph “The President” (Matte Paper, 35 x 23 cm) depicting the weary yet elated East Timorese presidential candidate Ramos Horta shaking hands with his supporter during a campaign in Dili, East Timor is just an example about Nagi’s eagerness for photojournalism. The documentation of critical moments are bursting with artistic touches – angle, lighting, and focus – indicating outstanding creative awareness upon the sensational points of the moment itself, to which makes his artwork stirring yet ingenuous.

Made Nagi - Bui

The works of Eric Chang and Gus De also excites me, particularly their capabilities in composing somewhat genial out of celebrities. The mesmerizing gaze of Krisdayanti (singer, popstar) in the portrait “Mother Queen Mummy” or Butet Kertaredjasa (comedy jenius) puffing a cloud of smoke in “Angry Bull” not only suggests Eric Chang’s familiarity to socialites, but also his all-embracing exploration about themes and titles that portray the subjects fittingly from all angles. Seriously, “Mother Queen Mummy” really captures the notion about the tensions in preserving stardom as well as a faithful housewife. I guess, it’s always nip and tuck between the two.

Meanwhile, working with the likes of “bad boys” Superman Is Dead (SID) for a magazine spread, Gus De not only shows his liking to the rock-star lifestyle but also his inventiveness in keeping the perception of “rebelliously cool” something close to home and real. Moreover, the use of plastic ducks in those pictures impeccably represents the band’s attitude about ignoring harsh and ill judgement about their art; “followers” can only quack! But what really strikes me is Gus De’s knack for surrealism, to which is evident in his landscape photography as grayscale topography seamlessly bonding, blurring the line of fact and fantasy. Salut!

As a digital art fanatic, I can’t contain myself seeing the works of Sonia Prabowo. I’m really fond to her style and how she “flirts” with established themes such as the consciousness of the beauty, sensuality, and love/hate relations. For me, she is truthful in being playful to all possibilities, to embrace what the day brings, stand out and be different. While her artwork seems as a reflection to her personal longings, it utters universality. Artists do maintain their edge provided one loathes something so bad, or love something so dearly.

Overall, its an exhibition worth viewing. Do visit the exhibition, go blip yourself at Alila Ubud, and enjoy “Imagemakers of the Future”.

*** “Imagemakers of the Future” is a pre-event of BLIPfest (Bali Photography Festival) that will commence late September 2010 in Bali. Hosting an array photography exhibitions, workshops, and seminar, BLIPfest 2010 is a creative medium for the aesthetic and artistic energies of Indonesian photography to foster cultural interactions among Indonesian photographers and the global world.

"Imagemakers of the Future" at Alila Ubud

BLIPfest 2010: Be Captured by the Moment

“A photograph has picked up a fact of life, and that fact will live forever.”, Raghu Rai (born 1942, Indian photographer and photojournalist).

After being “disconnected” for quite sometime, I just recently found myself steered back into the realm of (fine) art exhibitions; co-managing BLIPfest (Bali Photography Festival) 2010, with friends Rio Helmi, Soma Helmi, Robin Malau, Arief “Ayip” Budiman, and Rudolf Dethu. It’s truly an interesting group; with our diverse backgrounds, managing any event with these personalities would be a challenging cruise.

I recall the initial spark that  jump started BLIPfest  was an unexpected call from Rio. As the phone rang, I paused, and momentarily watched Rio’s contact number blipping on and off screen – reassuring “Yes, its me – pick up, pick up – I won’t  bite.” I was a tad excited, not knowing what to expect. I answered “What’s up!”, and the baritone tessitura on the other side replied “It’s about time I give back to Indonesian photography, lets do an event – a celebration with an attitude – bringing together domestic and foreign photographers, plus editors, art critics, cultural observers, industry stakeholders, as well as the public and art lovers alike,  to help put Indonesia in its rightful place as a domain of diverse and outstanding creativity.”

A hush was in the air, Rio soon continued. “Round up the boys, visit me in Ubud soon.”

FastForward >>>  On our way to Ubud, I recalled Ansel Adams stating don’t look far as “Life is your art”, comprehend it  ”An open, aware heart is your camera”, embrace it all, “A oneness with your world is your film” and cherish it forever so true ”Your bright eyes and easy smile is your museum.” We all soon agreed that the event in making; not only embodies a sincere desire to celebrate the creativity of photography, but it should also represent a warm-hearted, open-minded attitude to allow oneself to be embraced by the art form and as Rio wholeheartedly sums “to be captured by the moment”.

BLIPfest embodies an aesthetic orientation where a vision yields an expression of impetuous passion – creativity based on a sensible touch of originality, a fair degree of personal mastery and an inclination for avant-gardism. I do believe our summit event curators; Darwis Triadi, Firman Ichsan, Oscar Motuloh, Rio Helmi and Tara Sosrowardoyo would easily justify the Vision, Passion, and Expression theme.

At this early date we have already had enthusiastic response and sincere interest in participation from several international photographers including San Francisco of Fine Arts lecturer Linda Connors, VII agency photographers John Stanmeyer and James Nachtwey, as well as Magnum’s Raghu Rai. Surely, the summit event next year (end of September 2010) is worth the wait.

BLIP 2010 International Photographers

Furthermore, this year we have lined up some pre-events on the way, including workshops and exhibitions. Actually, we have started the campaign early on, participating in Pecha Kucha Night #2  and Forum Grafika Design (FGD) Expo, Jakarta – a teaser for the event and website launch – where Rio, Soma, and Ayip blipped the rousing public visiting our booth. ”Blip” refers to the framing of moment; a symbol of warm and intimate perspective – an easy to practice gesture of visual expression. It encloses a luminous image – the moment worth capturing – of an object on a visual display.

BLIP GESTURE: GO BLIP YOURSELF!

Everywhere we go, we ask people to blip and get blipped. During the FGD Expo alone, I think we’ve managed to blip hundreds of people (by the way, guys and gals, all of you were blippin’ awesome!). Don’t fret, for those yet to blip themselves; pose your support, capture your blippin’ poise and send it, so we can upload it at our site and Fan Page on FaceBook.

BLIP YOURSELF @ FGD EXPO 2009

As September comes to a close, the team is blippin’ with joy, anticipating our first pre-event exhibition “Imagemakers of the Future”, presented in conjunction with Alila Ubud. The opening date is Saturday, 10th of October 2009, so make sure to blip and be there! I mean, (I’m not suppose to say – but what the blip!) I can tell that the images being curated by Rio and friends are one blip of a selection. Most of the images are from emerging young Indonesian photographers who are in the first years of their careers. It’s truly a mixed bag, encompassing different areas of interest, yet a group with outstanding levels of  personal mastery and embodiment to the art form. We do concur with our curators that they represent the future of the already rich field of Indonesian photography. Stay tuned, I’ll keep you posted on this.

Honestly, I do believe BLIPfest would levitate and accentuate our awareness, acceptance, and connection to photography as a window to see the universality of our ever-changing universe. For me the fusion of photographic technology and the wonders of photography as medium of expressions is more than what meets the eye, it is 0 (no), 1 (yes) and 0.5 (perhaps) all together. It is a fact of life that will live forever,  revealing implied or explicit (multidimensional) significances of our nature as beings.

LOOK AROUND AND  BLIP YOURSELF …

As a DJ, I’m quite fortunate to meet and interact with so many interesting arty personalities that stimulates my game to a higher level; not only in terms of skills and techniques, but most importantly to the overall comprehension towards the art form itself.

During mid July, good friends of mine, Stirling, Niza, and Dethu organized a trans-global underground weekender titled Chromatic Forest at the open spaces of Forrest Club, Renon. The event featured a melting of pot of trans-national musical acts including Stylish Nonsense (Thailand), MUON (Singapore), Elena Skoko aka Sugar Babe (Croatia) collaborating with me under the guise of DJ Electrondust (Bali), and Navicula (Bali) featuring Raoul Thomas Wijffels (Netherlands).

I do concur with Dethu, Chromatic Forest was truly a cross-border musical matrimonial where diverse colors of sound met, from the free-spirited improvisation of jazzy lounge sounds of Stylish Nonsense, to the lush instrumental soundscapes of MUON embodying their spirited machines, to the revolting awesomeness of Navicula green grunge.

In the midst of anticipating the band performances, Elena Skoko aka Sugar Babe took on center stage, nodding calmly to me to keep the tempo of the minimal goodies being employed for setting the night’s mood.

Rewind: During our first encounter a couple days before the gig, I learned plenty about Elena, and I can say openly that she strives for creative ingenuity; a multitalented performer embracing and incorporating diverse aesthetic realms not limited to photography, fashion, music, video, graphic design, street guerilla, poetry, as well as mystical language. Elena redefines happening arts and the arty zest of human soul exploration for artistic containment.

Forward: She paused, I gave her room by muting the music, and then out of the blue, she wholeheartedly recited a number of poems , soaring over and ducking below the beats and grooves being blasted over the pumping speakers. Her nature of speech – singing like – is nearly always rhythmically to a set spontaneously mixed; gladly interacting and accentuating her graceful poise.

For me and the joyful intoxicated crowd, Elena and her multilingual poetry arouses strong emotions, somewhat strange and most definitely beautiful. Love was truly in the air.

It seems we’ve managed to be a great start; soon after us, Stylish Nonsense commenced their craftsmanship in mesmerizing the openhearted crowd, then the duo Nick and Edwin of MUON continued the mass hypnotizing of the liquor fueled audience (Nick himself was already in a state of trance by then), and by the time the contemplative rage of Navicula was channeled through the more and enough sound system; everybody screamed “we are chromatic, we want more”.

I cruised my way, concluding the night pumping the likes of Afrilounge, Alexi Delano, and Akiko Kiyama; all is intimate, all is well, all is content. Over the strong, sweet flavored alcoholic brew, Pok of Stylish Nonsense, Dethu and me looked on to each other, agreeing that the universal features of music makes us all lively.

*** Elena Skoko meets DJ Electrondust videos @ Chromatic Forest 2009

// Poetry is Like * Hunting Fever * La Peur