Friday, January 30, 2009

Walking on a Dream

Dreaming seems to be something Pegase spends a lot of his time doing. He sings about dreaming, he writes music that makes you feel as if you were dreaming, and even remixes songs by other people with the word dream in the title. 

I first wrote about Pegase (Raphaél from Minitel Rose and the Valerie crew) here  posting his track 'Without Reason'. I adore the ambient pop disco he makes, and really appreciate that many of the tracks are uploaded as demos, Raphael inviting us all in on his creative processes and obviously more interested in making music than perfecting 'hits'. But perhaps despite himself, hits he does make. 

Take a listen. Yesterday, Raphael very generously just sent me his two latest tracks. 

'Dream Awake'  Mp3 [z share]


So lovely. Dream Awake had me floating off into the weekend with a smile and spring in my step. It's friday night, and I'm going to a party. 

You know what else rocks my world? Tame Impala are in his top friends on Myspace (and despite  arguments that Myspace is archaic and "no one has a Myspace page..." I still love it, and love that two bands from opposite ends of the world who I'd always envisioned would connect, have.) 
 

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Good news!

If like myself you couldn't get tickets to Animal Collective's show at the Bowery Ballroom last week, nyctaper recorded the entire thing! Head here to stream the concert in its entirety.



Also, Micachu has a new single out called Lips which has been remixed by We Have Band. I think it sounds lazy. I don't like the hollow synth and shallow drum sample, but I cold live with it if the rest of the track wasn't so flat. It just doesn't go anywhere. I don't ever really love We Have Band remixes, they always sound a little too 'lazy teen bedroom producer' for my liking, but I just expected more from Micachu. The trademark shout sounds uninspired here, and I've really enjoyed Micachu stuff in the past. The original is much better, a lo-fi garagey track with a funny squelch sample that accentuates a simple ukele riff. But then the remix had to happen and ruin it for us. Hopefully this is just a temporary slip up... And if not, at least I still have cocknbullkid, Little Boots, Ebony Bones and Florence And The Machine reinventing the pop wheel for me. Wanna be a celebrity and have your photo in the tabloids? Fine by me, as long as you release good tunes! Repeat after me: "Pop is not a dirty word"

Micachu and The Shapes 'Lips' (We Have Band remix) 320 Mp3 [z share]

Monday, January 19, 2009

happy MLK eve

The weather in New York has been wild and woolly the past few days, so when the thermometer read 34 Fahrenheit this morning I decided to take myself outside for a wander around Brooklyn. I didn't actually make it out until really late in the arvo, after a visit with my friend Hannah to her friends' studio space in Flatbush, but when I did eventually get to have a wander around Greenpoint and Williamsburg I found an amazing Polish fruit and vegie shop and a great record store.

I picked up the latest Grouper 12" which I am dying to listen to, re-bought Can's Future Days, and also bought a few new releases including Wavves' debut and Vivian Girls' self titled - you can't order either of those online from Sydney anymore, so I was really happy.

Vivian Girls are playing Tuesday night at the Market Hotel in Brooklyn. Inauguration day!! It's an all ages show, doors open 8pm with no pre-sale tickets. I had heard 21+ could only go if they took someone under-age with them, and I don't know any punk kids in Brooklyn who I could take along, but I'm going to go anyway and see what happens because I'd really love to see them play. Plus, it's a show with Fucked Up who I imagine is really wonderful live! Details are here if you know any cool kids.

I've got some gig pics and mp3s I want to post but can't right now because my internet is so slow, but i'll put them up asap.

Dear Ninjasonik, please send me your answers.
Dear Nine MSN, please don't misquote me, or if you do please don't make me look like an asshole.
Dear Mum, I'm getting that tattoo we talked about tomorrow. I hope you're OK with that.
Dear Sydney, I miss your beaches.
Dear Laurie Anderson, I am so excited about Wednesday!
Dear Washington, I am so excited about Tuesday!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

by the way if you missed it earlier in the week


My favourite track of last year got remixed thanks to mad decent! Regardless of what I've said about remixes in the past, this is nicely done. Obvs, it's not as good as the original (I don't love Plain Pat, but his verse is short so I can tolerate him here) but I can imagine it sitting really well as dance floors start to slow down around 5am and people are wanting gentler disco jams to send them home to bed.

OK bye! I'm going to buy the second-hand Armani blazer I have on hold at Beacon's Closet on 7th avenue and get a soy mocca from Guerrilla Coffee (OH HAI middle class suburbia, it's so comfortable here!)

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

new york diaries

I should be writing the Mi Ami interview for Vice. Or the Ninjasonik interview for NO Mag. Or the Groupie Editor's letter... instead I'm booking tickets to gigs. FINALLY!!! OMG FINALLY!

My internet friend William (we'll meet for realz at his party on Thursday night) sent me the details of a gig listing website which has changed my NYC residency - with its help I've gone from having tomorrow night reserved for a Maggie Horn show, to having the next week booked with some really exciting gigs.



Tomorrow: Blaqstarr & Scottie B & Teenwolf DJ set at Maggie Horn's Siren release party
Thursday: Ninkjasonik & Thunderheist
Friday: Fader's One Step Beyond / Oscillations w' School of Seven Bells, The Juan Maclean & Free Blood (post art-opening on 7th avenue and a Venezuelan feast somewhere near there - can't wait)
Saturday: The Soft Pack / Ninjasonik
Sunday: Norman Jay
Monday: Department of Eagles
Tuesday: TBC (rest probs)
Wednesday: Laurie Anderson, Brightback Morning Light, Dirty Projectors & others

I am so thankful because I was having trouble finding what was on, and would have completely missed the SoSB/Ocsillation/Juan/Free Blood gig had it not been for that site.

One thing that really upset me yesterday and today, was that I missed Charles Hamilton's performance for the Fader NOW Issue launch party in Brooklyn. I just adore him, but had no idea of the venue and couldn't find details anywhere (probs the point, I know). I would have loved to see him in New York, as it's undoubtedly the only chance I would have had (I can't see him touring Sydney any time in the near future), but I guess - them's the breaks.

So far, I've spent most of my time visiting galleries and museums, and of course doing loads of shopping! Yesterday, I found the collection of Marc by Marc Jacobs stores near the Magnolia Bakery in the West Village which made me so happy, and also had an amazing dinner at Pho Bang in China Town - best noodle soup I've ever eaten. Today after trying to find the old street art in Soho (to little success) I visited Times Square (weird) and ended up seeing a movie and eating some marcobiotic/vegan dinner after a popcorn and diet coke combo (silly) and it was exactly what I felt like. Tomorrow I'm getting a behind the scenes tour of the American Natural History Museum (my friend Hannah works there making the dioramas) before the gig. It's been a non-stop few days, but I am having the time of my life!

Once I've been to the gigs above I'll post again. And I promise to write something about music. I did see Takka Takka at BAM on Saturday but it wasn't amazing

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Garth Steeper

Went to an opening last night (that paintings weren't very good no needn't bother letting you know whose it was) but it reminded me of some wonderful artists I interviewed for Vice last year that never got published. Or maybe they did... I thought the Henrietta Harris interview never ran but it was published in the American Vice, so who knows...


Garth Steeper might need counselling one day, but today just hates Internet cafés

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE RENAISSANCE AESTHETIC THAT YOU LIKE?
Dutch Painters. I’ve been obsessed with Rembrandt for a very long time. They use a lot of black, especially in their backdrops. Then again kiwi painters do too, do you know Colin Mcahon’s work? Master of blacks, kinda bogan in its own right. The texture those Old Masters achieved with layers, real chunky fuckin amazing. Once I was in the Louvre and I walked into a room entirely furbished with Rembrandts, and got such a shock at how absolutely ragingly good it was I accidentally yelled out FUCK! real loud and got a barrage of French evils.

DO YOU MOSTLY USE OILS?
Yeah strictly oils and heaps of mediums, the works are all comprised of masses of thin layers. Oils are endless, you discover something new with them every time you use them. I especially use a medium called Gel Fragonard, sounds hot eh. If they took that stuff of the market I would literally be fucked. I used acrylics a bit at art school when I was doing this massive hessian piece but to be honest I hate them now. Just like preparatory drawings - don’t believe in those.

YOUR PAINTINGS ARE GROTESTQUE AND UNNERVING- BODIES ARE DISFIGURED, PERSPECTIVE SKEWED… WHAT’S WITH THAT?
I always warp figures, classic expressionist technique gets that real angular disturbing quality, very German I think. I’m doing this interview in the dodgiest internet cafe it literally smells like wet dog and there playing that fuckwit James Blunt its really distracting and making me angry.....there’s also a German girl sitting next to me screaming to her mate a few computers along, in my ear, in German, its really fitting. But honestly no matter how hard I try to avoid it (not that I ever really do try to avoid it) the paintings always come out morbid.

MAYBE ONE DAY YOU’LL NEED TO GET HELP?
Dunno, maybe! Have you ever heard of a painter called Odd Nerdrum?

NOPE…
That is some bizarre carry on right there… check out his painting 'morning at shitrock' he really lives up to his name.

DO YOU WANT YOUR PAINTINGS TO GROSS PEOPLE OUT?
No not at all I just kinda fell into that imagery. I couldn’t ever paint differently, I’m definitely not a landscape painter. Not gross out, maybe unsettle or disturb. I guess that gives them a power and presence which is what every painter wants. Have you seen much of Francis Bacons work? Some people find them really gross or as horror images, but really they’re just brilliantly unsettling. He really was a genius, and he used to paint only in the mornings hungover as fuck, after pissing it up all night in soho.

ARE A LOT OF YOUR PAINTINGS SELF PORTRAITS?
I did those ones recently because they say its the true test of a painter whether your brushes can pull off a successful one. A brilliant kiwi painter called Tony Fomison said ''you’re only as good as your self portraits, can you be honest about yourself on canvas." It really is fuckin hard though. When I look at them I cant help cracking up, and whenever I show friends they piss themselves. My sister laughed so hard she cried when she saw them so yeah they’re a troublesome undertaking.

WHO BUYS YOUR WORK?
Various private collectors, and the Wallace Arts Trust helps me out a lot. I swap work a lot too - my personal collections getting pretty fuckin nice actually. I’m always quite surprised at what sells. I finish so many works going ‘yep, never sell it’ but then eventually you do. I think people see them as more collectors items rather than nice wallpaper which is alright.

CAN YOU MAKE ENOUGH MONEY PAINTING?
Fuck you can’t! Even massively successful ones always still seem to be skint. It’s tough, you gotta be in it for the long haul and completely accept that you’ll always be poor. Its fucked too because art supplies are so expensive, you just work on whatever you can get your hands on. Hessians good, its 4 bucks a square meter and it looks raw as fuck.

SO WHY DO YOU DO IT?
Some people are just born with that obsession. A hell of a lot of people are in love with the idea of being an artist but not prepared to do any work. Like at art school sooooo mmuuuuuuch ssshhhhiiithouse dreamers not necessarily without talent just severe lack of ideas.

HEY I GOOGLED YOU AND THERE IS FUCK ALL INFORMATION ANYWHERE…
Yeah I’m completely computer illiterate…old fashioned! I really do need to get a website though you guys should make me one I’ll give you a painting, go on do it!

MIGHT DO THAT NOW. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TODAY?
Just finished work – get very drunk

ENJOY
Thanks!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

from Egypt with love

Happy new year from Cairo!



I haven't seen any music since I arrived in Egypt. I was going to visit the Jazz Club but didn't get the chance, and I did go to a few bars but the music was mostly Frank Sinatra Christmas songs in between The Girl From Ipanema and a weird carol about a young girl wanting a Hippopotamus for Christmas...

It's been an intense 10 days - Cairo to Alexandria, Alexandria to Cairo, Cairo to Aswan and Abu Simbel, Aswan to Luxor, Luxor to Cairo. I am really tired but it was worth it - I've had an incredible time here and am really taken with this country.

Off to Paris tomorrow, where I am meeting up with Mathieu who I'm hoping has had time to find us some great music, and then to NYC (where I've already planned to see Takka Takka and Ninjasonik!)