SIRLENSALOT meets LENS J

ALL NATURAL - GODSPEED

2012-03-02T17:10:00.001-08:00

One of those artists and tracks I love Hip Hop for. Nothing more to say!

"As I search for the right way to start this
the beat goes on regardless
so a brother might as well say something
I mean the bass is kinda thumpin
I don't wanna waste not one word
ignorant thoughts are best left unheard
each moment is brief and precious
in time we all fall breathless
and as I feel my lungs expanding
I thank God for understanding
an ability to learn my lessons
not to menchin the countless blessings
a little older, wiser, candid,
I reminisce on the 50 years song
it's kinda wild how I took it for granted
that I would even live that long
but if today were my last day
have I helped out the world that I'm leaving
and if this were my last breathe
could I postpone the breathing
but if I fail to inhale, that would just speed up the outcome
so I gotta try to take each breath, as if it were the last one

appreciate life
the brief time that we spend here
appreciate life
speak words that are sincere
[...]"

TEIELTE - WOODEN LOVE

2012-02-24T04:20:00.006-08:00

This one honestly kept me bouncing even after the last of the six tracks on the nicely done picture disc 12" had run out! "Again! Again! A little voice in my head said!" Outstanding "glitchy" Hip Hop beats from "Teielte" on a very interesting label from Warsaw called "U Know Me Records". You don't know them? Get [yourself] Familiar ...

his bandcamp features his first album but not the 12inch. Also check "Galus - Futura Lp" or "Daniel Drumz Ep" on "U Know Me"

MYSTERY'S EXTINCTION

2012-02-09T20:07:00.003-08:00

Another absolutely incredilbe track from my men Deja Voo (really nice guy as far as I can say) and Blame One from Mystery's Extinction. You might recognize the sounds from some of my former mixtapes. Deja Voo is also featured on one of my most favourite Kankick releases ever called "Observation". It took 15 years for this video to appear; take your time to enjoy! Great vibe!

I observe things ...

YUMMY PARIS ...

2012-02-01T08:14:00.000-08:00

Just around the corner from where I live at the moment is this "little" place called "La Cafeotheque de Paris". The only one place I know so far, that actually serves "real" Espresso, whatever this might be.

Here it's definitely a South American approach to coffee - which is obvious as the founder of this place is Gloria Montenegro de Chirouze, the former Guatemalan ambassador to France.

They have this principle to change the beans for their "Le Cafe du Jour" every day. That's how you can - if you go there every day, haha - basically test all the selfroasted beans coming from all parts of the world.

It is absolutely great to even just watch them passionatly make coffee and paint leaves and faces into your coffee or the one of your neighbor on the bar. They do it with hot chocolat even and take their time to prepare. I really love this place. Each of the baristas is an absolute professional and they are very nice on top of all that. If you are in Paris, want to have great coffee, meet artists and hang out: this is definitely the place to be. 52, rue de l'hotel de ville, 75004 Paris - read the menue first and decide whether you want to sit on the bar or in the lounge. Prices vary a lot between those two. You can also buy coffee for at home, ... but just check the link and find out by yourself.

KALHEX, ROB O & GRAP LUVA - PERSPECTIVES / LA FINE LIGNE 12"

2012-01-22T05:56:00.000-08:00

News from my homies Lex, Parental & Le Makizar in Paris. After an incredible debut album in 2009 (about which I blogged back then) and a great instrumental 2LP by Lex de Kalhex called "Perfect Picture" from last year, they have been teaming up with "Grap Luva" and "Rob O" for their next and soon to come 12inch.

Kalhex, Rob O & Grap Luva rhyming over the instrumentals of Lex and Parental. Each beat an artwork of its own. Rob O gets a nice laid back INI kind of treatment and Grap Luva rocks an uplifting boom bapish beat with nice layers that make only listening to the beat an odyssee. The record includes vocal, instrumental and (yeeeah, we like that!) also the acapellas (I always figured it being really sad, that this kind of early hip hop phenomenon stopped at some point). But that's not all. The record features two bonus beats by Parental and Le Makizar in addition to that and they also really hit my nerves. Heard them all and more of that ... and believe me; this one is going to be a must have aswell as the rest that seems to come in future! What else to expect from my favourite french producers on the mic. Enjoy! Support artists! Buy records!

I filmed a little something with my phone when I joined them for the mastering session last week - its a part of the bonus beat by Le Makizar.

Link: "Perspectives/La Fine Ligne" on Akromégalie Records ...
Coming very soon!

CONSTANT DEVIANTS - FULTON STREET 7"

2012-01-21T19:09:00.000-08:00

A brilliant 7" release by Constant Deviants (aka M.I. & Dj Cutt) straight out of Baltimore. I was really looking forward to this track & instrumental getting a physical release. The instrumental was spooking around on my harddisk as an untitled mp3 for quite some time and I just couldn't stop listening to it - same now with the vocal version. "Outstanding; really!" and I actually have nothing more to say than that.

"I put my lifetime inbetween the papers lines"

If you decide to get your copy (ltd 250) directly from six2sixrecords do yourself a favor and also check their other releases, plus the just recently released Amp Boogie, DNA, Sparrow The Movement ...

ZOE STRAUSS - UNDER I-95

2012-01-15T05:33:00.000-08:00

I just got introduced to the incredible artwork of artist and photographer Zoe Strauss (born 1970) yesterday (Thx for that Shelby) and I am already hooked. For 10 years she took images of primarily middle class Americans to convey what she calls "an epic narrative that reflects the beauty and struggle of everyday life". Watch the video to see how she is setting up her show under "I-95 freeway", which she did every year over the last 10 years.

Plus an exhibition of this work at the "Philadelphia Museum of Art" just opened yesterday January 14th and is accompanied by a 270 pages book also named "Zoe Strauss 10 Years".

“I knew when I began to take photographs that the direct gaze was going to be of great importance,” explains Strauss, an installation artist and longtime political activist who, in 1995, established the Philadelphia Public Art Project (PAP), her one-woman organization dedicated to making art an essential part of urban life." (USA Projects)

2001: SCRATCH

2012-01-12T07:52:00.000-08:00

"A feature-length documentary film about hip-hop DJing, otherwise known as turntablism. From the South Bronx in the 1970s to San Francisco now, the world's best scratchers, beat-diggers, party-rockers, and producers wax poetic on beats, breaks, battles, and the infinite possibilities of vinyl." (Imdb)

It has been ten years since this documentary was made and still - and after dozens of times watching - its fantastic!

1983: STYLE WARS & WILD STYLE

2012-01-10T19:39:00.000-08:00

Two of those classic documentaries that make me feel good anytime watching - even if it is the 52nd time and even if they are edited like if there is any time in the world! But its important to take some time for history and that's definitely where history was "written" and "captured".

I can already see the pictures in my head while only hearing the sound to the film and I will never forget the time, when we were trying to copy moves and orientate ourselves on breakdance parts of "Wild Style" because that was the only footage we had to see and find out how this socalled thing "breakdance" works (until the video tape was so fucked at all these key-parts, that you had to copy the copy of the copy). Now you can google, share, find video tutorials of everything and nothing at the same time; crazy!
If you should take the time to watch Wild Style: pay attention to the moonwalk in the end at the stadion party - it just lasts for like two or three seconds, but it is so intense with the sound and the guy blowing smoke out of his mouth at the same time. i have never seen one like it - incredible, aswell as all the writing, rapping, dancing, scratch-beginnings, later-on sampled talking, ... too much to continue and why should I, considering the fact, that there are two brilliant documentaries.

Enjoy the "Total Recall" and I'm sure you can find all further information by yourself as I think it might not be your first time either. Style Wars (Tony Silver and Henry Chalfant), Wild Style (Charlie Ahearn)

INTERVIEW FROM EARLIER THIS YEAR

2011-12-10T10:27:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year a "German Creative Agency" - resp. Two incredibly nice guys assigned to it (Musician/Peter Sabak and Visual artist/Gabor Marci) - came over to my place and did an interview about my work (photography, photofilm, ...), Vienna,... I think it turned out to be quite authentic so I decided to upload what I had to say. Although you know: Still strange to hear yourself speak; always. Be gentil and enjoy. Support artists ...

WIN THE LAST COPY OF MY VINYLPOSTCARD

2011-11-29T04:41:00.000-08:00

I was really very much looking forward for that to happen
and finally "its ooooon!" So take your chance an WIN THE LAST seperately available copy of the vinylpostcard (ltd 33+2 pieces) by ONLY posting a comment to the blogpost on the
SPLIT-PERSONALITY blog.

The WINNER will be announced December 5th! The lottery will go on until December 4th, 11:55, CET. From here its your decision if you want to give 2 minutes of your precious time to read the blog and post a comment. Enjoy and good luck!

Find out more about that mixed media installation on the project's website. The vinylpostcard is part of that installation (ldt 3+2). Also check dj food's nice post about my postcard and the Stepkids one on Stones Throw. Comments regarding the lottery are ONLY considered via the splitpersonality blog, but stillL: feel free to drop your thoughts here too. Always enjoying feedback. Thx!

21er HAUS - MUSEUM OF THE 21st CENTURY - PHOTOGRAPHY

2011-11-16T10:43:00.000-08:00

I'm proud to share (soon on my website) a little bit of the outcome of "Österreichische Galerie Belvedere" assigning me with the architectural photography of Karl Schwanzer's newly adaped and extensively renovated "21er Haus" (usually built as the Austrian Pavillion for Expo'58 in Brussels).

Some of the photos have been and will be used in and for billboards, press, folders, ... some of them got a 12 pages feature in the book published on the occasion of the re-opening of the "museum of the 21st century"; a really impressive piece of art.

Thank you "Belvedere" for resurrecting this diamond in Austrian architecture and for giving me this opportunity. Really happy about that project and about what Christof Nardin who is responsible for the communication design made out of it all. Props! Love it!

BOOK: "21er Haus - Back to the Future - A Retroperspective Look at a Museum" - ISBN 978-3-86895-202-5

LENSCAPES #02 VINYLPOSTCARD VIA DJFOOD.ORG

2011-11-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to announce, that "Strictly Kev alias DjFood/Ninja Tune" wrote "a little something" about my "lenscapes #02" vinylpostcard project and the one Stepkids just recently released as a bonus to their album on "Stones Throw". He was quick enough to grab THE LAST remaining vinyl postcard that was for sale and I'm really glad he did. Now head over to djfood.org or find information about the project on the beta of the future "lenscapes_02" project subsite.

BIG THANK YOU everyone for your support and of course to Strictly Kev for taking the message further than his "P.O.Box"!!! Glad that "carrier-pigeon" found its way to London. And I'm working on the next one for all that missed out.

One more chance: the last remaining one (not counting my personal copies and those that belong to the installation) will be in a little quiz on splitpersonality.at soon... stay tuned!

SUCKA - THIS IS THE PIPER

2011-10-22T04:54:00.000-07:00

one of the best scenes from a hallarious movie called "Eagle vs Shark" - a must see really ...

... aswell as the series "Flight of The Conchords" with Jemaine Clement & Bret McKenzie in which "Two New Zealander friends experience life, love, friendship, all the usual stuff, while trying to make their lives as a rock band. A rock band that can only schedule a performance at the local aquarium, is run by an eager and overambitious New Zealand buddy, and has only one fan" (imdb)

one of the tracks that keep appearing during the series ...

VINYLPOSTCARDS READY

2011-10-07T02:54:00.000-07:00

and "yes, there IS music on it! 33 plus 2 artist proofs (for the installation) have been made. 3 are reserved for buyers of the whole installation, 1 will be in a little quiz coming after they have all been sold. The vinylpostcard is part of my work "lencapes #02", a media-theoretical work about photography and photofilm (but more information on my website to keep it short) consisting of:

1x photofilm (lenscapes #02), 2650 x 1920px, Ed 3+2Ap
1x framed photograph (room #206), 53 x 65cm , Ed 3+2Ap
1x portable turntable (part of the installation as such)
1x vinyl postcard (lenscapes #02 by sirlensalot), Ed 33+2Ap

more information about the project and the photofilm with the soundtrack (also on the postcard) to be found on the beta version of the project's future website.

LENSCAPES #02 PREMIERED

2011-10-07T02:50:00.002-07:00

has finally premiered and I just couldn't wait to share at least the photofilm with the soundtrack that is part of an installation constisting of:

1x photofilm (lenscapes #02), 2650 x 1920px, Edition 3+2Ap
1x framed photograph (room #206), 53 x 65cm , Edition 3+2Ap
1x portable turntable (part of the installation as such)
1x vinyl postcard (by sirlensalot), Edition 33+2Ap

more information about the project and how to get a copy of the VINYLpostcards remaining to be announced soon.

Photography, Direction, Editing, ... by M. Oberndorfer
Sound by Sirlensalot aka M.Oberndorfer
© Markus Oberndorfer
Original version: 2560x1920px

In this film i am entering the place/space i lived at for several days through the process of printing in the photographic darkroom. A "film" putting itself together from photos i shot in the darkroom while printing and photos i shot on june 24th on site (fragments of the time when i was in malta at kölnbreinsperre).

I am entering my memory and screening a movie "of how i remember that day" in front of my inner eye. a movie doomed to fade away at some point like any memorization of something in the past we suddenly think about - making place again for the moment we are experiencing in the present or "just another memorization".

A movie representing an - after lydia nsiah - virtually, yet moving picture also misleadingly know as "still image" or "photo".

Big thank you to Verbund for giving me some time to think with its artist in residence program and to Lydia Nsiah and Steffen Kammler for their stimulating and inspiring books/papers.

DDAY ONE - MOOD ALGORITHMS (LTD)

2011-10-07T01:28:00.000-07:00

This project of my homie DDay One's early-works was originally circulated as a cassette, limited to 20 copies. Recently, it was restored using modern audio restoration and preservation techniques.
This process involved digitizing material from 4-track, 3.5” floppy disc and one of the surviving tapes.

For PRE-ORDER from now on via content label website. Enjoy. Nice and raw! but nothing else to expect from the DDay One, mr. samplist himself. More information in HERE.

DIGGERS DIGEST - DOC BEC

2011-10-01T02:30:00.000-07:00

one of those artists you never get disappointed by. Doctor Becket from Las Vegas. Two tracks from his "Way Of Life" album from 2005 ... you might know this tracks from "home again ..." mixtape. Enjoy

related blogpost: "Doc Bec - The Other Way"

BLAME ONE - FINALLY EP

2011-09-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

Since years one of my most favourite Hip Hop records. Listen to the lyrics, starting from the first sentence in the track posted and realize that this lyrical artform can be about a lot more than just about "the money and the bitches". Elevate your mind!

Blame One - Lyrics Geometric (1995, prod. by Kankick)

"By many its overlooked, to me its underrated,
valuable content, artistic ..."

Blame One: "This download will be really dope to some, outdated and/or even wack to others [...] I originally only pressed 500 copies of this on vinyl. It was my first vinyl as a solo artist (my group mysterys extinction was featured on vinyl before this). I to this day only have one copy so its very limited. Two songs ended up on “chemically imballanced” but they were heard here first. I didnt add any restoration or effects to clean it up, I kept it exactly as is. Ive always wanted to tell a bit of history behind songs and since this is free… I figured… why not"

UNTITLED_IN_CASE_NO_07

2011-09-17T15:23:00.000-07:00

part seven of my indefinite series of documentary shortfilms reflecting the uran and suburban space, it's architecture, funcition and mystic. A snapshot of an urban intervention and the re-dedication of space ... feedback very much welcome and feel free to share.

Starring: Innercity Griot/Kryot //
Sound by Kegsone //
Original version: 2560x1920px
© Markus Oberndorfer, Vienna 2010

EXHIBITION OPENING - "VOR ORT"

2011-09-14T02:21:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to annouce the opening of "VOR ORT" exhibition (03/10/2011) that will feature several works I have created during my artist residency at Maltatal/ Kölnbreinsperre.

I'm really looking very much forward to this as it seems like I have managed to bring a lot of media that have been accompanying me over the last years (analog & digital photography, photofilm, music, vinyl, ...) together in one work that will be shown together with others, I'm also looking forward to ...

The exhibition will travel Austria over the next months, Vienna (Vertical Gallery, VERBUND headquarter will be the last stop as far as I know for those that don't make it to Kärnten this time.) - watch out for a very limited (33 pieces) vinyl-postcard release - to be announced soon.

CLAREMONT BY ARI MARCOPOULOS

2011-09-11T08:16:00.001-07:00

After nearly four years still one of the nicest longboard videos I have ever seen Prepare for some downhill madness and do yourself a favor and check the links. Very nice works by a bunch of creative people.

Starring: Noah Sakamoto, Patrick Rizzo, JM Duran
Director: Colin Blackshear
Co-Director: Ari Marcopoulos
Producer: Neville Wakefield
Designer: Adam Kimmel

NEGATIVES BE POSITIVE

2011-09-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Nearly "forgot" how beautiful it is to work with photos that can be touched ... digital age almost made me forget how uncomparably great this is ... negatives ruuuuuuule, as they always did!

DOC BEC - THE OTHER WAY

2011-09-06T16:54:00.000-07:00

A little update on one of my most favourite Producers and MCs called "Doctor Becket" teaming up with Illustrator, Caricaturist, and Producer "Grant P" for this very nice 7 inch that was just (7/2011) recently released. "The Other Way" mainly includes remixes and interludes and still each track somehow sounds new to me again. Different flows over different instrumentals creating different atmospheres. Doctor Becket already showed that to me once with "Everybody" and "Everybody (Remix)" - slightly modified lyrics over two beats that could actually not be more different, but each a classic of its own!

Don't know if you'll feel that way or "the other way" but for me there's nothing more to say, than one thing. You should be quick and safe your copy; as far as I know around 110 of them has been pressed ... not too much. Check THIS SITE (grant p) to order your copy directly from him and THAT SITE (doc bec bandcamp) to download digitally or listen through. Psssssst, seems like another one will be following soon - stay tuned and down for some more underground none should actually be missing. Check some of Grant P's really nice "relaxed" Hip Hop instrumentals on this youtube channel (LINK to just one of my favs), you will be stunned!

The Other Way by doc bec

DJ SIGNIFY - SIGNIFYIN' BREAKS - TRACKLIST - COUNTING ON YOU HEADZ OUT THERE ...

2011-09-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

This is a message to all you crate diggers and music lovers. For a long time I wanted to put the tracklisting to one of the most signifyin tapes in my personal history - "Signifyin Breaks" by Dj Signify - together and I made it a long way, but now I'm kind of "stuck" or to say it with other words. Some names are on the tip of my tongue but my brain is just too full of music and other things to remember any more.

The tape - rotaug's very own berserka coincidentially bought at Fat Beats NY (* 1994, † 2010) way back in '97 - never had a tracklisting on the cover and somehow I made myself this challenge to put it all together as in a way this one was a new experience back then going back from Hip Hop to where it comes from. Signifyin' breaks "anyone" should know as I would say. Still a hard job to name them all my friends. But; here's what I have and the "three ???" are what we're trying to find. I put a recording of the already quite worn tape (.zip) online, so you know what we're looking for. To have an authentic listening experience (that matches the quality of the tape that was played a 1000 times in Craak's Oldsmobile, haha) you may put it on tape again and for example listen to it on the old boom!boom!blaster in your citchen (a thing no citchen should actually be missing, not even in ipod times)

I put the full tracklisting in the comments, curious if there will be some more ... and dont hesitate adding a number or two or ... I'm sure I missed something inbetween.

Dj Signify - Signifyin Breaks (Mixtape 1996, discogs), if anyone feels treaded on his toes by the uploaded file, let me know and I'll of course immediately remove it. I absolutely respect copyright as an artist, but there is no chance to complete this thing without having the possibility to listen ...

LENSCAPES #03 vs SHOK THERAPY

2011-08-24T02:36:00.000-07:00

A little while ago I put this instrumental together and wondered how it would sound with vocals. First choice: Shok Therapy's S.O.S (Original version on "Hospital Sessions II") just worked quite well as I would say. One of those tracks I love Hip Hop.
Still working on the instrumental, but "Why not share this version" - for promotional use only. Instrumental, downloads and more, ... to come as soon as everything is finished and properly mastered. Till then, enjoy
.
Sirlensalot - Lenscapes #03 vs Shok Therapy

If you're interested you can also follow on
Youtube, Soundcloud or Mixcloud ...

LENSCAPES #01

2011-08-07T08:45:00.000-07:00

This track has been realized as a statement and is related to my work as a photographer with landscape, architecture, public space and their socio-cultural patterns. I hope you enjoy what you hear. The track has no intention to be more than it is - a part of my story. pre-mastered by my dear good friend Manni Montana

"you can't photograph people like that! this is a public place, everyone has the right to be left in peace!" [...] "I'm only doing my job, some people are bullfighters, ...; i'm a photographer" [...]

Sirlensalot - Lenscapes #01 by lens_j

LENS HAS SOMETHING TO SAY ON SPLIT-PERSONALITY.AT

2011-07-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

dear friends and family! I'm proud to announce the release of an indeed veeeery nice blog about my work on split-personality.at. the post includes photographs, texts and the link to my first ever entirely self produced track "lenscapes #1" that shall somehow be a statement in regards of my work. enjoy, post, blog, ... spread the word and go support!

TOTAL CONTROL CAN BE THE DEATH OF WORK ...

2011-05-07T04:18:00.000-07:00

Andy Goldsworthy, who in regards of a lot of things - but most of all his spontaneity, intuition and calmness while working with natural materials and processes - is one of my most favourite artists, literally speaks out of my mind in "Rivers & Tides" by saying.

"One day i went out and worked on the beach. What struck me was a sense of energy [...] this almost breathlessness and uncertainty. [...] Total control can be the death of work."

UNTITLED_IN_CASE_NO_06 (2009)

2011-04-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

Instant photographs of the urban space, it's architecture, "function" and mystic. For this one I have chosen to edit and work with an already existing loop-based piece of music composed by rotaug's very own dj kompact while kryot is (as always) reflecting his surroundings. Help me SPREAD via your channels. 2009 by markus oberndorfer. Enjoy

appearing: kryot // photography, editing: markus oberndorfer
sound: dj kompact // original version: 1920x1440px,
© Markus Oberndorfer, Vienna 2009

HELP FOR JAPAN CHARITY EVENT - APRIL 17th 2011

2011-04-17T06:07:00.000-07:00

over 21.000€ due to your help, THX for joining the event and supporting the cause!

We are very excited to announce: The HELP FOR JAPAN "Secret Postcard" Art sale presented by Francesca von Habsburg/T-B A21, Elsa König, Elsa Okazaki and Andrew Standen-Raz.

The HELP FOR JAPAN Charity Event for the Red Cross, held on April 17th, 2011 at the Pratersauna in Vienna, will be one of the largest line-up of leading musicians, artists, fashion designers & locally based businesses seen in Vienna for a long time.

The event is a natural outpouring of solidarity and assistance from Vienna's artistic community to the victims of the catastrophic events still unfolding in Japan.

THOMAS BERNHARD & VIENNA - A RECONCILLIATION

2011-04-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

READ paper of Utecita at Ntropy (german only)

As I was born and - for the first 20 years of my life - living in that same little village in Upper Austria where Thomas Bernhard used to live until his death in 1989, I'm interested about any developements in the love-hate relationship people in my surroundings and the austrian cultural landscape had or better; still have with Thomas Bernhard. Also because of the fact that once in a while the topic of Bernhard would come up while talking to my parents, that know him from a "distant neighbours" point of view. Ute Stadlbauer wrote a very nice paper - that made me write this blog - on a phenomenon that took place in Austria several times; with Viennese artists like Günter Brus or Otto Mühl for example. They broke conventions and were recognized in Austria years after they gained international recognition and "fame". Something similar seems to happen with Thomas Bernhard nowadays.

What is it that is taking place here right now? To quote Utecita "An honest reconcilliation with maybe the greatest Austrian post-war litterateur or the bad Austrian habit of the total commercialisation of that cultural heritage?" Good question.

Funny thing is: even my mother started to read about Bernhard, that used to live just some kilometers away from our house, lately. The first book. My father still needs some more time to get familiar with the topic as - what would be the best way to describe it - Bernhard was not a man of the people and probably more some kind of a misanthrope. Still a great litterateur. I kind of like his socio-cultural irony.

INTERVIEW - IN LOVE WITH DECAY

2011-04-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry, but there is no english version of the interview available as the magazine that did the interview is for a german speaking audience only. The headline means "in love with decay" and the interview was about my thoughts on urban art, ... and my documentary photofilms, that were exhbited at Escape 2010 together with works from Jaybo, Nomad, Faith47, Perfekt World, ... Interview by max.de ...

DDAY ONE - OMEGA POINT by Markus Oberndorfer aka Sirlensalot

2011-03-18T05:18:00.000-07:00

After DDay asked me if I would want to create a video for his upcoming release "Heavy Migration" I thought about possible interpretations. After having chosen "Omega Point" I tried to work with it's atmosphere, Udeze's synonym "Dday One", ... and the title of the track "Omega Point" of course.

Some thoughts I had before realizing the project in 2008:
Udeze's synonym "Dday One", could - in relation to my work - also be seen in connection with the first day of the Allies landing operation in Nothern France during the 2nd World War. The track's name "Omega Point" which i found out - after "Pierre Teilhard de Chardin" - means "... the maximum level of complexity and conciousness to which the universe seems to be evolving ..."

That basically means for me: "the end of everything, the point to which everyhing goes, a point where all signs of human purpose or everyhting have disappeared."
That was the reason, why I tried to realized a film that connected my work about the Disappearance of the Atlantic Wall with the one of DDay, who also works very consciously and philosophically in regards of music and composition. With the repetitions I wanted to reflect his sample based music and of course show the constant movement of the waves smashing against the concrete fortification. The movement, that makes the change within hundreds and thousands of years one could say in timespans related to the age of the planet, not the average age of a human being.

"Smashed into pieces by the force of nature ..." like everything that is and was built by any creatures if they let it go.

The film has been shown at several festivals over the last years and will hopefully come along with my forthcoming book about my work "Disappearance" on blue-ray disc. For some High-Res pleasure. Check ddays projects and my website.

AMBASSADEURS - FLY BY NIGHT

2011-03-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

A quick one inbetween, as I'm really impressed of what I found in my mailbox today morning! This one is definitely competing with my most favourite tracks in that genre à la "Get Familiar" by "Bullion". We can only hope that this one get's the physical (vinyl) release it absolutely!! deserves. Enjoy

FlyByNight by Ambassadeurs

THE DYING ART OF ("JUST??") THE PHOTOGRAPHIC DARKROOM ...

2011-03-09T08:44:00.000-08:00

Leaning on a very nice project by Richard Nicholson and a post published by the Guardian that featured the project under the headline of “the dying art of the photographic darkroom", I tried to leave you some personal thoughts, that has been haunting me for a while.

Even more since I read an interesting manuscript called “Rauchzeichen aus dem Labyrinth - Der onthologische Anspruch der Photographie” by Steffen Kammler last year (“Rostocker Phänomenologische Manuskripte”).

Bringing what i read in the manuscript together with what i saw in Richard Nicholsons project and what I experience of being a photographer that still partly processes in the darkroom, i was wondering … “What esle is going to be gone if the photographic darkroom really dies out? Where (if there) is this thin border between photography in the broader and photography in the narrower sense? The border, that after Steffen Kammler and in conjunction with the darkroom would have to be drawn behind “the negative that has been the last instance that has direct contact with the light and therefore carries the trace of the referent”? Something that digital photography can not claim for itself as “the lightsensor that literally takes the place of the photosensitive layer, in comparison does not show any trace of contact after the contact with the light …” because “the location of the light-contact is seperated from the location where the information is stored.” (Steffen Kammler, Rauchzeichen …, page 28).

I’m not a philosopher and I know that in the end it might not really matter for the (average) spectator. But still I do - as an artist - confront myself with the media I’m working with. As I had to deal with some slight problems after Kodak lately decided to stop production of a certain paper I partly used over the last 9 years of printing - and loved, I had to think about that question of the media even more and had to involuntarily compare those two (very different) crafts from an at least process oriented point of view:

“The craft and process of taking a negative, filterting colors and getting a result by printing in the darkroom” VS “the craft of scanning a negative and trimming dozens of adjustment layers” to get a similar result.

It’s not that I decided to switch from analog processing to digital. It was a “just in case” for a “worst case” scenario where - in my case - Fuji decides to discontinue their Kodak “equivalent” out of the blue!!!! (A scenario artists, photographers,… unwillingly have to deal with due to technical changes, lobbying or companies stopping the production of certain fundamental ressources of their work; not just in photography.) However; I started comparing the procedures and steps that would bring me to that similar result and I started wondering about which craft carried more of that (non existant) claim to reality that (from a laymen’s and not philosophical or mediat-heoretical perspective) makes photography the photography “we somehow believe in”. And I came to the conclusion, that for me personally it is more “the process in the photographic darkroom” than the one infront of the screen and dozens of layers changing the appearance of a picture, that gives me that unique (authentic-like) feeling of being a photographer documenting the world around me. Although I know that I’m still a photographer (not better or worse) if I use my digital camera (that i like aswell - no digital hater here) to make a picture. But still; it’s just different and not the same. If it has something to do with Steffen Kammler’s statements, i don’t know. But I know there is space to give it some more thoughts. As always.

Enjoy the documentary (youtube) and Kodak, Fuji, … (if you’re out there) give it a thought and please just sometimes continue carrying extraordinary items like special papers, … within you product catalogue. As an acessory if you like. I know you do and I also know that you have to be competitive in a globalized world, but those are big decisions you make and it always effects someone.
I’m not expecting anyone to read what I just wrote. The flood of information is just one other thing that comes along with our digital times. If you do, thanks for taking the time; otherwise i can say: for me personally it was great to clear some thoughts that were running around in my head anyway.

I wonder if “Vinyl” survives the “Compact Disc” by the way. Enjoy!

LEX DE KALHEX - PERFECT PICTURE 2LP - LTD

2011-02-28T12:35:00.000-08:00

The forthcoming Akromegalie Records release Perfect Picture by Lex de Kalhex is one of those releases none of you out there, that likes well elaborated jazz based Hip Hop instrumenals in a mid 90ties Godfather Don, Pete Rock tradition should miss. Very nice beats combined with very well selected and compared to Damu the Fudgemunk’s “Supply for Demand” rather unknown samples come in a limited run of 300 records. A good combination as Positive K would say. After having dozens of conversations with Lex on hip hop, art and music over the net for quite some time I had the pleasure to meet him in Paris last december. Sitting in some fastfood restaurant (it was the only place where we could stay longer without someone blaming us for not consuming more) I had the chance to listen to the whole album and some other upcoming projects … I loved each and every track I heard. And I don’t say this cause I consider Alex a friend and part of my extended and likeminded family. I mean it! And today in the morning my cellphone whispered something in my ear. Seems like they just arrived in someone’s postbox, “available very soon” …

Also make sure you check Kalhex (Lex, Parental and Le Makizar) debut LP “Kalhex” from 2009. A “sleeping” French Rap diamond from Paris. Great beats, great conscious lyrics … just great! ! Buy records! Support artists you like, so they can do what they seem to do best!