Archive for Culture
April 20, 2008 at 11:10 pm · Filed under Culture, Music
After picking up coffee at Farley’s this morning, I went to Aquarius Records to browse through my favorite section of the store, Exotica/Novelty. That’s where I found The Ghost Orchid, a bizarre collection of paranormal voices and sounds recorded on magnetic tape. Curated by the world’s leading EVP researchers, these tracks are known today as examples of Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP), or the recorded voices of the otherworld.
Recordings from The Ghost Orchid range in both topic and length, from singing to multilingual responses in English, Latvian, German, or Russian. Often, the recordings are a scrambled combination of several different languages. They were captured in various methods: some came as mysterious appearances on home tape recordings; others were interruptions to public radio broadcasts; and many were direct, shockingly insightful responses to EVP researchers who engaged in dialogue with these so-called “voices”.
Superstitious folly? I couldn’t exactly tell by the cover art alone, but once I started listening to snippets, I became hooked and listened to the entire album. I heard conversations between EVP pioneers and the “voices,” who disclosed answers regarding specific individuals, events, life after death, and even their own origin.
Here’s one example: Friedrich Jürgenson, a painter/singer who enjoyed recording his own singing and that of wild birds, noted that strange noises and voices often appeared when he played the recordings back. After questioning the validity of these occurrences, he suddenly realized that they were no accident when he heard the voice of his (deceased) mother in one playback, saying: “Friedel, can you hear me, it’s mammy…”
Before I give too much away, I’ll stop here and let you pick up your own copy for review. It’s a trippy, unearthly experience which I wouldn’t want to spoil for the rest of you — especially those who are interested in field recordings and found sounds.
April 12, 2008 at 12:29 am · Filed under Culture, Design, Music, Technology
A great lineup is in store for Yuri’s Night at Nasa Ames. Of note on the audiovisual side is a psychedelic drawing interface installation by Joshua Ott, Ezekiel Honig, and Morgan Packard (see screenshot above).
Other artists like Jon Tejada, Lusine, Deru, and [a]pendics.shuffle will keep the tunes going alongside all of the technological wizardry that one can expect of a Bay area geek spectacle. See you there!
Yuri’s Night Bay Area website
Upcoming.org post
May 15, 2007 at 12:23 pm · Filed under Culture, Design
I’m excited about this weekend’s Maker Faire at the San Mateo Fairgrounds! I’ll be there to help demonstrate scratch foam printmaking with Logos Graphics. We’ll be alongside other crafters in the Craft section of the Expo hall, sharing extended workbench space with the San Francisco Center for the Book. Stroll over to say heyo, and also try your own hand at this super easy, non-toxic intro to printmaking using soft foam and water-based inks. We’ll be selling printmking kits for you to try out at home too. It’ll be a great weekend for crafting, hacking, and DIY sweetness.
May 11, 2007 at 9:53 am · Filed under Culture, Design
This weekend, I’ll be at Mission Open Studios with Logos Graphics, located within Project Artaud. If you’re interested in the local art scene, drop by! Description below by way of Project Artaud:
Mission Open Studios is a new collaboration among working artists studios in San Francisco’s Mission District. The area bordered by Mission Street, Potrero Avenue, and 17th Street, originally an industrial section of the Mission, is evolving into a vibrant, growing Artist District. Anchored by Project Artaud, Developing Environments, and Art Explosion’s 17th Street Studios, the area has seen the addition of 1890 Bryant, Workspace, Compound 21, Art Explosion Alabama St., Root Division and Blue Studios.
This spring, these studios will collaborate to host Mission Open Studios, opening their doors to the public for an amazing weekend of art viewing on Saturday and Sunday, May 12 and 13. All studios are located within blocks of each other, with more than 300 accomplished artists participating. Mission Open Studios will give thousands of visitors an opportunity to view and purchase beautiful, challenging and affordable art.
A preview night, hosted by all 9 studios, will take place Friday, May 11, from 7 pm to 11 pm. Each studio will host previews, so visitors can move from venue to venue for a first look at studios and a great night on the town.
Mission Open Studios at Project Artaud
499 Alabama (between 17th and Mariposa)
Friday Opening Reception May 11th 7pm-11pm
Mission Open Studios - May 12 + 13, 2007
Mission Open Studios:
Project Artaud
Developing Environments
Art Explosion on 17th St.
Art Explosion on Florida St.
1890 Bryant St
Workspace
Compound 21
Root Division
Blue Studios
February 15, 2007 at 6:07 pm · Filed under Culture, Music
V-Day… ah, l’amour artificiel…
Like other institutionalized holidays, Valentine’s Day seems to cause unnecessary stress and artificially imposed pressure to perform acts of affection. As I walked around downtown San Francisco, it seemed especially evident as I passed dozens of head-scratching, stressed-out men desparately scurrying around for last-minute gifts. Pobrecitos!
But as the sun went down, the requisite angst gave way to a most cathartic experience: hundreds of pillow-touting people congregated at Justin Herman Plaza, armed for a thrilling pillow fight. It was enough to make me happy with glee. I can’t think of a better way to demonstrate just how much you care for your loved ones — oh, and perfect strangers too — by bashing them soundly on the rear! And then there’s the sheer joy of experiencing the ruckus created by flying pillows and countless feathers, interspersed with witty commentary by a man carrying a megaphone (“Bloggers: this is not a spectactor sport!”), camera flashes from photographers and really bad techno pumped by local high school kids…
It’s just one of many reasons why I love San Francisco.
February 7, 2007 at 9:29 pm · Filed under Culture, Design, Overlap
100 Words reminded me of high school afternoons spent zine-crafting with moody goth friends down in the South Bay. Gotta love SFZero for bringing back swell memories…
For this task, I snipped images and text from offset printing and design brochures pulled from my library, German magazines, the San Francisco Chronicle, plus this week’s copies of The Onion and the San Francisco Bay Guardian. All photos from this task were taken at the Arc Cafe this drizzly morn’ and can be viewed on my Flickr stream.
January 30, 2007 at 2:24 pm · Filed under Culture, Music
I am excited about two upcoming events in San Francisco on Saturday, February 10. The first is an SFZero urban psychogeographic game, The Sweat Cheat Gone:
An investigation of guilt and innocence played out across the streets (zones of desire and exchange) of San Francisco.
You are a prosecutor, a private eye, a witness, collecting evidence, not knowing who you can trust, betraying your friends (enemies) to build your case.
Pursue a thread of desire that takes you to imaginary crime scenes beneath the skyline.
Those SFZero plotsters are sure to involve brilliant strategy schemes. And what better way to follow up than by heading to Bay Area Beatdr_p’s weekly techno party featuring Foundsound co-founder Miskate. Come out and play!
If you happen to be seeking sharp new listening material, head to Unfoundsound and download Dario Zenker’s free Black Sword EP. Also be sure to pick up Pantha Du Prince’s super fresh This Bliss from Dial.
October 5, 2006 at 8:14 pm · Filed under Culture
From bbc.com: “Two young Slovakians have won the 28th world hip hop dance championship in Germany. Gabriela Nemcova and Pamela Peticka won the under-11’s hip hop duos category”
…work it, girls!
