1.25.2015

EDGAR FROESE


Founding member of Tangerine Dream, Edgar Froese, passed away this week. As a lover of ambient and electronic music, I have spent some time over the past few years digging through the vast Tangerine Dream catalog and picking out what I consider to be the peak moments in Froese's career, mostly falling during the early-to-middle era of the Dream, of which Froese has been the only consistent member through the years. A primer, if you will. Download and listen here.

Sunrise in the Third System (TANGERINE DREAM - Alpha Centauri, 1971)
Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares (TANGERINE DREAM - Phaedra, 1973)
Panorphelia (EDGAR FROESE - Aqua, 1974)
Epsilon in Malaysian Pale (excerpt) (EDGAR FROESE - Epsilon in Malaysian Pale, 1975)
Ricochet, Pt. 2 (excerpt) (TANGERINE DREAM - Ricochet, 1975)
Betrayal / Sorcerer Theme (TANGERINE DREAM - Sorcerer OST, 1977)
Nights of Automatic Women (EDGAR FROESE - Ages, 1978)
Scarlet Score for Mescalero (EDGAR FROESE - Stuntman, 1979)
Thru Metamorphic Rocks (excerpt) (TANGERINE DREAM - Force Majeure, 1979)
Logos (excerpt) (TANGERINE DREAM - Logos Live, 1982)
Snake Bath (EDGAR FROESE - Kamikaze 1989 OST, 1982)
Pinnacles (EDGAR FROESE - Pinnacles, 1983)
Ancient Powerplant (Jacul) (TANGERINE DREAM - The Keep OST, 1983)
Mojave End Title Reprise (TANGERINE DREAM - Wavelength OST, 1983)
Love on a Real Train (TANGERINE DREAM - Risky Business OST, 1984)
Crystal Voice (TANGERINE DREAM - Firestarter OST, 1984)


In addition to Tangerine Dream's well-known film scores for SORCERER, THE KEEP, and many other films, Froese composed perhaps his finest soundtrack for the obscure German cyberpunk thriller KAMIKAZE 89, which I will link to in full below. Also below for further viewing: Tangerine Dream live at Coventry Cathedral in 1975, and a video of Froese doing his thing on a garden patio for German television in 1981.

"There is no death. Just a change of cosmic address." - Edgar Froese (1944-2015)





1.15.2015

2014 IN FILM


Of all the weird ways that I've processed and revealed my favorite films of the year, this one has perhaps been the most unexpected; While exploring a new character illustration style, I needed some subjects, and decided to take a crack at the heroes of my Top Ten Movies of 2014. I illustrated characters from 9 out of my 10 (shown above), and even put prints of them up in my shop if you're crazy enough to want one or more.

As for the ranked list, here it is.

1. BOYHOOD
2. UNDER THE SKIN
3. GONE GIRL
4. THE TALE OF PRINCESS KAGUYA
5. IDA
6. BIRDMAN
7. THE ZERO THEOREM
8. MOOD INDIGO
9. CITIZENFOUR
10. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

It was a year in which I loved far fewer movies than in years past. I can't even say I truly loved all ten of the above choices. Even still, I must give a few honorable mentions to FORCE MAJEURE, THE KINGDOM OF DREAMS AND MADNESS, SELMA, THE CONGRESS, DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, NIGHT MOVES, A MOST WANTED MAN, 20000 DAYS ON EARTH, MISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS, and THE STRANGE COLOR OF YOUR BODY'S TEARS.

(I'll take my top five to the grave however. Especially the top three.)

1.10.2015

SATURDAY EVENING POSTER


La Escopeta Nacional film poster by José Maria Cruz Novillo. 
See more great work by Novillo at So Much Pileup.

1.07.2015

LITTLE HEROES


I made a few of these little guys while experimenting with some new ways to draw characters. Available here in just a very small quantity while supplies last. A mystery fourth print will be inserted randomly into three of the 3-packs. Stay tuned for more, maybe?

2014 IN MUSIC

Wow, I haven't done this in a while, but somehow amidst a crazy past several days of work, I managed to catch up with a lot of new music. Unlike some recent years, there were a lot of records and tracks that really stuck with me. And as usual, many of my favorite and most listened-to records of the year came out of Nashville. My ten favorites:

1. Ponychase - Parade of Youth
2. Fauna Flora - s/t
3. Hiss Golden Messenger - Lateness of Dancers
4. Jasmin Kaset - Quiet Machine
5. Cornpone - s/t
6. Todd Terje - It’s Album Time
7. Beck - Morning Phase
8. Eno / Hyde - High Life
9. Mia Dyson - Idyllwild
10. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Hypnotic Eye



And a bunch of others that I dug: Spoon - They Want My Soul, Phox - s/t. The Advisory Circle - From Out Here, Lykke Li - I Never Learn, The Paperhead - Africa Avenue, Caribou - Our Love, Erlend Oye - Legao, Sharon van Etten - Are We There, Stone Jack Jones - Ancestor, Sturgill Simpson - Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream, Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire for No Witness, and D'Angelo - Black Messiah.


Favorite album covers go to Caribou, The Advisory Circle, Spoon, Jasmin Kaset, Petty, The Paperhead, and D'Angelo. I also had the chance to design quite a few covers this year for some of my favorite artists and peers, which was great.

For rdio users -- and if you're not one, you should sign up and try their beautiful and user-friendly interface-- I made this playlist of favorite tracks from the year right here. I'll paste the tracklist below.

1. Jasmin Kaset - You Can Never Go Home Again
2. Cornpone - Dance and Forget
3. Ponychase - Parade of Youth
4. Fauna Flora - As the Story Goes
5. Norm - Moving On
6. Beck - Heart is a Drum
7. Lewis - I Thought the World of You
8. Mica Levi - Love
9. Hiss Golden Messenger - Lateness of Dancers
10. William Tyler - Whole New Dude
11. yMusic - Balance Problems
12. Arca - Family Violence
13. The War on Drugs - Under the Pressure
14. Phox - Satyr and the Faun
15. Todd Terje - Oh Joy
16. Jenny Lewis - Just One of the Guys
17. Mia Dyson - When We're Older
18. Sharon Van Etten - Afraid of Nothing
19. Skyline Motel - Not About You
20. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - All You Can Carry
21. Ryan Adams - Gimme Something Good
21. Spoon - Inside Out
22. Bradford Cox - Doctor October
23. Zero - Simple Science
24. Caribou - Silver
25. Sia - Chandelier
26. How I Became the Bomb - Ulay Oh
27. The Advisory Circle - Escape Lane
28. Dntel - Fringes of Focus (Instrumental)
29. The Notwist - Kong
30. Eno - Hyde - Lilac
31. Flying Lotus - You're Dead
32. The Paperhead - None Other Than
33. Sturgill Simpson - It Ain't All Flowers
34. Daniel Lanois - Iceland
35. Steve Gunn - Way Out Weather
36. D'Angelo and the Vanguard - Til It's Done (Tutu)
37. Emily King - Distance
38. Erlend Oye - Rainman
39. Angel Olsen - White Fire
40. Lykke Li - No Rest for the Wicked
41. St. Vincent - Severed Crossed Fingers
42. Aphex Twin - aisatsana [102]
43. Grouper - Holding

Whew! Enjoy!


1.06.2015

2014 WORK

I know we're already chooglin' ahead in the new year, but here's a look back at some work from the past year. Less poster art, more touring, traveling, and brainstorming for the next chapter. But some great projects along the way. Happy new year!