Category Archives: Futurism

Overdosed on retro-futurism? Pep Squad is not for you. But thats what makes this debut so interesting. Theres no shortage of local dance rock groups (ugh) incorporating emotive synths and super syncopated rhythms, but no Saytown resident achieves the seamless pastiche Carlos Herrera does. Get Outrageousis radio-ready, yet maintains just enough self-awareness to lure in mainstream-panning snobs. Opener F.U.L.A. charts Herreras acute emotional ambivalence towards the state of pop. The coked-out chorus condemns Los Angeles culture of excess while an army of synths run a train on the breaks. Appropriately, Herrera later sneers, I send you mixed signals because it gives me the giggles on What Are Friends For? His commentary ends with those songs and its not clear whether its for better or worse. Whats crystal is Herreras ability to doppelgang. Strung Out could be an A-side on Twin Shadows recent masterwork Forget. On Boom Boom Boom, Herrera channels 3OH!3 sonically as much as James Murphy lyrically (If you snort that Lindsey Lohan just to dance Diana Ross). Ultimately, Get Outrageous is equally exciting for what it is (stellar party pop) and what it promises to incorporate (a conscience).

(out of 5 stars)

Originally posted here:
Pep Squad: 'Get Outrageous'

Success is a hard act to follow. And in the case of the Denver Botanic Gardens' summer art offerings, the bar is set very high.

Two years ago, the gardens integrated 20 modern and monumental works of the great 20th-century sculptor Henry Moore into their grounds, pulling off an exhibit that was both an engineering marvel and one of the best art experiences here in years.

Last year, they followed up with an exhibit of Allan Houser's graceful, abstracted bronzes. Houser, a Chiricahua Apache sculptor who lived in Santa Fe, is less known but important regionally, and his sharp figures found a comfortable,

The showy must go on, as they say, and this year the gardens' management has chosen to connect their art offerings with the opening of the new Bill Hosokawa Bonsai Pavilion and Tea Garden. Under the banner "Kizuna: West Meets East," they are featuring the site-specific sculptures of two artists, Tetsunori Kawana and Stephen Talasnik.

Both work miracles with bamboo, splitting, splicing and shaping the tree into three-dimensional constructions. The pieces are big, one you can even walk through, and they take good advantage of the expanse of open space the gardens have preserved for temporary treasures.

These works, particularly Kawana's, are probably more crowd-wowing than Moore's and certainly more so than Houser's. The way the material is transformed into free-standing architecture makes you stop and stare and wonder how it keeps from falling down.

That awe though, can turn into awkward, because it makes the show something of a novelty act. If seeing Moore was a trip to the Met, then seeing Kizuna is more like an evening at Cirque du Soleil. You can get so tripped up in the how of these works that the why gets obscured. And with art, why matters.

The easy answers come from Kawana, whose installations are influenced by his mastery of ikebana, the Japanese art of floral arrangement. In that way, he finds different qualities in different parts of the bamboo and reworks them with a human touch. Trunks, strong and steady, serve as structural elements, supporting the pliable stalks which are bent and turned in unimaginable ways. Connected with thin wire, they twist up several stories into the air, arch over stairs, move like waves on a hillside.

That Kawana is able to modify a material that could grow on the grounds is an artful turn; it links the assets of nature to the abilities of men and women who can see it for more than it is. This is a good exercise to undertake in a giant garden, though it feels more like an intellectual integration than a physical one. Specific, engineered and overly manipulated, the works stand apart from the gardens' best quality: the way they mush things together, blur the borders between their beds of red valerian, lamb's ears and beaked blue yucca to create something that more aptly, and less violently, connects people to the earth.

The garden and the art were equal partners at the Moore and Houser shows. Here the art aims to outshine the plants. That it does, at first, makes this show a pleasure to behold. But the art is diminished when the plants win in the end.

Original post:
Tetsunori Kawana, Stephen Talasnik artworks at Denver Botanic Gardens

An electronic insitution Rotterdams Clone Records have been releasing, selling and distributing great electronic music for the last 20 years.

Many were aghast when the label announced its closure in 2009 so central was their position in dance music circles. But they shouldnt have worried. Just a few months later,Army of Darknessstyle the label was resurrectedand remade (nay,Cloned)in a number of sub labels eight and counting, each focusing on a different area of dancefloor futurism. Two of its finest imprints will showcase the hottest names on their books tonight youd be best to take notes.

Room One tonight is host to Royal Oak if anything Clones most straightforward House wing offering some of the finest sounds from the labels Dutch base and beyond. Swedish duo Genius of Time made waves in 2011 with their ace Houston we have a problem, a Whitney-referencing earworm of a track. The sampling of the late diva was a move as prescient as their music an astral-gazing, laid-back take on classic house. Dutch resident Gerd looks to bring things up even higher with his breezy takes on the timeless sounds of Chicago.Finally, the King of the Clones label boss Serge himself will see things out with the latest tracks to catch his ear.

If that all sounds a bit easygoing, things are racheted up a notch in Room Two with the sounds from Clones Basement. The label has taken the role of an audio sandbox, a place for forward thinking producers to share their visions of underground techno.UK Bass artist and Hemlock-label boss Untolds release last year streamlined his usually frantic percussion for a sound designed for main-room destruction, see him in full effect tonight. A stalwart of the Dutch scene,Conforcessound isunmistakablytechno-centered, but expect plenty of left-of centre detours to keep things fresh.Things are rounded off by Dexter, on inspired form recently, guesting on Rush Hours Amsterdam All Stars compilation and restlessly experimenting with his sound. Afterworking in a number of styles over the years electro, house, techno no doubt hell work some of these in tonight.

Clone Records: Basement Series vs Royal Oak at Hidden, Vauxhall SE11 5EQ, Friday 11th May. Tickets are available here.

Image used with permission from Clone Records.

Go here to see the original:
Club Watch: Clone Records Night @ Hidden

You don't have to wear brass goggles or leather corsets to fit in with the dapper anachronistic crowds at therFest. But why cheat yourself of such fashionable fun at the steampunk convention? Especially when you can strut your stuff with some serious A&A.

And A&A would be ...

Aesthetics and attitude, says Pablo Mr. Saturday Vazquez III of the San Antonio Neo-Victorian Association, which hosts the event Friday through Sunday at the St. Anthony Hotel.

Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that marries modern gadgetry and general futurism with the steam-powered past of the Victorian era. It's as much a fashion statement as a literary one, with fans who craft giant ray guns, mechanical arms and other bizarre brass and clockwork accessories to wear with old-timey petticoats, top hats and coattails.

In its second year, therFest showcases live music and fan clubs with groups such as Marquis de Vaudeville and Airship Isabella, plus steampunk authors O.M. Grey and Lia Habel, panels for steampunk novices and experts and tabletop gaming in the Cracked Monocle gaming room. There are also dances, dinners and tea times that keep with the con's historic hotel setting.

And while therFest isn't all about playing dress-up, rest assured on-hand vendors will gladly outfit you with the latest retro-futuristic outfits and accessories.

Vazquez stresses you don't need such gear to get in the door. But once inside, such paraphernalia can only enhance what's meant to be an immersive experience: And hopefully (you) come out with a top hat, too, afterward.

rguzman@express-news.net. Twitter: @reneguz

Go here to see the original:
Get retro with ÆtherFest

We've all been there. Tired. Hungry. Staring into the cold, dark eyes of a Panda Express.

The dearth of decent airport dining can make even the savviest world traveler feel stranded in a culinary heart of darkness. With nothing but a mediocre Hudson News paperback to pass the interminable hours before boarding, what is the hungry traveler to do but submit to Sbarro?

Before you dive headlong into the abyss, consider your coordinates. The world's leading international airports are seriously upping their gourmet game, offering everything from menus by Michelin-starred chefs to food stalls stocked with local delicacies. At these six spots, you'll eat surprisingly well before boarding.

1. Hong Kong International (HKG)

Tian Xia Dumplings will not win you over with its looks. Located within the elevated Dave & Busters that is HKG's dining and entertainment concourse Terminal 2, this unassuming kiosk sells an array of hearty Hong Kong street-food classics, like big bowls of fish noodles as well as the namesake dumplings, which are made to order and served alongside a fiery red chili oil sauce.

2. Los Angeles International (LAX)

Built in 1961, the modernist Theme Building at LAX looks a bit more Star Trek than Saarinen. But channel your inner Shatner at the spider-legged Encounter restaurant, an emblem of mid-century futurism that serves a surprisingly tasty menu of local California produce, fresh seafood and steamed edamame topped with fleur de sel, sesame pepper and zesty ponzu sauce.

John Bartelstone Photography for OTG Management

3. London Heathrow (LHR)

The first airport restaurant from celebrity chef and Zen master Gordon Ramsay is in Terminal 5, Heathrow's sweeping metropolis of luxury shopping and poorly placed escalators. The varied Plane Food menu includes crispy duck salad, risotto with English peas and seared cuts of dry-aged British beef. If your time in T5 is limited, order from the two-course Plane Fast list, where a mere ?16.95 gets you pumpkin soup and Suffolk pork belly in under 25 minutes.

View post:
Amazing Airport Restaurants

We catch up with Ciarn Cullen, new Events Manager at multifarious Manchester venue Soup Kitchen, to find out what he has in store for this colourful corner of the Northern Quarter

Capacity: 175 / 200 Door price/policy: Varied Nights open: Every day Dress code: Casual

Hi Ciarn! So you took over as Events Manager at Soup Kitchen in February. What was your vision for the venue when you took the role, and have you started to achieve that yet?

My aim is to have some of the best acts in the world play. These can be the best new bands to come from Manchester or touring acts doing their first shows in the UK. I want a full calendar of events. May is looking chocca already with EMA, Bear In Heaven, DZ Deathrays, Pond and Japandroids all playing. See all upcoming Soup Kitchen events.

Where were you working before Soup Kitchen?

Before Soup Kitchen I worked for three years at Night and Day and three years at The Ruby Lounge.

How would you describe the vibe of SK? What kind of person would enjoy it?

Soup Kitchen is a diverse multi-purpose business that caters for a wide audience. There aren't many places that can boast that. We are a family friendly canteen which serves amazing food throughout the day, an amazing bar with a wide selection of beers and ales and we have the best DJs in Manchester soundtracking the whole thing. So as long as you like food, booze and music you will like Soup Kitchen.

Tell us about the venue in terms of the ground floor bar and the basement. What goes on where?

The cafe / bar on the ground floor is a Northern Quarter must for late night drinkers, eaters and socialisers. We have our regular 'food versus' events in the cafe, the most recent being our Cocktail Vs Cake night. It's open late on Friday and Saturdays, with the likes of Jon K and Simon Tonkinson DJing from 8pm - 1am in the "Kitchen". The basementspace, which might be still be news to some people, is one of the best club spaces in Manchester. We host some of the best club nights and are now looking to host the best bands.

See the rest here:
Venue focus: Soup Kitchen, Manchester