HBM-001: St. Google Prayer Candles (available exclusively at Change the Mood, Aug 17th @ Glasslands NYC)


HBM-002: Dubious Prey Tanks (available now at the DA webshop)

Hello Bad Mind is a new object oriented project studio I opened to bring physical manifestations of my work into the world.

I’m sick of the screen. We all are. Bruce Sterling’s latest forecast imagines 2031 when, “No one can afford to track the ageing data, archive it or save it. There is little desire to try. New schemes have disrupted the Internet; they are vaster, faster, friendlier, more interesting.” The attention economy simply doesn’t give a fuck about your content. On to the next one is the rallying cry of a consumptive vortex.

Your movie, your music, your collection of hentai kitten videos. It’s all the same, and soon to be outdated and inaccessible thanks to changing protocols, proprietary systems and creeping forced incompatibility. I like the intimacy of digital space, but my experience with physical phenomenon and organic decay holds faster in my mind. Hello Bad Mind is my next step towards creating the economies I want to support and engaging new networks of production and distribution.

For more info on both… (more…)

Phone Tag’s “Ghost Behind” single and remix pack just dropped. Dazed Digital carried a dope interview with Gryphon where you can stream Chant’s heavy remix. You can cop the tracks on itunes, Boomkat, or your favorite digi-retailer. The full remix pack includes Javelin, Lamin Fofana, Chants and Datalog.

If you missed them before, stream “Ghosts Behind”, Lamin’s remix and their latest mix tape.

“Ghosts Behind” is the perfect summer jam. It’s the soundtrack for late afternoon romps in sweaty sheets and early morning bike rides to the beach. Gorgeous tropical dream pop from Phone Tag, whose self-titled full length will drop September 18th on Dutty Artz. Guaranteed to be on repeat all summer.

Phone Tag are fucking ill live, check them this Saturday in New York at You Are Here (AKA the MAZE) (389 Melrose St AT SECRET PROJECT ROBOT GALLERY 10USD).

The Fader debuted “Ghosts Behind” + Lamin’s remix on Monday.

International Tapes debuted their incredible jam filled “Why Dog? Why?” mix (rumor has it there will be limited cassette versions soon!)

Ad Hoc has their insane cover of Yellow Magic Orchestra’s 1981 classic “Cue.”

I signed Phone Tag almost a year ago and it is such a pleasure to finally be able to start sharing the project with the world. This project is a new direction for us and one we couldn’t be happier about taking. The “Ghosts Behind” single pack will drop next Tuesday the  includes stunning remixes from Javelin, Lamin Fofana, Chants and Datalog.


I installed a pop-up shop for Franklin Street Works last month as part of their show House Arrest. I built a collection of objects around the idea of domestic antipathy that includes cod-piece riot gear, probably Thomas Kinkade’s last installation piece, 9mm bullets from Wal-Mart, ILoveU crack pipe roses, flexi-cuff cutters, a teddy spycam, an Ajax cleaner stash box, your yearly allotted amount of pseudoephedrine,  and the very first appearance of the St. Google Prayer candles I cooked with Kaye, Alexis and Diego (more on those soon.)  Check out the show catalog featuring an interview I did with Bodhi Landa.
 

Check it all out at
FRANKLIN STREET WORKS
41 Franklin Street
Stamford, CT 06901
203-595-5211
TRAIN
Metro North New Haven Line to Stamford station (30 State Street), one mile from FSW.
Wednesday, Friday, Saturday,
and Sunday: noon – 5:00PM
Thursdays: noon – 7:00PM



We’ve been sitting on this amazing EP from Chants since late last year and it’s finally time to bring the Night After EP out to the world. The EP will drop on May 29th on gorgeous full color vinyl (peep Shadetek with a copy above) and digital. It’s just in time for Winter in the S. Hemisphere and the increasingly insane weather patterns the world over. Intense headphone blizzards with enough low-end to climb the walls of a Funktion1.   Dummy premiered my favorite track off the release earlier this week–stream  “Ice Harvesting” below.

You can pre-order the vinyl here. All vinyl purchases will come with a DL code for the full digital package including incredible remixes from the homies Lōtic , Old Money Massive, and adoptahighway. Layout from our steady design boss Talacha.Net  featuring the gorgeous photo work of Chris Wainwright. GET FAMILIAR

THEESatisfaction
Cameo Gallery 8.30 PM $10
93 North 6th Street

The first time I heard about THEESatisfaction was from a friend in Seattle who said their live show was the best thing she had seen in years. That was a few years back now, which I can only assume means the girls have tightened their shit after touring solo and with Shabazz and releasing a seemingly endless stream of dope tracks on bandcamp. They were in town this week to shoot a video with Dream Hampton and luckily for the rest of us Popgun grabbed them for a show tonight.

Realizing that they will perform tonight at Cameo, just down the street from Sweatlodge was one of those little reminders why living in the density of New York can be dope. Their show ends at 11:30 so get out early tonight and hit both.

Sweatlodge Flyer
DJ Ripley, Geko Jones, Matt Shadetek and Lamin Fofana.
10PM – 4AM, FREE
The Cove NYC, 108 N. 6th St. Brooklyn NY

 

 

DA is proud as fuck to release another killer installation of refixs and bootlegs from the West Africa by way of Wisconsin, Turfing with his Cello King, Chief Boima. If you don’t follow his every move, from curating up to the time compilations in Monrovia, to providing incredible commentary at Africa is a Country and burning down sessions on both sides of the Atlantic YOU ARE SIMPLY DOING SOMETHING WRONG. Grab it at itunes if you have to,  or cop it direct from us. Special street editions of the EP will be flooding your local African bootleg DVD stall soon, so hold tight because you know a few will end up on the DA webstore.
boima cover
Missed Boima’s XLR8R podcast last week, grab over an hour of heat you have never heard HERE.
BOima Xlr8r
Catch Boima on Tour RIGHT NOW
2/22: Berlin: Ngoma Sound @Soju Bar w/DJ Zhao
2/24: Leipzig: @Staubsauger w/DJ Sencha
2/25: Krefeld: Global Lokal w/Daniel Wahl
3/9: Chicago: Sonic Diaspora @Coup d’etat w/The People’s DJ Collective
3/14-18 Austin: SXSW
3/27 Boston: Beat Research w/Wayneandwax and DJ Flack

It’s been over a year since Jeremy Harding called the one they call Di Genius to set up an interview for me. Stephen McGregor is, of course, the son of famed artiste Freddy McGregor, but he built his own lane producing some of the most innovative dancehall of this millennium, taking over his fathers Big Ship studio and turning it into a hit factory. His style melded perfectly with upandcomer Mavado – whose “Weh Dem A Do“- made me start checking compulsively for Stephen’s productions around 05/06. I have great video of him and his crew going off to unreleased Shadetek riddims and talking about why he keeps an open bible on his mixing desk- but until I get around to editing that shit- enjoy the interview tracked out by question below and stay locked for interviews with Ward21, Natalie Storm + more.

When your working on new projects – do you distinguish between what will be big in the Jamaican market vs the foreign market?

[audio:https://duttyartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DiGenius_Question-1.mp3|titles=DiGenius_Question 1]

Wa Dem A Do- which is the first riddim you built that I heard in NY- has this crazy cinematic density- but since then it seems like you have been hitting on all bases- why move away from the sound you built?

[audio:https://duttyartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DiGenius_DiGenius_Question-2edit.mp3|titles=DiGenius_Question 2]

Who are contemporary producers that you look up to? I hear neptunes and early timbaland, but who else are you checking for?

[audio:https://duttyartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DiGenius_q3.mp3|titles=DiGenius_q3]

Are there young producers or other producers that you work with, or is it just vocalists that you keep in your camp?

[audio:https://duttyartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DiGenius_q4.mp3|titles=DiGenius_q4]  

Whats the deal with the Island Pop sound that is dominating the radio right now in JA?

[audio:https://duttyartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DiGenius_q5.mp3|titles=DiGenius_q5]

What do you think about the fact that anyone with a computer can download a cracked copy of Fruity Loops and start building riddims ?

[audio:https://duttyartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DiGenius_q6.mp3|titles=DiGenius_q6]

How much do you think radio payolla affects what tunes get big or make it onto rotation?

[audio:https://duttyartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DiGenius_q7.mp3|titles=DiGenius_q7]

You’ve pretty consistently had your riddims on the charts for the last couple years- how many riddims are you building a week, and how many of those ever get voiced?

[audio:https://duttyartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DiGenius_q8.mp3|titles=DiGenius_q8]

Can you describe the process from building a riddim to finishing a riddim pack goes?

[audio:https://duttyartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DiGenius_q9.mp3|titles=DiGenius_q9]

Is there anything outside of hip-hop and dancehall that you check for? Are you listening to trance and house directly or just hearing their influence through rap?

[audio:https://duttyartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DiGenius_q10.mp3|titles=DiGenius_q10]

Do you think your work ethic seperates you from other producers, or young musicians?

[audio:https://duttyartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DiGenius_q11.mp3|titles=DiGenius_q11]

Some artists claim not to listen to the radio or other media- but you say you like to keep up with whatevers new?

[audio:https://duttyartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DiGenius_q12.mp3|titles=DiGenius_q12]

What’s your process when you start to build a new riddim?

[audio:https://duttyartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DiGenius_q13.mp3|titles=DiGenius_q13]

Besides Jeremy (who manages Stephen)- whose the team at bigship and Di Genuis recordings?

[audio:https://duttyartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DiGenius_q14.mp3|titles=DiGenius_q14]

Given your success as a producer- why push to voice more of your own riddims?

[audio:https://duttyartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DiGenius_q15.mp3|titles=DiGenius_q15]

If ten dollars seems like a lot of money to go see a bunch of people who constantly lace the internet with some of the best music and lulz around…… remember real is a feeling so get out get up and get something.

>> FACEBOOK EVENT <<

Check Mixes from everyone playing HERE

FRIDAY JAN 27TH | SANTOS PARTY HOUSE | 96 LAYFAYETTE ST | 10PM-4AM

#HYPNOTICA

*A WORLD CLASS QUANTUM PHYSICIST WILL BE GIVING A QUIK 15 MINUTE TALK ON THE EXPONENTIAL EXCITEMENT OF THE FUTURE AND THE TRULY UNEXPLAINABLE OCCULT MAGIC OF THE QUANTUM COMPUTER.*

 

varsity
Death/Traitors is the work of Alex Heir and it is fucking sick. I went to his spot on Delphi last week to get inside the mind of the genius behind my favorite New York brand.

T: You grew up in Jersey going to Punk shows and talk about how you see band shirts as this kind of holy grail of authenticity for design- how did band shirts inform your work with D T.

A: My initial interest in wanting to learn screen print and make shirts was born from my love of record and t-shirt art, and I think my idea of what makes a good shirt design is still largely based off that. A good band shirt is not just a random t-shirt with an image on it, it shows your musical taste and interest in a larger subculture, almost like wearing gang colors.

T: Whether it’s Japanese/Kanji characters that say Fuck Pigs, or your iconic Endless War Posters- you seem to hit an angle that’s 50/50 gothic vibes and anti-authoritarian anarchy. Is there any particular message that defines the brand?

A: I guess, as you said, “anti-authoritarian” sums it up pretty well. I’m not trying to spread a political message or anything, but I feel pretty angry about the state of the country and the world right now, and that works it’s way into my designs. I use the Anarchy symbol in the same way I use 666, I’m not a card carrying Anarchist or Satanist, but their symbols are a way to show what I am not.

T: While the 80 dollar t-shirt kids are gonna be happy to cop your gear at Mishka- you don’t go to trade shows or play the street-wear game- who’s your ideal audience for this stuff?

A: An army of leather clad rockers wandering the wasteland in search of food and water.

T: Do you have any fashion inspiration in terms of brands? What music or other design is most inspiring?

A: Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren had a store in London in the 70s called a variety of things..Let It Rock/Sex/Seditionaries. They designed a lot of the clothes the first wave UK punks wore and it was the biggest influence to me when I first thought about designing clothing. Alexander McQueen, who’s work I also really admire, definitely took a lot from them.
Nowadays I get a lot of inspiration from old occult and religious art, Japanese woodcuts, horror movies posters. I saw a show of old CRASS zines and flyers from their personal collection a few months ago…that was really inspiring and contributed a lot to the way the most recent designs have looked.

T: Can you talk about your process a little bit- your screen are everywhere around the house and most of your gear is there well- can you talk about hand printing all of your own work.

A: Once I finish a design and am ready to release it, I will shoot the screen and print a few samples to shoot on a model for the website. I keep a stock of screens of all my current available designs, and for the most part custom print every order as I get it.

T: Since images can move so easily between mediums- from stickers, to shirts, to bags, to textiles to whatever- how do you think about not overwhelming your customers.

A: I design the graphics specifically for each piece…An image might look great on a shirt, but not necessarily work as a patch or sticker. I re use a lot of the same imagery…skulls, kanji, swords, etc…but will do a different composition depending on what I’m going to print on. Less is more very often…I prefer to only release a handful of shirts and a few other items every season The artwork is very personal to me, so I would rather have a smaller amount of consistent, quality work then a ton of mediocre items.

T: you started doing these amazing varsity jackets- can you talk about your more indepth approach on that process.

A: I was lucky enough to link up with a tailor here in NYC that helping me through the process of of getting these jackets made. I initially was getting them from China, but once I stumbled upon this opportunity to have the jackets made here I leaped on it. I get to choose all the materials myself, from the wool and sleeve fabric to the lining and snaps, and the overall quality is much higher. Of course the costs to produce the jackets is much more than if I had them made in China, but I think people will appreciate the quality and the fact that they are made in the USA.
fuck off
T: Beyond the clothing line, can you talk about the label a little bit and your other screen printing work and how you manage the balance.

A: Besides Death/Traitors, I do commercial screen printing for other people under the name Funbot Press. The nice thing about working for yourself is you get to set your own hours and make your own schedule, but it also means you never really stop working. Unless I’m at a show or hanging out with friends outside my apartment, I’m always working on SOME thing, be it printing, designing for D/T, or making other artwork or music. Every day is different, but it usually is a combination of everything. I love what I do, at least most aspects of it, and I enjoy being constantly busy.

T: Anything else you want to include?

A: I will be showing some new pieces in a group art show entitled Input/Output opening Sat, Jan. 28 at Booklyn, 37 Greenpoint Avenue 4th Floor. booklyn.org And I will be showing more work at the Mishka Store, 350 Broadway, BK, on Friday, April 6.

Boima is set to drop his dope refix and remix collection “African In New York” on February 21st- and the highlight for me is his amazing version of Kondi’s “Without Money, No Family.” Getting Kondi to SXSW is THE FIRST PART of what hopes to be an ongoing series of collaborations with Kondi. I just got payed on Wednesday and hit them with $50 and if your in a spot do the same, do it! If you’re hard up right now- just do us a favor and share the campaign out on your twitter or facebook or whatever other platform you prefer