The ability to fuse soundscapes of inorganic (electronic) nature with a soulful human touch involves none other than the ability of a master. This is what precisely Chris Alfaro has done with his sophomore album, CTRL ALT DELETE. Aptly and appropriately titled, Free the Robots has managed to create an ethereal, futuristic world kissed with an ever so light, yet masterful touch.

Hard and heavy hitting, dubstep-influenced sounds surround the essence of Orion’s Belt Buckle, carrying the listener into a Hades like world. In “Turkish Voodoo” we are taken to the mystical-funky sitar sound that many would associate with Celda and much of the Turkish mixes that are prone to the Gaslamp Killer’s epic ear shattering sets at Low End Theory. However, I say Free The Robots carries its own flavor in their interpretation, invoking a more soulful feel while still hitting hard. In “The Eye”, which features Mars Volta’s prodigal keyboardist Ikey Owens, we are taken into another sojourn of aural pleasure, with its frantic pacing, contrasted with the melodic, yet eerie dissonant organ of Ikey’s playing. The future is here, folks.

Free The Robots “Ctrl Alt Delete” Promo Video #1 from Alpha Pup on Vimeo.

Beautiful and tripped out video done by Phil.  Download Orion’s Belt Buckle Here.

Get more personal…

RETNA ONE starting out….

About a month ago I had a chance to check out the Street Legal show featuring Mear One, Retna, El Mac and Kofie, at the Riviera and Rivera gallery. At the same time that show took place, each of these prolific artists were contributing to a live painting of immense proportions at the LA Art show. Here is a fresh video and picture recap of the show..

Kofie in deep mediation and work. Zoning it all out.

Few sit and stand, but all are in quiet awe of Kofie who paints an abstract playground for the eyes. Rarely does he acknowledge these spectators of the Los Angeles Art Show. Inches away from the 12 x 12 foot canvas, he lives and works, spiritually tethered to a geometric pool of tides and axes.

Kofie’s approach and aim, is oblique like his style of “vintage futurism.” The artist avows, “Bottom line: I always like to fuck with people’s heads. There’s no real grand scheme with what I’m trying to do here. I’m really just doing what I do.”

Kofie and Mear grinding out…

Retna putting final touches to the pieces him and Mac worked on.

Unfortunately, Mac was unable to put on a show for the fans because spray paint was not allowed into the building, so the portion of his middle-aged woman was completed beforehand, as that is his tool of trade.

What is interesting are Retna and Mac’s mediation and process on creating a spirit of a woman rather than an ethnicity.

“You can’t quite place the culture of the woman. She could be slightly Asian. She could be slightly African American. She could just be an older Caucasian. We can’t place her. I think [the letters] are incredibly beautiful forms and they go with the way [El Mac] has constructed her face, a sort of etching quality that describes dimension. And if you look at the forms, they have a symbolic quality, so you don’t know what that’s saying, but you can go with it — make a little story about her.” -El Mac.

“We’re paintings murals of people that don’t necessarily have a voice, so we like to glorify them,” Retna explains.

MEAR ONE- Completed work.

The dicussion of fine art, street art, graffiti is one that is interminable, multifaceted and knows no bounds.  Forever, will we have out debate on how to categorize and interpret art. There is a rich tradition and history that few understand and critique. However, I feel that one should soak it all enjoy rather than critique. What fun is it to be a dilettante and overly criticize?  Apparently, as long as you know what you are talking about, you’re fine.

Marta Avellaneda, 56, represents Galeria del Paseo in Montevideo, Uruguay, and opines that VOX HUMANA is neither graffiti nor fine art: “The way I see it, more than graffiti, is that it’s mural work. They’re muralists, but muralists on canvas. To me, maybe because I grew up in the 60s and 70s, the fact that someone is a street performer and becomes part of an art collection — it loses its feeling.”

Avellaneda concedes that the title is apt: “You have a feeling of each [artist]. They have many voices. You have a geometric voice, a figurative voice, an abstract voice. It’s a human voice.”

Partial credit to Juxtapoz and Tommy Tung for the interview.

15th Anniversary of Pier 59 Studios from James Jeon on Vimeo.

Check out what its like to work & party in the largest fashion photo studio in the world. Here’s the fab final edit of Jame’s video from Pier 59’s Anniversary bash.

We had the opportunity to interview Model and personality, Joli Robinson, for our online magazine. Here Joli takes us into the high fashion and art world at an inside look of Pier59 studios, champagne, beautiful women, art and photography are present in this montage.

Friday, I had an opportunity to check out the opening reception of Haze’s gallery done in collaboration with Stussy, curated by Known Gallery. For those in the know, Haze really needs no introduction for his graff work in the streets of Manhattan’s West Side during the 70’s.

As an artist, it was no mystery what he wanted to set out to accomplish early on as a designer who roots were set in the Graff. From the streets of NY to artwork for the Beastie boys & EPMD, Haze’s handiwork can be seen and felt from many facets of differing cultures. His signaure handstyle and use of black and white, is instantly recognizable.

Going into the reception,the curation, exhibit and response were immense as well as refined. A lot of Ogs were in the building including: Revok, Mear, Abel, Risk. It was definitely nice to see the community gather together for such a fresh exhibit. The Stussy Haze collaboration project is an interesting one because it represents the union of two forces that have paid their dues in the grimey streets but continue to perpetuate to influence modern street culture and art, while having their roots etched very deep. Personally, I enjoy seeing Haze’s work on the street or a wall, where the subtle details of his work play on the context of its environment.

Cut Chemist was spinning some delicious Latin vinyl which set the mood.

One of the favorite pieces of the night…

Haze recap’s from Tokyo…

With summer around the corner…I took a few early shots of what is in store this season! Don’t you hate it when it’s boiling hot out side and you dont have any summer attire?!!… Well, our summer line will include some summer driven colors and styles that will be perfect for hot days and warm nights…especially our tank tops! ’Power to the People’ is the shirt shown in the pictures.Written on the shirt reads ”Noi Le Persone”.  Translated from Italian to English means “We the people”… These picture’s are just showing that the darkest hour is just before dawn…and when the sun hits…so does our summer line.

Dilla x Stussy x Stones Throw Limited Edition Tee Shirt Release (Shammy Dee recap) from Shammy Dee on Vimeo.

This Saturday, I had a chance to check out Dilla day with my boy Arash, Shammy Dee, a talented artist in his own right. Stonesthrow was playing with Beat Junkies as Rhettmatic, Jrocc, and Peanut Butter Wolf all had respective sets paying tribute to the man, J Dilla.

The event itself was a success, with good, postive vibes as well as refreshments and tacos courtesy of Undftd, and the Kalbi taco truck. The Dilla shirt sold out within the first couple hours, if I had one in my size, i definitely would have copped one. Crowd control. Jrocc tearing it up as always.. “Show off” as Rhett puts it.