Wild… right? It’s interesting how you come across things, as we’ve never been huge fans of Jean Giraud’s comic books, and for which he’s so revered. This is not to say they’re not awesome, we just didn’t get in on the ground level. He passed away in March of this year, and it would be hard to argue that he hasn’t influenced those whose pens aren’t satisfied until a new world has been concocted. Giraud, also known as Moebius, was able to transfer the viewer to the fantasy of his making; all of which feels a lot like Total Recall. Steampunked technology and of course, 3 breasts. That being said, his gift continues to give, and that makes us happy.

The intricacy involved in fleshing out these admirable new quasi-humans is astounding. Moebius’ creations are erotic and round, and make you feel like a kid again, somehow reigniting that part of your mind that hasn’t become jaded. His recent passing felt like more than a reason to share his work, if only because people who let their minds run this wild help inspire the rest of us to keep on thinking between the lines… and outside them.

Wikipedia says… 

Lazer Sword is Antaeus Roy (a.k.a Lando Kal) and Bryant Rutledge (a.k.a. Low Limit), and to say they’ve succeeded with their 2nd LP would be an understatement. Residing on Monkeytown Records (Modeselektor‘s imprint), this truly signals as a step forward for  electronic music. The recording bubbles up, and the word  ’lazer’ couldn’t be more apropos. You’re welcomed by electronic chains blowing in the wind, clattering against an atmosphere of fuzzy synths.  As you’re lead inward, bass and breaks open – and it’s everything we love. “Toldyall” leads you to the single, “Missed A Spot,” a progression that’s sure to catalyze even the most immobile of asses, and which capitalizes on a trend towards bass but still sounding much less dated, probably because the duo is able to incorporate musings from various decades.

Harnessing Kraftwerk, The PRODIGY, and 2013 in a single audio snippet. “Point of Return” ominously funky, pulsating energy proves that this hue of darker, bass-driven music feels a lot more important than the melodic side of modern electronica. If “Let’s Work” featuring Jimmy Edgar doesn’t make you productive, we’re not sure anything will; as vocals run through machines adopt a heartbeat. The soul in this machination is evident on “Better From You” and the glory of it all hits home with “Sounds Sane,” but this records’ value is in its entirety. We love witnessing evolution with our ears.

Lazer Sword “Memory” is worth your dollars and cents. Find it – HERE.

The first thing one notices in perusing Alexey Kurbatov’s portfolio are the portraits – bold and impressionistic, with thick, dark angles that flirt with cubism, reducing the subjects to their elemental planes. Kurbatov, an illustrator and graphic designer based in Moscow, chooses subjects with a historical and political weight to fit the style. Trotsky hunched over his revolutionary scribbling, French general and president De Gaulle superimposed over Paris’ Arc de Triomphe, and a quietly powerful Frida Kahlo are all amongst his musings.

If Kurbatov’s great skill is to make depictions of powerful historical figures come across as intensely personal, he also infuses his landscapes and scenes of  unnerving political tension. Children wander deserted, almost post-apocalyptic city scapes. Men in three piece suits stare, brooding out of apartment windows as bombers fly overhead.  A couple with their backs to each to other as if in the aftermath of a terrible argument all raise more questions than answers. We’re always dropped in the middle of the story, at the edge of revelation. The visual style combines blotted, dripping clouds of color with detailed line work that evokes the confused but precise nature of a manic dream – a style that, when combined with historical themes, creates vaguely menacing atmospheres that are both unsettling and nostalgic. And the repetition of symbolic images – birds, typewriters, swirling mandalas – creates a binding string between the dissimilar scenes, hinting at a coherent universe of meaning just beyond our understanding.

Kurbatov.net for those who haven’t had nearly enough.

Buy a print, you wont regret it!

You may have already seen a couple of these mesmerizing photographs floating around the internet recently. You’ve probably thought to yourself, “Lovely Photoshop work.” Well, prepare to eat those words. Not only are these laboring insects real, they are very much alive. Russian photographer Andrey Pavlov took to studying an ant colony to learn they work in very specific patterns. Understanding the way the move and how they interact with their environment, he places props in their path to capture these awe inspiring images. With a background in theater, making these tiny props came as second nature to the inquisitive photographer.

Enjoy a selection of Pavlov’s personal fairytale come to life; with the knowledge that no ants were harmed in the making of these photos.

A few others have enjoyed his work as well… but we can’t find his personal site for the life of us… DIG IN.

When we first heard Gregory Porter’s debilitatingly beautiful voice, we could swear that what we were hearing wasn’t that of a modern musician.  It had too much soul to exist right now. His singing voice sounds to have acquired a hue that only decades lived could impart. “Painted Canvas” kicks the record off and provides the sonic interpretation of the cover. The title track “Be Good” feels like Sonny Rollins performing in 2014, while the albums trajectory hits on both jazz compositions and soulful, blues inspired candor. This record is truly memorable from front to back. It soothes and relaxes, and feels to us like Sunday music.

“On My Way To Harlem” puts you directly in the time and place, while “Real Good Hands” is secure in its place as a favorite track… Gregory, or otherwise. Other notable tracks are “Mother’s Song” and “Bling Bling,” but don’t get itchy. Each track textured yet simple, and disarming in its sincerity and form.

GET THE DOWNLOAD  - HERE

Contrast is what makes these photos so incredible.  The shades of darkness that differentiate between levels of being contain so much more than the average image.  Andre Cypriano is Brazilian-born, but has shown his work worldwide after studying in San Francisco.  His photographs are inherently cultural, as his travels have taken him to disparate latitudes and longitudes, and capturing images that communicate the universality of the human experience.  That which binds us is evident in these images, and the sensitivity you feel has nothing to do with his equipment.  Whether the larger context or the stare of an intense eye, Cypriano’s work moves us.

Explore the rest of Andre Cypriano’s work – HERE

Cedric’s work is awesomely grotesque. This Belgian illustrator reflects an opaque palette that acknowledges the morbidity inherent in the human experience, while still employing enough colors to keep you happy. He seems to have given shape to emotion or pain, as misshapen triangles exude and descend. His website is a mix of illustrations, poetry, and remixed electronic tracks, which feed into one another and create this multilingual communication stream.  He appears to be entirely lost in his creative thoughts, and well, we applaud the shit out of that.  Too often is cretivity buffered by cumbersome things like logic and time, pfff!  Cedric will surely be someone we stay tuned in to, as he shows no signs of subsiding; while sight, rhythms, and sound are at once his expression, and our means of understanding him.

His Flickr page catalogues his illustrations – HERE.

Check out Cedric’s entire portfolio right HERE.

To be plain, this is what you’ve always wanted from Clever One.  As an IPMM Artist Liaison, C to the O has rocked shows, and put out EP’s with Noble Savage, but “Life’s A Blur” would have to be viewed as his seminole work thus far.  Emerging from a tumultuous era which saw a dear friend pass in late 2011 (RIP Wild Seed), Clever One has been locked in on producing these recordings, which beats front to back. The mixtape format is where it’s at, with beats from all over the map being infected by Clever One’s most incisive lyrics yet.

“Destined” sets it off, “Art and creativity, tryin’ to make the most outta what God is giving me,” and goes way beyond what any intro tends to be.  And after hearing his verses, it’d be hard to argue that this isn’t his destiny. “Get Busy” reminds you Hip Hop isn’t just about blasting the next man, but about having fun, “lose control, but don’t lose all your dough, all booze and dro.” Track after track is inseminated with flow and cadence that both fills pockets and creates them. It would be hard to rate “Retreat” anything other than 5 stars on Itunes, if only because Clever One so aptly rhymes about life, not fables.

Concisely, it’s all about head-noddin’ and poetry. You’ll recognize the beats on Life’s A Blur, as they resemble Clever One’s inspiration, going back and forth from classics, to beats crafted by Russian genius’ (Malefique, we’re looking at you,) and more.

Tracks you’d bump way too loud in your car: Destined, Everywhere You Look, Watch Ya Step, It’s Goin Down, What Is This.

Cover Photo by Greg Kohlhagen.

Download it for FREE, HERE. 

Like Clever One on Facebook.

Clever One gives you his music via BANDCAMP – HERE

John Forte and Friends @ NYC’s Bowery Ballroom

Hot on the heels of the SOLD OUT screenings of The Russian Winter (the film that follows John Forte through a 9 week tour of Russia) at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, John brought his band to The Bowery Ballroom to play a special show for a packed house of friends, family and fans. Bringing along some very special guests for the ride, John Forte and Friends brought the house down in a flurry of rhythmic grooves that shot through to the audience’s hearts. Among the performers to join John that night were two of the prominent Russian musicians from  the film, Alina Orlova and Sunsay. It was announced that night that Sunsay became the first new artist to sign to John’s recently formed production company, Le Castle. His upcoming recording will be his first all-English album release.

Enjoy the pictures we were able to capture for you from that night. And don’t forget, there are always more pictures from the concert on the IPaintMyMind Photo Page!

Biosphere – N-Plants

Reeds in the grass, hisses, bumps, blips, and what we lovingly refer to as “grey noise.”  The melodies are soft and tactile, but the record feels spaced-out, and would surely grip you late-night at a festival.  It would suit the opening credits of a really bizarre film or perhaps an extraterrestrial earth landing viewed from space.  (Those of you who have enjoyed Google Maps on the New Ipad will know exactly what were talking about).

It’s Biosphere‘s latest record and was released in 2011, causing us to work backwards through his catalogue. This album isn’t full of exploration, but it drives and hypnotizes, in a clinical yet psychedelic way. As track after track shares the name of various Japanese nuclear reactors, the attentive listener’s mind is implanted with some seriously dubious context. That being said, what looms between the beats on this record is more than worth your time.

Get your Biosphere fix – HERE.