Street Samurai

Nerve-tapping

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 12:03:00 +0000

A neckband that translates thought into speech by picking up nerve signals has been used to demonstrate a "voiceless" phone call for the first time.

With careful training a person can send nerve signals to their vocal cords without making a sound. These signals are picked up by the neckband and relayed wirelessly to a computer that converts them into words spoken by a computerised voice.

The part that starts at 2:24 is especially interesting. Remote intelligence is coming our way.

Via NewScientistTech

Doomsday

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:51:00 +0000

Doomsday
Great Britain, 2007. A deadly plague, known as the "Reaper Virus," has broken out, killing hundreds of thousands in its wake. In desperation, the British Government evacuates as many survivors as it can out of the infected area, and then builds a wall, preventing the remainder from escaping. Thirty years later, with the wall still up and the victims all but forgotten, the virus breaks out again. The Government decides to send a crack team of operatives, led by Major Eden Sinclair, into the hot zone to investigate the possibility of a cure.

Earthrise

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:14:00 +0000

Earthrise is a post apocalyptic science fiction MMORPG set in the distant future.
In the aftermath of the Third World War, mankind has managed to survive and build a new society: the prosperous city of Sal Vitas. Cloning, nanotechnology and quantum engineering are part of a new reality. Thanks to these technological advances, the human species has become immortal; each individual’s consciousness is stored in a data vault, ready to be uploaded into a cloned body as necessary. New energy sources have been discovered. There is a unified government that takes good care of those citizens who abide by its strict laws. Paradise, it appears, might really have come to Earth, and the people have embraced it.
But not everything is as perfect as it appears. By exercising full control over the cloning process, Sal Vitas' government decides who will live and who will not, playing the role of God on Earth. Insurgent forces have accused the city's rulers of crimes against humanity. Armed factions fight for resources and power within the new system. And from the waves of discontent, a rebellion has fomented and formed a shadow government: Noir.
Featuring a unique skill-based advancement system and player-driven economy, as well as extensive, meaningful player-vs.-player combat, Earthrise gives you innumerable choices to forge your destiny. Whether you're a noble soldier in the raging conflict between the Utopia and the rebellion, a criminal hiding from the law or a world-renowned engineer whose power extends into intricate trade and politics, your actions will echo throughout the game world.
Key Features:
- A unique post-apocalyptic setting where the cloned remnants of mankind battle to survive and rebuild. Yet while humanity may have evolved, human nature remains as treacherous as ever…
- Highly customizable characters with over 100 different skills, abilities, and tactics. No artificial "class" restrictions get in the way of making the character you want.
- Fast-paced action combat featuring dynamic targeting, customizable power armor, huge mechanized exoskeletons, and hundreds of high-tech weapons.
- Sophisticated Player versus Player (PvP) mechanics that let you fight for the established order, join the revolutionary underground, or carve your own bloody path as an independent criminal.
- Territorial conquest and defense that matters. In your domain, you create your own rules – or let anarchy reign.
- Character progression that keeps you advancing in your career even when you’re not logged in.
- An advanced market-based economy with in-game supply and demand based on player activities.
- Deep crafting mechanics that let you design and manufacture unique items from customizable blueprints and raw resources.

Jasper Morello

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:01:00 +0000

Jasper Morello
Navigator, 3rd Royal Cartographers, Difference Engine Operator 2nd Class.
Morello’s career was in some doubt after the collision at Weather Station 2C41 in the Lawrencian quarter, and the subsequent loss of a crew member.
Re-instated to the Resolution, after pressure was applied by his wife, Mrs Amelia Morello [surviving daughter of Rear Admiral Balthazar Fortinbras of the Royal Navy] and her society connections. Protest by Captain Griswald has been duly noted.

The short films are set in a world styled after Victorian England with iron dirigibles and steam powered computers, where giant mechanical airships are the main mode of transport. The characters are animated in the style of Wayang (Indonesian shadow puppets) best described as silhouettes. The style is similar to that used by the 1926 film The Adventures of Prince Achmed (one of the oldest-surviving animated feature film).

The scenes featuring characters were composed out of a variety of materials, including various found objects. The backgrounds often have added textures and colours rendered using CGI, while certain sequences (notably those featuring airships) are entirely computer-rendered 3-dimensional scenes. The final product consists of all of these elements brought together using a compositing program.
Via ESPVisuals

Ben Mauro

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 07:46:00 +0000

Ben Mauro
definitely stirred up some internet buzz with his Bioshock 2 concept art which was actually part of his architecture 2 project. "It was for a class at Art Center, the assignment was to design a sequel for a videogame or film. So I picked one of my favorite games from last year." 2K Games community manager even tried to contact Ben Mauro to thank him. Hopefully he'll get a job offer out of it. ;)

Via Xbox360 Fanboy

Two Disc Skyscrapers for Baku

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:58:00 +0000

South Korean Heerim Architects firm has proposed two towers for Baku, capital of Azerbaijan and the largest port on the Caspian Sea. "Full Moon Hotel" will symbolize the full moon of its name, and will be located across the bay from "The Crescent Hotel" (height: 158m, 32 floors)
This first image might make you believe they have started construction on the Death Star:

Luckily enough it's not the end of the world yet since other images show that it's quite thin:

I like the combination between the Full Moon and Crescent hotels:

Boom Boom Satellites

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:39:00 +0000

Boom Boom Satellites (ブンブンサテライツ, Bun Bun Sateraitsu?) are a Japanese electronic music duo consisting of Michiyuki Kawashima and Masayuki Nakano. While their music can be mostly coined as big beat or nu skool breaks, and they are heavily influenced by jazz, they are famous for using a lot of electric guitars and the final product often has a strong rock or punk flavor. In 2004, they contributed numerous songs to the soundtrack of the anime film Appleseed, and also the 2007 anime film Vexille.

Boom Boom Satellites sixth full length studio album, 'Exposed' was released on 21 November 2007. "What Goes Around Comes Around" (which has been featured in a commercial for Dodge) and "Easy Action" (which is featured in the film Vexille) are two of the songs featured on this album.

Discography:
* 1997 - Joyride - Belgium (R & S Records)
* 1998 - 7 Ignitions - Belgium (R & S Records)
* 1998 - Out Loud - Japan (Sony)
* 1999 - Out Loud - Europe (Epic)
* 2001 - Umbra - Japan (Sony)
* 2002 - Photon - Japan (Sony)
* 2003 - Photon -commin' 2 a phase-
* 2005 - Full of Elevating Pleasures - Japan (Sony)
* 2006 - On - Japan (Sony)
* 2007 - Exposed - Japan (Sony)

Boom Boom Satellites - Dive For You

Boom Boom Satellites - Pill

Boom Boom Satellites - Push Eject

Boom Boom Satellites - Moment I Count

Boom Boom Satellites - Easy Action

via Pinktsunamii

Brave New World

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 14:31:00 +0000

Brave New World is a 1932 novel by Aldous Huxley. Set in London in 2540 AD, the novel anticipates developments in reproductive technology, biological engineering, and sleep-learning that combine to change society. Huxley answers this book with a reassessment in an essay, Brave New World Revisited (1958), and with his final work, a novel titled Island (1962), both summarized below.

The world the novel describes is a utopia, albeit an ironic one: humanity is carefree, healthy and technologically advanced. Warfare and poverty have been eliminated and everyone is permanently happy due to government-provided stimulation. The irony is that all of these things have been achieved by eliminating many things that humans consider to be central to their identity — family, culture, art, literature, science, religion (other than idolization of "our Ford", Henry Ford, who is seen as the father of their society), and philosophy. It is also a hedonistic society, deriving pleasure from promiscuous sex and drug use, especially soma, a powerful psychotropic taken to escape pain and bad memories through hallucinatory fantasies. Additionally, stability has been achieved and is maintained via deliberately engineered and rigidly enforced social stratification.

Brave New World is Huxley's most famous novel. The ironic title comes from Miranda's speech in Shakespeare's The Tempest, Act V, Scene I:

"O wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is!
O brave new world
That hath such people in't!"

Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World in 1932 while he was living in France and England (a British writer, he moved to California in 1937). By this time, Huxley had already established himself as a writer and social satirist. He was a contributor to Vanity Fair and Vogue magazines, had published a collection of his poetry (The Burning Wheel, 1916) and four successful satirical novels: Crome Yellow in 1921, Antic Hay in 1923, Those Barren Leaves in 1925 and Point Counter Point in 1928. Brave New World was Huxley's fifth novel and first attempt at a utopian work.

Brave New World was inspired by the H.G. Wells utopian novel Men Like Gods. Wells's optimistic vision of the future gave Huxley the idea to begin writing a parody of the novel, which became Brave New World. Contrary to the most popular optimist utopian novels of the time, Huxley sought to provide a frightening vision of the future. Huxley referred to Brave New World as a "negative utopia" (see dystopia), somewhat influenced by Wells's own The Sleeper Awakes and the works of D.H. Lawrence. Yevgeny Zamyatin's novel We, completed ten years before in 1921, has been suggested as an influence, but Huxley stated that he had not known of the book at the time.

Huxley visited the newly-opened and technologically-advanced Brunner and Mond plant, part of Imperial Chemical Industries, or ICI, Billingham and gives a fine and detailed account of the processes he saw. The introduction to the most recent print of Brave New World states that Huxley was inspired to write the classic novel by this Billingham visit.

Although the novel is set in the future, it contains contemporary issues of the early 20th century. The Industrial Revolution was bringing about massive changes to the world. Mass production had made cars, telephones and radios relatively cheap and widely available throughout the developed world. The Russian Revolution of 1917 and the first World War (1914–1918) were resonating throughout the world.

Huxley was able to use the setting and characters from his futuristic fantasy to express widely held opinions, particularly the fear of losing individual identity in the fast-paced world of the future. An early trip to the United States gave Brave New World much of its character. Not only was Huxley outraged by the culture of youth, commercial cheeriness and inward-looking nature of many Americans, he also found a book by Henry Ford on the boat to America. There was a fear of Americanisation in Europe, so to see America firsthand, as well as read the ideas and plans of one of its foremost citizens, spurred Huxley to write Brave New World with America in mind. The "feelies" are his response to the "talkie" motion pictures, and the sex-hormone chewing gum is parody of the ubiquitous chewing gum, which was something of a symbol of America at that time. In an article in the May 4, 1935 issue of Illustrated London News, G. K. Chesterton explained that Huxley was revolting against the "Age of Utopias" - a time, mostly before World War I, inspired by what H. G. Wells and George Bernard Shaw were writing about socialism and a World State.
“ After the Age of Utopias came what we may call the American Age, lasting as long as the Boom. Men like Ford or Mond seemed to many to have solved the social riddle and made capitalism the common good. But it was not native to us; it went with a buoyant, not to say blatant optimism, which is not our negligent or negative optimism. Much more than Victorian righteousness, or even Victorian self-righteousness, that optimism has driven people into pessimism. For the Slump brought even more disillusionment than the War. A new bitterness, and a new bewilderment, ran through all social life, and was reflected in all literature and art. It was contemptuous, not only of the old Capitalism, but of the old Socialism. Brave New World is more of a revolt against Utopia than against Victoria. ”

Brave New World received nearly universal criticism from contemporary critics, although his work was later embraced. Even the few sympathetics tended to temper their praises with disparaging remarks.

Some memorable quotes:

A gramme is better than a damn.
- A slogan encouraging people not to dwell on gloomy thoughts, but to obliterate them with drugs.

When the individual feels, the community reels
- A slogan discouraging individualism in favor of the community as a whole.

Every one belongs to every one else.
- A government slogan encouraging sociability and sexual promiscuity.

Ending is better than mending.
- A government slogan encouraging people to throw away old possessions and buy new ones, thus theoretically keeping the global economy strong.
Community, Identity, Stability.
- The motto of the World State.

No social stability without individual stability.
- Refers to mass use of soma to create "stable" citizens who conform to societal norms.

Christianity without tears — that's what soma is.
- Mustapha Mond's summarisation of the hypnotic, revered drug soma.

More @ Wikiquote

The Thought Criminals

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:04:00 +0000

The Thought Criminals are a 4 Piece from London. They are influenced by Gary Numan,Soft Cell, Nitzer Ebb, John Foxx, The Prodigy, Sex Pistols. They are the new face of London's Underground and have headlined venues such as The brixton mass, the camden underworld, goldsmiths college, 333 club, roehampton university, the hope and anchor, the dublin castle. The Band was signed in 2006 Summer and quickly dropped that label in September 2006. The band have become probably one of London's biggest underground acts and have been growing strength to strength.
The Thought Criminals - Suicide Bomber

The Band signed in 2007 the swedish label Electric Fantastic Sound to release several Singles.

The Thought Criminals started as a supercharged synaptic in the in the mind of a splodge reclining on a floor of a South London college sometime in 2004. The splodge set about to create something that could comfortably lounge in the seedy underbelly of London until ready to sell out to the highest bidder. Whilst the foundations of the sound, including the tongue in cheek lyrics and infectious hooks were tweaked, stretched and pounded, the splodge set out on a mission of mismatch to recruit its notorious members to give a face to this new horror.

rocky, a wrestling stripper, was headhunted from London's underground fetish scene with the promise of as many different species as he could handle in one night as long as he could keep his mouth open for up to 45 minutes on stage. Rocky provides a hard body that the rest of the band can always stand behind.

kirlian blue, a concept hacker, was caught by dipping our phishing net in cyberspace. He was easily persuaded that real viruses were much more fun to catch and that talking to girls would not hurt his fingers as much. Kirlian provides an infectious melody whilst playing any instrument with all eight fingers.

lee v2, a religious chemist, was found in the rehabilitation toilets of slimelight at 6am, praying for inspiration. With an exceptional imagination coupled with absolutely no musical talent, no promises were ever made to him and he still feels blessed to this day. Lee V2 provides a rhythm that the others can pound along to.

vortex, a bookstore prophet, was hiding behind a cash register clutching the last book with pictures and holding a gun. He was kidnapped in broad daylight with an agreement that he can only have his glasses back when we are famous. Vortex has so much talent that we all choke when we suck it out of him.

The Thought Criminals – cyberslut
The Thought Criminals – Pappas Got A Brand New Gun
The Thought Criminals – electricity
The Thought Criminals – Brixton Breifase - Club Version

Lisa Black

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:05:00 +0000

Lisa Black
The following pieces are made by taxidermist/sculptor Lisa Black:

The wind-up baby crocodile has actual working gears.
The Bambi is the kind of pet I would like to have.

Via Coilhouse

Motorized Madness

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:09:00 +0000

Motorized Madness
A PC mod by Rendermandan who clearly has too much time on his hands but knows how to make true steampunk geek bliss. This creation is probably how a Analytical Engine should have looked like, replete with the usual complement of colored lamps and fans, as well as a full outfit of unnecessary rotating, extending, and moving external displays, switches, gears, and toggles with a turbine water cooler on top.

Syndicate Wars

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:09:00 +0000

Syndicate Wars is the third video game title in the Syndicate Series created by Bullfrog Productions in 1996. It was released for PC and PlayStation, with a Sega Saturn version also planned, but eventually cancelled. This was the final game in the series and the one that marked the transition to three dimensional landscape.
Syndicate Wars presents a rough sequel to the events in Syndicate. At the game's opening, the player-controlled syndicate (called the Eurocorp Syndicate) is at the peak of its power (achieved in the previous game), an alliance of corporations controlling the world through a combination of military and economic power, and technological mind control. Corporate decisions are facilitated through a number of AI entities connected through a global communications network.
As the game opens, this totalitarian status quo is threatened by the emergence of a virus named "Harbinger" in the global communications system, damaging mind-control implants and leaving citizens vulnerable to co-option. Some of the newly liberated persons, dubbed "unguided citizens," choose to engage in an armed insurrection. The Unguided appear in early missions as random antagonistic elements, but over time form a well-organized militia. Viral damage to the global network causes disruption to Syndicate coordinations, with individual stations isolating themselves to avoid receiving rogue communication. The London station, as the headquarters of the Eurocorp Syndicate, attempts to regain authority via direct intervention by the game's signature quartets of heavily armed agents.
The bulk of the game concerns the development of armed conflict between Eurocorp and the Church of the New Epoch, a church (led by a group called "The Nine") seeking to undermine the world rule by corporations in favor of subjecting its paritioners to its own variety of mind control. "Harbinger" was their first step in demolishing the existing world order. As insurrections take hold, the player is also obliged to conduct missions to control rogue elements within the syndicate itself, as various sub-corporations change allegiances or make bids for independence.
The ironic parallels between the objectives of Church of the New Epoch and the original Eurocorp syndicate itself are abundantly clear throughout the game, and indeed the game can be played from the point of view of the Church itself to similar ends (indeed, it is revealed very early in the game, when played on the Church's side, that the "disciple" in control of Church agents is a former Eurocorp agent who has been converted).

The campaign for the Unguided rebels was unfinished, but the levels are still accessible.

Bioshock

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:57:00 +0000

Bioshock Trailer

BioShock is a first-person shooter video game by 2K Boston/2K Australia—previously known as Irrational Games—designed by Ken Levine. The game is available for the Windows operating system and the Xbox 360 video game console. It was released on August 21, 2007, in North America, and three days later in Europe and Australia.
The game received overwhelmingly positive reviews, and ranks as the thirteenth best video game on Game Rankings based on reviews from critics. It was particularly well-reviewed in the mainstream press where its "morality-based" storyline, immersive environment and Ayn Rand-inspired dystopian setting were all singled out for praise. BioShock has been praised for providing "an entirely new tool through which to explore philosophy, psychology, and morality."
A sequel, while not officially announced, is rumored, following high sales and positive reviews for BioShock.
Set in an alternative history 1960, the game places the player in the role of a plane crash survivor named Jack, who must explore the underwater Objectivist-dystopian city of Rapture, and survive attacks by the mutated beings and mechanical drones that populate it. The game incorporates elements found in role-playing and survival horror games, and is described by the developers and Levine as a "spiritual successor" to their previous titles in the System Shock series.

Setting
BioShock is set during 1960, in Rapture, a fictional underwater dystopian city. The history of Rapture is learned by the player through audio recordings as they explore the city. Secretly built in 1946 on the mid-Atlantic seabed, Rapture was entirely self-sufficient and powered by submarine volcanoes. Constructed by business magnate Andrew Ryan (voice by Armin Shimerman), Rapture was envisioned as the solution to what he saw as increasingly oppressive political and religious authority. The city was populated by those whom Ryan believed exemplified the best in humanity. It was revealed in an audio log that Ryan wanted Rapture to become an "Eden," a concept furthered by the resources ADAM and EVE, which are named after the biblical inhabitants of Eden. During the early 1950s, Rapture's population peaked at several thousand, though an elite emerged, discomforting many of the inhabitants.

The development of ADAM—stem cells created from a species of sea slug—by Dr. Bridgette Tennenbaum further upset the social balance. ADAM's prevalence greatly accelerated genetic engineering research, creating a plasmid industry that sold everything from a cure for male pattern baldness to skills like telekinesis, with non-passive types like the latter requiring a serum, EVE. In order to improve ADAM yields, Rapture scientists created the "Little Sisters," young girls, each with a slug embedded in their body. Although initially just ADAM "factories," during the war which later broke out, they were repurposed via mental conditioning to extract ADAM from the dead, and recycle it within themselves.[34] At the same time, the scientists created "Big Daddies," (voiced by Stephen Stanton) armed and highly enhanced humans in diving suits—to defend the Little Sisters as they worked.

For several years, Rapture was what Ryan originally intended it to be: a paradise of freedom and wealth. But ultimately, the very reason it was created—Ryan's hatred of authority—caused the city's downfall, and the ideals Ryan had envisaged to be corrupted and lost. To keep his utopia a secret, Ryan passed a single law: contact with the surface was prohibited. This turned out to be one too many. The edict made smuggling profitable, resulting in the formation of a small black market. This market came to be dominated by a man with just as much determination as Ryan: former mobster Frank Fontaine (voiced by Greg Baldwin). Unlike Ryan, however, Fontaine wanted control. His wealth, combined with his monopoly on Tennenbaum's research, soon gained Fontaine enough power and followers to challenge Ryan for control of the city.

In late 1958, Ryan lost patience with the conflict, and apparently had Fontaine killed—an action that proved useless, as another figure, Atlas, took Fontaine's place as the leader of the opposition. On New Year's Eve that year, Atlas and his ADAM-augmented followers fomented a riot involving the lower and upper classes. This sparked a civil war between Ryan and Atlas that eventually spread to all of Rapture, crippling the city. As the war progressed, Ryan began to betray his ideals. The former advocate of reason and self-determination began using torture and mind control in his battle with Atlas. Eventually, he became so unreasonable that a number of his supporters attempted to assassinate him. By the time the player enters Rapture, only the "Splicers"—citizens with severe mental and physical problems caused by excessive ADAM use—are left, scavenging throughout the city. The remaining non-mutated humans have managed to barricade themselves in the few remaining undamaged areas.

Objectivism in Bioshock.

Ayn Rand = Adrew Ryan?

Atlas -> Atlas Shrugged?

Wired Review

Andrew Ryan speaks out against altruism

Confrontation with Andrew Ryan (spoiler)

Download the Bioshock Art Book

Missing Pages (Amended Version)

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 12:47:00 +0000

Missing Pages
Those of you who follow the film festival scene might already be familiar with this excellent science fiction short film from Speaking Pictures. Filmmaker Jerome Oliver wrote and directed Missing Pages, the story of a professor who invents a time machine and touches off a war. The 24-minute "amended" version of Missing Pages is now available via Speaking Pictures or iTunes.
What makes this piece particularly unique and visually stunning is that the story is created entirely with 40,000 pictures from a digital camera. The still images were processed and animated using Adobe After Effects and Adobe Photoshop using a technique the director calls "fotomation". To get a glimpse of the creative process behind Missing Pages, check out Toolfarm's interview with Jerome Oliver last year.
Despite being based in still photography, Missing Pages makes you think about motion and dynamics and it raises questions about the classic persistence of motion film theory. It's definitely somewhere between photography, motion graphics, graphic novel, and filmmaking.
Funded by the J-Pop star Chage of Chage & Aska fame, this short is the result of 14 months of arduous work and experimentation.

Via PlanetDamage

Colder

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 17:28:00 +0000

Colder - Wrong Baby (live)

Colder is a French dance project.
The project is the work of Marc Nguyen Tan (1974), a graphic designer who also is a DJ and remixer who remains actively involved in dance music and other projects. Despite the fact that Colder is, for the most part, entirely electronic, it is notably recognized for its influence by and similarities to Joy Division. Many of the drum patterns, instruments, and styles of the songs can be directly linked to Joy Division tracks. The design work of the albums and singles also strike strong similarities to Joy Division album covers (particularly Closer, which even resembles the name Colder); revealing Marc Nguyen Tan was also inspired heavily by Peter Saville.
Colder - To The Music

Biography
After studying film at university, he started to work as junior art director in 1995 for Grolier Interactive, then became art director at the Shaman design studio. He worked as art director for TV on-air design, then directed as freelance promos and title sequences for Eurosport cable channel. Co-founded "le cabinet. paris." with Benoit Emery in May 2000.
Colder - Crazy Love

[edit] Remixes
Colder provided remixes for Depeche Mode's track "Clean" from the 2004 Remixes 81 - 04 album.
Colder – Losing Myself
Colder – Burnt Out
Colder – Fade Away
Colder – On My Mind
Discography
* 2003 Again
* 2005 Heat

Freak Angels

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:11:00 +0000

Freak Angels
"23 years ago, twelve strange children were born in England at exactly the same moment. 6 years ago the world ended. This is the story of what happened next."

Freak Angels is written by Warren Ellis and drawn by Paul Duffield, it is a free online comic book from Avatar Press and is set in a Steampunk universe of a Post Apocalyptic England.
The comic will be updated every friday with a new 5 page installment, always free, so you have no excuse to at least give it a look.

Happy Valentines Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:40:00 +0000

PORCELAIN and the tramps

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:14:00 +0000

Porcelain and the Tramps
Alaina Beaton is the lead vocalist for Porcelain and the Tramps. She was discovered in The W hotel in NYC by her manager Marvin Howel and then moved to Los Angeles, California a month later where she got signed to Virgin Records the day after she moved. She had been busy for the past year writing and recording in the studio with John 5 (former M. Manson guitar player and current guitar player for Rob Zombie), Bobby Huff, Tommy, Lester Mendez, Jimmy Harry, Billy Stienburg, Fernando and a few others.

Discography
The following songs have been on the band's social networking sites and are all due to appear on the future debut album:
1. King Of The World
2. My Leftovers
3. Fucks Like A Star
4. You Want
5. Sugarcube
6. The Preyingmantis
7. Transparent
8. I Feel Perfect
9. I'm Your Favorite Drug
10. Redlight District

The Retrosic

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:30:00 +0000

The Retrosic

When the history of THE RETROSIC starts in April 2001 with the release of PROPHECY, no one can foresee that the first album will already enjoy considerable resonance in the electro scene. For keeping full control over his music Cyrus founds his own label TRIBUNE RECORDS, which became RETROSIC’s very own platform from its beginning.

Followed by MESSA DA REQUIEM hardly a year later, the mini album hits the top of the European Alternative Charts. It is celebrating “Record of the Year” of the DUTCH ALTERNATIVE CHARTS (DUC) after three months’ constantly holding the top position. The song GROUND ZERO establishes itself as a club hit overnight skilfully linking hard electronics with an oriental theme. For the first time here, THE RETROSIC is enriched by the classical singing of soprano Zaide who gives the EP its name quoting passages from the requiem by Verdi under the same name.

2002 and the following year also sees the band challenging various remix works for Bruderschaft, Clan of Xymox and a collaboration with [:SITD:] feat. Cyrus on vocals for the comic-soundtrack ERYNIS with the song DECOY and on the RETROSIC-Remix for LAUGHING STOCK.

Almost two years after MESSA DA REQUIEM, THE RETROSIC's second full-time release is brought to daylight with GOD OF HELL. Harsh arrangements combined with biting vocals remain the immovable centre of THE RETROSIC, now expanding to a fully band line-up behind Cyrus.

Discography:
* Prophecy (2001)
* Messa da Requiem (2002)
* God of Hell (2004)
* Nightcrawler (2006)

The Retrosic - The Storm

The Retrosic - Desperate Youth

Stefan Morrell

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 20:40:00 +0000

Stefan Morrell
Urban Future
Futurescape
Cityscape
Sci-fi Sunrise
The Inevitable

Jacob Charles Dietz

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 16:17:00 +0000

Jacob Charles Dietz:

Jacob Charles Dietz is an internationally published artist and illustrator working in both traditional and digital mediums and usually both simultaneously. His work tends to center around technology, science fiction and that which just doesn’t exist, lending itself to a wide audience and extensive client base. His illustrations have appeared on various book covers, posters and products as well as in several magazines and newspapers worldwide. Bridging the gap between now and then, Jacob’s work is constructed with layers upon layers of detail and almost always includes elements of the 21st century in whatever future he is depicting, making the somewhat foreign somewhat familiar.

He attended the University of Washington before dropping out in favor of a small fine arts finishing school in an old hat factory in Seattle, Washington. The elevator was scary and the building was old and drafty, but the education was beyond compare and he learned to actually like cats. When not shooing cats away, he trained extensively in the art of traditional illustration and the fine arts as a whole, leading him to make a go at painting for a living. After several years and a solid gallery following, Jacob decided to ‘go commercial’ and began illustrating full time. His illustrations slowly became more graphic design than illustration and after a while, he was both designer and illustrator on many projects.

Born in Seattle, Washington, Jacob has traveled throughout the United States and now makes his home in the desert of Arizona. His work is most certainly influenced by his years growing up in the eclectic, international city of Seattle, both in style and content. He goes back as often as possible to replenish his minimal need for rain and to watch the slugs eat the flowers.

Jacob is married with two cats and has a ridiculous collection of Star Trek toys that he still manages to store at his parents house. Other random sources of inspiration include Richard Scarry, Dr. Suess, Mercer Mayer, Dave McKean, Tim Burton, Simon Larbalestier and vintage sci-fi of all forms and flavors.

The Courier
“With her best friend on point and her weapon of choice at the ready, the courier prepares to make her way down the narrow passage into the city.”

The Courier is a scene from some time in the not too distant future. The seas have risen, the levees have failed and dry land is nothing but a memory. As the water went higher, so too did the cities. Built on the decrepit backs of 20th century architecture, the new cities are a complex maze of water processing facilities, natural gas fired power plants and high-density domiciles. While a small segment of the population has taken to the skies in grav-drive vehicles and live in palatial condos in the clouds, the vast majority live at sea level where they are constantly reminded that everything runs down hill.

Traveling the heavily polluted waterways from city to city, couriers make deliveries in some of the most dangerous of zones imaginable. They don’t care what the cargo is, who wants it delivered or who it gets delivered to. They get their fees paid up front and since they guarantee delivery at any cost, they are paid handsomely for their services.

Return to New SeattleAs the Earth grows increasingly less inhabitable, major cities are transplanted to new, more inhabitable planets and rebuilt to maintain much of the original’s charm. This glimpse at Seattle in the distant future is several hundred light years from it’s Earth origins, but even in it’s infancy, it already feels like home.

Monday Morning
Far from her spacious apartment on the edge of uptown, the assassin waits on a ledge of a building high above the warehouse district. She waits for her prey. A powerful man with a very high price on his head. Takeshi Kitano - president and CEO of Kaimei Weapon Systems, Ltd.

Hidden behind a thin veil of steam and the morning traffic along the Coal Creek Skyway, she’s been eying the private landing pad on the west side of Kaimei Tower awaiting Mr. Kitano’s incoming shuttle for two hours now. He typically arrives between 8:30 and 9:45 each morning, exits the shuttle with his security detail and makes the 1.5 meter walk between the shuttle door and the entrance to the executive offices.

With such a small window, 750 meters and numerous variables between her position and the target, many assassins would call this kill impossible at best. This professional however has no worries and has guaranteed her client that Mr. Kitano won’t complete his short walk this morning.

Dystopian Afternoon
Looking down from atop the massive, high-density complexes that scrape the skyline of this modern world, the city is alive with activity and resembles a mechanized beehive as people come and go from point to point on a round-the-clock schedule. With six lanes and twenty-two levels, the urban skyways move literally countless people, goods and materials in, out and around the concrete and steel monoliths that make up the urban landscape of a city that never sleeps.

Caliber CityAfter California fell into the ocean, the displaced masses that escaped found themselves along the new pacific coastline in a formerly desolate stretch of the Nevada desert. Within months public and private funds flooded the area and just as quickly the concrete and steel reached for the sky. Caliber City was born.

Not three years later, the little city that could had grown to epic proportions and was rumored to be the largest city on the face of the planet. With a core constructed of massive, high-density structures and one of the most complex multi-level traffic systems ever built, Caliber City was now home to an estimated 19,073,926 people. And it was still growing.

While much of the city below level 275 exists in permanent darkness, shadowed by the massive clusters of buildings, the topmost levels get glimpses of smog filtered sunlight and occasionally a view of the Pacific Ocean. On the coast desalinization plants run 24/7 pumping and processing water to supply the ever growing city, while 36 subterranean, nuclear power plants beneath the city center produce enough power to meet the ever increasing demand, all the while the steam from these activities work to create a humid micro-climate around the city, trapping pollutants and forming acid rain clouds. Traffic may be a bitch and the weather really couldn’t be worse, but to those that make Caliber City home, it’s heaven on earth.

A Quiet Night at HomeWhile there are lots of future cityscapes out there, I hadn’t seen many of them done from an interior perspective. With A Quiet Night at Home, I was hoping to accomplish this with a little contrast by placing a bustling, Dystopian city just outside the window of a modern, high-rise penthouse. With the light from the strip, the neon signs and the building-wide advertising displays beneath multiple lanes of sky traffic, one would find it hard to find any sort of solitude, but for the subject of this piece, she seems to be able to block it all out just fine.

Angel
Like an angel from heaven, this femme fatale watches over the good people of Dystopia, swooping down at the first sign of trouble. Modern day superhero? Who knows, but to the denizens of the city she is both guardian angel and savior.

2019 Post Alley

No real story here, just a little homage to the dark, wet, future noir world of Blade Runner and wonderful visionaries Ridley Scott, Philip K. Dick and Syd Mead. The film took place in the perpetually raining, crowded, polluted City of Los Angeles and 2019 Post Alley uses the year the story took place as the address number along with the famed Seattle alleyway, Post Alley, as the street name.

I’m often surprised by how many people have never experienced Blade Runner (1982), especially since it’s been released once already, Director’s Cut (1992), and soon to be released again The Final Cut (2007). Of those that have seen this epic feature, they are just as polarized in their opinions as the critics were upon it’s release with people either thinking it was one of the most amazing pieces of work they’ve ever seen or just walking away with a ‘WTF was that?’ look on their faces. Regardless of which group you think you might fall into, it’s work taking a look.

Massive Black

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 22:30:00 +0000

Massive Black is based in the South of Market area of San Francisco where the team has learned to laugh, play, love and live together. With our satellite studios in Shanghai and Bangkok, Massive Black is ideally located in locations known for art and culture. Our team has come together, through natural discourse and shared interest, to form one of the most successful outsourcing studios in the industry. This unique collection of talent and ability, has culminated in a fine-tuned group of professionals able to aid and enhance any project in the industry today.
Massive Black is a full production artwork and asset outsourcing studio that has contributed to over 85 projects for multiple video game platforms, film, print, toys, comics and more. Our team strives for excellence in all areas of production and prides itself in the creation of unique and compelling designs over a wide variety of genre. As one of the first studios to offer next-gen 3D outsourcing, Massive Black's dedication to quick turnaround, robust client support, strict quality control, and competitive pricing, ensures we deliver the highest quality product on schedule and to your satisfaction.

Angelspit

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 21:41:00 +0000

Angelspit:
Krankhaus Photoshoot, by Helen White

A riot grrl with a vocoder and a cyberpunk with a distortion pedal. Thick and rich with burning analogue synths and contempt, driven by beats like shards of metal and glossy with pvc and sweat, Angelspit is a Sydney industrial/electro duo to watch out for.

Since forming in 2004, Angelspit have taken their energetic live show throughout Australia, New Zealand, USA and Europe supporting bands such as KMFDM, Frontline Assembly, Front 242, Crüxshadows, Ayria, Tankt and IKON.

With their unique blend of industrial, rock, noise, metal and a touch of pop, Angelspit are forging a new style in cyber punk locally and internationally. Now with the release of their debut album Krankhaus, their sights are set on annihilating audiences and putting the aggression back into industrial music. Krankhaus features 14 tracks of blisteringly fat synths, with angry distorted beats and scathing vocals, evoking themes of horror, medical experimentation and the beautifully grotesque.

Angelspit's complex, rich and disturbing imagery enhances the sinister overtones in their music. This nightmarish aesthetic is the core that drives Angelspit's imagery, music and live show.

US record label Dancing Ferret Discs signed Angelspit for USA and European ROCKness.

After touring East Coast of the USA in Feb/March 07 supporting the Crüxshadows and Ayria, Angelspit are now based in Berlin Germany. They have played at festivals such as Wave Gotik Treffen (Germany), Castle Party (Poland) and Summer Darkness (Netherlands). Angelspit is currently gigging thoughout Europe.

Angelspit – Wreak Havoc
Download more MP3's:
Angelspit - Vena Cava

Angelspit - Maggot

Cypher

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 11:35:00 +0000

Cypher is a Canadian sci-fi thriller released in 2002, directed by Vincenzo Natali and written by Brian King. It stars Jeremy Northam and Lucy Liu.

Vincenzo Natali follows up his stunning debut Cube with this impressive cyber-thriller about corporate espionage and identity crisis. Jeremy Northam and Lucy Liu star

Five years on from his cult Canadian sci-fi film debut Cube, director Vincenzo Natali returns with this more pedestrian, but no less enjoyable, identity thriller set in a near-future world of corporate intrigue and espionage.

Plot (SPOILER@Wikipedia / IMDB)
Jeremy Northam stars as Morgan Sullivan, a suburban accountant so fed up with his life of grey flannel suits and spreadsheets that he jumps at the chance to become a corporate spy. Despite being sent off to attend some of the most boring conferences in the universe, Morgan revels in his double life until he meets Rita (Liu), a glamorous conference guest who claims that things are more complicated than they seem. Drawn into a web of deception and paranoia, Morgan has to question his very identity in order to survive.

Beautifully shot by cinematographer Derek Rogers in desaturated grey-metallic colours that recall Andrew Niccol's Gattaca, this disorientating film makes no apologies for its hardcore sci-fi approach, explicitly cribbing from authors like Philip K Dick and William Gibson and films like The Truman Show and The Matrix. While the script ties itself in knots in the third act, taking us so far through the looking glass that we end up in the narrative equivalent of a hall of mirrors, Natali's direction is first-class.

Natali creates a believable future world without recourse to expensive special effects, while coaxing excellent performances from Northam as the worm who turns and Liu (a revelation) as his femme-fatale saviour.

It may not have the originality, or startling bleakness, that characterized Cube, but until Natali gets around to making the sci-fi masterpiece his fans believe he is capable of, this is good enough to be going on with.

Personal Note:
This DTV movie at a mere $7 million still manages to get into my favorite movies list. Natali has made a highly stylized (Gattaca like) corporate espionage movie with mindfucks and twists and turns not unlike a Philip K. Dick novel. Northam & Liu both deliver their A game, together with King's writing this made a compelling movie for me to watch from beginning to end. Most memorable scenes will have to be the brainwashing during the lectures. If you have a vested interest in interrior decorating or design the competing corporations make for a nice stylized adversary. Definitely worth a rental but I would suggest to buy the DVD if you can.
Reviews:
"Combines industrial espionage with alternative reality in a satisfyingly mind-bending plot reminiscent of Philip K. Dick at his best. / Natali has crafted a clever, futuristic mind-bender that's both beautiful to look at...and cerebrally challenging with its questions about reality and identity. Not bad for a film made for the cost of The Matrix's opening credits." Via Rottentomatoes.

"In many ways, Cypher comes across as a cyberpunk version of Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. The pacing and feel of Cypher is very similar, and in both movies, you really never know what’s coming around the next corner, but most assuredly it will involve more layers of out-of-control untruths. With all the goodness that Cypher gives us, you’d almost expect the final score to be a 9 or 10. But unfortunately, Cypher’s story falls apart at the end. The technical believability, which is decently high throughout the film, flat-out does a belly flop at the end, and expects us to buy something that anyone who knows a whit about data security, just can’t stomach (I can add a spoiler page on this if anyone is interested). However, this sore point is not enough to sap enjoyment out of an otherwise wonderfully made film. You may not have heard of Cypher, but this is not an indication of its quality. Give it a go – chances are you’ll love it!" via Cyberpunkreview.

"Proof that Natali is a sci-fi filmmaker of considerable talent, Cypher may not have the startling originality of Cube, but it's an enjoyable example of paranoid cyberpunk with first-class performances from Northam and Liu." via Channel 4.

Plaseebo Custom

noreply@blogger.com (Terra Glitch) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:06:00 +0000

PLASEEBO CUSTOM is a shop dedicated to creating unique one of a kind collectable figures and designing original figures for limited soft vinyl production.

PLASEEBO has three Artist / Designers in the group in addition to a talented pool of Artist / Craftsmen. The lead designer is BOB CONGE and the two associate designers are BILL HAND and JOHN KASTNER. Each of these Artist / Designers has a unique vision and style of their own which directs the fresh look of a PLASEEBO CUSTOM figure. Some of our customs are completely built from scratch using various sculpture materials and techniques while others are created by using a combination of chopped existing figures, found objects and various sculpture materials. Whatever the direction or medium of expression, the drive is always to bring to life a personal vision in the form of a new figure.

Night Gamer:
Here's a first look at Plaseebo Custom’s first edition of the Night Gamer (7”), co-designed by Bill Hand and Bob Conge. The Night Gamers are a race of beings from a parallel universe who have managed to enter our universe with the sole purpose of gaming albeit in a non-traditional manner. The beings which travel in pairs use their probes to connect directly to a human being's brain and use his or her thoughts and experiences as the raw material to construct a game to challenge one another.

The first ultra-limited edition, hand-painted by Bob Conge, is rotocast in blue vinyl with a GID probe, blue inset eyes, a color changing LED embedded in the head, and a GID brain accessory (not pictured). The header card is illustrated by Plaseebo's third artist, John Kastner. Talk about loaded to the brim. This and future ultra limited editions will be strictly limited to 20 or fewer pieces worldwide.n So if you're looking for something different both aesthetically and production wise, check out this first edition of Night Gamer which will drop next week directly from Plaseebo Custom's Web Store.