For some reason I got inspired to check out my old wall of CDs for some "new" (old) music to listen to at the office this morning. What I found was my collection of SPK albums which span dark German Industrial to strange politically slated 80s pop.

Gold and Poison is the later but quite enjoyable. Sheer Naked Aggression is my favorite track by far and quite timely given our political climate and the US' imperial aspirations.

SPK, formed in 1978 in Sydney, Australia, was a 1980s and early 1990s industrial music and noise music act featuring Graeme Revell, who would later go on to become a successful Hollywood movie composer. The group was formed when Revell (aka Operator) met up with Stephen Hill (aka Ne/H/il). They were both working at a psychiatric hospital when they became inspired by the manifesto of the German radical Marxist group known as the Sozialistisches Patientenkollektiv (SPK).

The meaning of the SPK abbreviation is deliberately unclear; the album covers suggest several different alternatives. The most well known is Sozialistisches PatientenKollektiv, but there are also others, such as Surgical Penis Klinik, System Planning Korporation and SePuKku.

The most notable works of SPK are the early works Information Overload Unit, Leichenschrei and AutoDaFe. SPK's early music is best described as disturbing and psychologically disorienting, in line with their nihilistic, subversive philosophy. Live performances included video backing (some of which was issued in two Twin Vison videos, Despair and Two Autopsy Films), trangressive performances with animal carcasses and other usually successful attempts to make the audience very uncomfortable. The group issued radical manifestos, such as DoKuments 1 and 2, "The Post-Industrial Strategy", which appeared in RE/Search's Industrial Culture Handbook[2]. There is a clear dichotomy between early industrial SPK (1978- 83) and the more commercial music inspired by Graeme Revell. Later releases, such as Machine Age Voodoo (1984), were more synthpop-oriented than industrial. Still later, the group moved into electronic orchestral work, with the release of Zamia Lehmanni: Songs of Byzantine Flowers (1986).

— Wikipedia

The guys over at Rocket World have just released a limited edition set archival giclee prints depicting Titus on scooter night patrol. They are printed 17' x 22" acid free fine matte art paper. Each print is numbered and signed from an edition of 100 pcs.

Titus is part of Rocket World's Insurgents Wilderness Gruppo (IWG).

In the not too distant future, the mysterious Astral Overseers put into motion their master plan… an interstellar space vehicle returning to Earth unknowingly carries a specially designed cosmic retrovirus which soon spreads worldwide thru the jet stream. Completely unaffecting humans, this new retrovirus soon begins to find its way into certain animal species. Quickly causing mutations, Earth begins to see a variety of animals evolve into self-aware or sentient life. A formidable combination of all an animal’s strengths, an intelligence equal to humans, and some say new powers. Immediately gaining a new and more profound understanding the danger humans presented to their kind, this new breed of sentient creatures stays hidden from human eyes for years as they develop their own society and culture, albeit somewhat loosely based and culled from observing humans and their media. An immediate goal for these creatures was to organize, and begin resisting the human destruction and domination of what was once their “natural” habitat. Strangely, as they increased in strength, numbers, and sophistication, their tactics, tastes, and habits were increasingly becoming more “human” in many ways.

©2000-2007 Rocket World

Last weekend Swayzak celebrated 10 years in the techno business with a packed out gig at Watergate club in !K7's hometown of Berlin. And this week they return with their 5th studio album Some Other Country.

Swayzak's new opus sounds mature and full. They have always loved their echo pedal, but in their tenth year of existence their dub-techno attains a new, compositional dimension and features vocals from Richard Davis (kitty-yo, Punkt) and Berlin producer and Panorama Bar resident DJ Cassy. And so James Taylor and David "Brun" Brown deliver what is their most expressive album to date. Yes, Swayzak are back, and how! Check the microsite for Some Other Country.

Just ran into Smashing Magazine today. Doug my business partner in LightPole sent over a link and the resources here are pretty amazing. I especially like the article on Free Icons.

They have a lot resources for graphics, programing, design process and UI development.

A model displays shoes by Italian designer Gianni Calignano in Rome's Auditorium hall.

Ran into a nice photo essay on the BBC this afternoon and thought I would put up a shot from Gianni Calignano's collection.

In 1987 Gianni Calignano started his activity as a fashion designer and opened in Nardò a show room, dedicated to his mother, who gave him “needle and thread” when he was still a child. For seven years he has been taking part in the most important events, along with the biggest names of the Italian Haute-Couture. The growing fame and the lively increase of the brand have been confirmed during the “Rome Alta Moda” weeks and the worldly fashion happenings. Further recognition have been given by the important partnerships Calignano has been having with famous brands like Swarovski, L’Oreal, Sophie Hallette and Forster Rhoner.

In 2004, together with the Haute Couture he created a “couture a porter” collection crafted in semi-taylor-made procedures, certainly conceived for a very high client who would desire and require the haute couture lines and richness, typical of Calignano Style, directly in the most prestigious boutiques, such as Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills, Coral Glabe, Dallas and San Francisco.

Brand description

Calignano’s brand philosophy is Luxury, Culture and Tradition. These elements are expression of creativity and craftsmanship which are the bases of his garments. The designer says: “The woman I have in mind when I am designing is sophisticated, sexy, smart and dynamic. My woman is not afraid to be a woman. She can still be powerfull while keeping at the same time her femininity and sensuality”. Besides the brand represents the combination between the past and the future, in the expression of the present, of the becoming and evolution.

Collection description

Calignano’s A/I 2007/’08 collection, called “The Prestige”, is made of long dresses rich of details “au féminin” that wrap the bodies charmingly. Sparkling “bustieres” design graceful figures. Pants, long in duchesse, to be worn with shirts of tulle, with the brand of the maison, caress the life of creatures suspended between dream and truth. Shorts sparkling of lilac Swarovski become symbol of femininity. Full, gold skirts, with black inlays of chiffon. A silver dress, weaved with steel threads, closes the collection. The colours are magically gold and violet. The “effect shine” accessories complete the impalpable fabrics.

Took a cab on IPhone day, a week and some odd days ago, and the driver was playing this album. I have been listening to it ever since.

Alphaville's 1984 debut, Forever Young, deserves to be viewed as a classic synth pop album. There's no doubting that Germans are behind the crystalline Teutonic textures and massive beats that permeate the album, but vocalist Marian Gold's impressive ability to handle a Bryan Ferry croon and many impassioned high passages meant the album would have worldwide appeal. Indeed both "Big in Japan" and the touching, sad change-of-pace "Forever Young" raced up the charts in multiple continents. Borrowing inspiration from Roxy Music's detached theatricality and Kraftwerk's beats and rhythms, Gold and company hit upon a magic formula that produced here an album's worth of impossibly catchy tunes that could almost serve as pure definitions for the synth pop genre. The hits race straight for one's cranium and embed themselves upon impact. "Big in Japan" feels like a more serious cousin to Murray Head's "One Night in Bangkok," as a slow-pounding beat spars with Gold's desperate voice. "Forever Young," a stark, epic song that would become essential for every post-1984 high school graduation, drips sadness and never fails to cause a listener to nostalgically reflect on life and loss. Outside of these hits, the remainder of the songs rarely falter, mixing emotion, theater, and of course electronics into a potent, addictive wave of synth euphoria. It's likely every fan could pick his own favorite of the other should-have-been-hits, but "Fallen Angel" deserves special mention. It begins with spooky, funny warbling and icy keyboards, and then explodes and transforms into a startling, romantic epiphany at the chorus. If its lyrics are a bit goofy or juvenile, it only adds to the heartfelt love the song expresses. Alphaville stick firmly to their synths and sequencers on Forever Young, but they keep things interesting by incorporating motifs from funk, Broadway, Brazilian jazz, and even hip-hop. Even when the band takes itself too seriously, the songs' catchy drive and consistently smart production cover any thematic holes. Forever Young is a technically perfect and emotionally compelling slice of 1980s electronic pop/rock music. It's also a wonderfully fun ride from start to finish.

— Tim DiGravina, allmusic

Please go visit Taken By Trees. Victoria Bergsman has four of her upcoming tracks from her new album up for listening. The album is going to be released in Europe on June 18th. The site also has a cool simple message board and a fun "Find the Story Telling Tree" page. Find the story telling tree and listen to her magical voice.

They highly recommend that you don't let your kids wear the cool hats they provide with every machine. Thanks Dell, we wouldn't have thought of that. Perhaps we will recycle them instead.

According to Variety today, Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson will direct at least two of the upcoming 3D Tintin spectacles. It has not been announced who will direct the third.

Tintin was written by Georges "Herge" Remi in the 1900's. You can read more on the globetrotting reporter and his friends at the Tintin website.

What a super quirky and attention getting advertising series — it's quite silly but still poignant. Go see the site savesfbay.org and watch the mini ads and see the image gallery, then send it to a friend.

Technorati Tags: advertising, Bay Area, San Francisco

The text on this image reads: "Marshland once penetrated as far north as the corner of Mission and Seventh Streets." The black marks in the foreground are Starkweather's marks based on a map of creekbeds below San Francisco. The circles in the background are Hughen's drawings referencing light bouncing off the water. Text and images from Amanda Hughen's site (more work here).

The text on this image reads: "In 2010, an average of 425,458 people will commute to San Francisco every day." The black marks in the foreground are Starkweather's marks based on a map of commuter patterns involving downtown San Francisco and the East Bay, and the arrows and circles in the background are drawings Hughen made referencing the arrows and circles in and around Market Street (stop lights, one way signs, pavement markings, manhole covers, etc.).

Technorati Tags: art, illustration, San Francisco

I can't recall ever thinking I've got to get myself to Macy's as soon as possible, but after being intrigued by the poster on the public pay toilet I passed today at the 16th BART station entrance and then seeing a few ads fly by on the MUNI buses too I decided to look up the exhibit. The Macy's site hardly gives any inspiration or intrigue, but I found a jackpot of gorgeous images on darcitananda's flicker account (great photography!). Wow, the henna designs, the fabrics, the colors and displays all look amazing. So there's truly a first for a everything as I say "I've got to get to Macy's asap." {found flicker link through an interesting site for south Asian American women, called Nirali Magazine}

Technorati Tags: asia, inspiration, San Francisco, shopping