Thanks to everyone who came out to check out our performance at Franklin Street Works last Thursday. We had so much fun performing and sharing our music and visuals with you. Special thanks to Franklin Street Works for hosting us and our friends! Please friend us on The Moon’s facebook page to learn about upcoming events.

For those of you who couldn’t make it out, check out this video taken by Franklin Street Works. This was one of our instrumentals called “Olive”.  The photo above was taken by Jackie Alcayaga.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here is a little backstory on how it all came together.  Jeff and I worked every night in the studio, last week, to get our set just right.

He was still finishing lyrics to his new songs, and I was choreographing visual clips that would enhance the mood and fit the pace. We settled on 8 songs including 1 cover song that we did as a duet together to end the performance. The duet we covered was, True Love Will Find You in the End by Daniel Johnston. I’ve always loved his original version and Beck’s cover. (Check out those links to hear the different versions.)

Daniel Johnston is particularly special to us because when Jeff and I went on our first date, we went to the Highline Ballroom to see Daniel perform. We had both seen The Devil & Daniel Johnston documentary and were completely hooked on his music. It seemed like the perfect song for our duet considering that this was the first time I have ever sung in front of a live audience! (Which I loved, and will do again.)

My visual footage for the performance came from a variety of different sources from my VJ library that I’ve been collecting over the last 3 years. Additionally, a good deal of footage came from two special trips I took this year. The first being from California when we spontaneously went hot-air-ballooning at sunrise over wine country and the other at the Shedd aquarium in Chicago. I hope to incorporate more and more travel footage into my shows as we continue to build our performance.

At the studio, I also shot some footage of Jeff playing guitar on green screen with the hopes of masking some animated visuals into his silhouette. While the end result was very cool, it never made it into the final performance. Maybe next time!

I kept coming up with tons of last minute details that I wanted to add to our show, and one of them was for both of us to wear all white clothing. When we were in front of the visuals they would just melt through us and blend into the walls. I think the effect worked well to really enhance the projections in the space. The hardest part was actually finding white clothing this time of year. Thankfully Goodwill and my thrift-shop-hunting skills was a success. Perhaps in the future we can find a way to make all of our equipment white. I think it would create a really exciting environment for visuals in all the subtle details.

The space we were setting up at Franklin Street Works was an intimate room on their lower level. It was a little challenging from a setup perspective because of it’s size, mirrors, door and wall indentations. We had no way of hanging projectors to the ceiling like we usually do. However we were able to jimmy-rig a setup using speaker stands and clamp mounts and were able to hook up 2 projectors skewed towards the two main walls, and one angled towards the ceiling. A white sheet and a couple pillowcases did the trick to hide the window & mirrors. Unfortunately the VJ software that I’m using currently doesn’t allow me to skew the video angles to be perfect when the projectors are set up on an angle, so I ended up changing my  set towards using more abstract imagery in the end result. This ended up working out really well in my opinion and gave the illusion of changing the shape of the walls around us.

Everyone packed into the space at 6pm and we had a great time talking to everyone, and connecting with new and old friends. Thanks again to everyone who made the night special for us and for collecting videos & photos. We hope to make another performance happen again soon!

Please check out our new site: themoonmusic.com for more in the near future.

Hi Folks!  I have a new show announcement that I’m excited to tell you about…

On Thursday November 10th, a new collaborative performance project that I’m working on, The Moon, will be debuted locally at Franklin Street Works. FSW is a not-for-profit art space and cafe that recently opened in downtown Stamford, CT.

I’m performing with musician Jeff Schram who will be filling the atmosphere with his original acoustic songs, heightened by electronic elements, vocals & digital manipulation. I will be cooking up a visual cocktail of projections and real time camera effects live, and together we aim to transform the space into a colorful dreamworld of visionary motion, art & sound.

If you are local, please join us!

Click here to RSVP on Facebook

Here are the details:

Franklin Street Works
Thursday Nov. 10th, 6PM-7PM
Franklin Street
Stamford, CT

Hey guys!  This Saturday, October 8, from 8PM-2AM, will be the third Signal to Noise event at the Museum of the Moving Image.

I’m super excited to be invited back and Jeff and I will be once again outfitting the place with 6-7 projectors filling their performance space. I’ve been busy in my studio creating new materials, testing new equipment and getting ready for this epic set-up. Hope to see some of you there. We’ll be working with a number of other visualists that evening and will be VJing for MiniBoone.

Here is some additional info from the museum’s event page:

Signal to Noise once again takes over the entire Museum of the Moving Image with interactive spectacles and visual delights, including electro-jams, post-rave vibes, circuit-bent video, shadow game tournaments, battling guitar video game contests, and much more as the galleries stay open late and the party goes later.

DIY rock superstars Anamanaguchi command the stage with high-energy low-res anthems, kicked-off by Extreme Animals‘ preposterous video/music explosions, MiniBoone’s raucous tunes with eyecandy from Holly Danger, and Landlady’s catchy experimental rock. LoVid blasts video noise from handmade hardware, and Modal Kombat duels on acoustic guitars-turned-game controllers.

Chill out to Smooth Breeze‘s easy-listening jazz and creamy screensavers, and beat out the competition during an all-night tournament of Shadowplay, the live-action puzzle game you play with your shadow. Luck You Collective, easylife, and Strongbros hold down the lobby with ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE, featuring Burger Sundae, Girlbro, Beatsaface, and Latitude Zero on the decks.

Co-curated by Jason Eppink, Assistant Curator of Digital Media, and Anamanaguchi.

Open bar from 8:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m., sponsored by Reyka and Samuel Adams. Cash bar follows.Coolhaus and Big D’s Grub Truck parked out front. 

Tickets: $15 (advance) public / $20 (at the door) public / $10 Museum members / Free for Silver Screen members. Members may reserve tickets in advance by calling 718 777 6800. Advance sales will be available until noon on the day of the event. Following this, tickets will be available at the door. Ages 16 and under must be accompanied at all times by an adult (18 years or older). Must be 21 and over, with proper ID, to consume or purchase alcoholic beverages.

Advance tickets can be purchased by clicking here

RSVP over at the Facebook Event Page

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here are two video clips from the APRIL 2011 KODOMO+DANGER performance at the Factory Underground “Tweet Music & Words” Gallery Show. DRIFT will be a new release on Kodomo’s upcoming album “Frozen in Motion” and “Spira Miribilis” is a track on his full length album “Still Life”. Thanks again to all of you who came to our performance, I had such an amazing night with you all.

In a couple of weeks I’m honored to be VJing at the Museum of the Moving Image for their second installation of “Signal to Noise”. It will embody everything you’d want in a late night art party, with live visuals, live music and amazing DJs. Saturday, May 7th, 8PM-2AM.

Here is what they have in store:

Signal to Noise returns for another wall-rattling, late-night art party, activating every area of the Museum once again with fresh local tunes and visualists, web video showdowns, personally tailored playlists, performed cinema, booty shaking beats, and much more.

The World Series of ‘Tubing issues laser pointers for an evening-long augmented reality game show, Bruce McClure overwhelms the senses with live multi-projector spectacles, and Matt Wellins and Sarah Halpern time warp Ektachrome. The So So Glos dazzle with updated indie pop punk and Shark? blasts unquestionably catchy lo-fi melodies, while Holly Danger braves the visuals.Bubblyfish wields her Gameboys and The Shortsleeves bring the synth, with No Carrier on the eyecandy. Marius Watz simulates magnetic forces, and Dan Iglesia oscillates in an extra dimension.  Back by popular demand, DJ $mall ¢hange holds down the dance floor, and if we still can’t amuse you, AutomaticDJ knows your face and plays your favorite songs.

Tickets: $15 (advance) public / $20 (at the door) public / $10 Museum members / Free for Silver Screen members. Members may reserve tickets in advance by calling 718 777 6800. Advance online sales will be available until noon on the day of the event. Following this, tickets will be available at the door. Click here to buy advance tickets.

I hope everyone is enjoying the very beginnings of spring time! I’m slowly coming out of my own winter hibernation and warming up the creative flow with some new adventures. Most importantly right now, I want to share a performance update with you all that I am greatly looking forward to!

This Saturday evening, April 9th, I am excited to announce a truly rare and wonderful performance coming to Norwalk, CT. The musical counterpart to my visuals, Kodomo, is coming up from Brooklyn to perform a 1 hour performance with me, at the Factory Underground gallery & recording studio! I am setting up a multi-projection atmosphere and will be live mixing to his dreamy soundscapes.

Kodomo has been busy working on a new album so you may even get a chance to hear a few new tracks! This is a first time performance for us at the Underground so we hope many of you can come out and enjoy the night with us for a truly special evening.

The gallery will be open and hosting an exhibit called, “TWEET: Music & Words”, a multimedia show from 5:30-9:30PM featuring videos, large scale photography, performance art, monoprints and our live show at 8pm.

The show is free to all those who can make it, and wine & refreshments will be served. The Factory Underground is located at 16 Issac Street in Norwalk, CT. Hope to see you there!

Regardless, Day 5 was epic!! I woke up bright, early and stoked to finally see my first round of films! Spent so much time in the interactive sessions that I hadn’t seen any despite having a 5 day film badge! Plus it’s hard for me to sit in a dark theater when it’s 75 and sunny outside. Today I made the effort. I drove over to the Alamo Drafthouse theater and took my seat at the narrative shorts showing. I forgot how much I love that theater!  The seats are cushy, and they will deliver beer & food to you while you sit back and watch. The narrative shorts ended up being hit & miss. I liked 3 out of 8 films.

OK, so the one’s I enjoyed were:

Equestrian Sexual Response (TERRIBLE NAME!! – but well made film)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Pancake Breakfast (ANOTHER BAD NAME and I’ll tell you why – Due to misreading the guidebook, I thought this was announcing that there WAS a pancake breakfast at the theater!! Ha! I was actually disappointed to learn that it was the name of the film! Regardless, this one was funny, I wish there was more to the story.)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Lastly, Girls Named Pinky (Good simple story, shot & acted well, with a twist!)

Click here to view the embedded video.

The last film dragged on for so long. The audio wasn’t mixed and my ears were bleeding, I nearly left.

I was also late to approach my next item for the day – seeing Broken Bells downtown! Former frontman for the Shins in collaboration with Danger Mouse! However… due to Austin SXSW traffic mania, I got to 6th Street pretty late and had to make a choice. It was 12:40PM – Do I race to find a spot, find the venue and wait in line to see Broken Bells who were going on in 20 minutes, or do I take my time and head over to see Tobacco play at Emo’s at 1:30? After seeing all of crazy long lines at each of these venues, I nixed my plan of racing to catch Broken Bells. Oh well. Next time! Tobacco gave me all the excitement that I needed. There were THREE Emo’s venues to scavenger through to find the right one, but I made it just in time. He played a pretty cool set, although he had no stage presence whatsoever. I snagged some video & some photos and happily strolled up the sunny street in search of lunch.

Tough day!

Happy new year everyone!!  I hope the exciting new January energy is causing hibernations of creativity for you like it has been doing for me!

The frosty temperatures have me spending a lot of time in the studio and producing some new materials for upcoming shows, prints & shirts as well as a new website! A new batch of Danger tee’s are on the way this week, and I just received my first round of Danger stickers!  Stickers will come free when you order a shirt, will be available for purchase on etsy and I’ll also have a bunch for free at my shows if you come up and say hi.

UPCOMING THIS WEEK, THURS, JAN 27th -

There is a very special show to come out for if you are around the city this week!! -Kodomo and I are psyched to perform our first show of 2011 as part of, Forward Motion Theater presents, “EYEWASH”, this Thursday night, January 27th at 9PM. Live Bands & Visuals. Interactive pole-dance installations. DJ & dancing. Special Guest Performances. All at the R BAR – 218 Bowery St. (Between Price & Spring) For more info, check out the links above or RSVP on Facebook HERE.

See you Thursday!

The shirts are now available on the Etsy Danger store.  The mixed media wall prints will be available on Etsy next week!!

In other news, if you are interested in coming out to see one of the next upcoming performances scheduled, there is a nice variety for you to choose from!

NEXT UP//

NOV 14. – VJing for KODOMO @ 3RD WARD, Brooklyn, 8PM

NOV 18. – VJing for BIG MOSEY @ ARLENES GROCERY, Manhattan, 9PM

NOV 20. – VJing for MANTYHOSE @ SEASIDE TAVERN, Stamford, 10PM

DEC 2. – VJing for EXIT MUSIC @ UNION POOL, Brooklyn, 10PM

DEC 9. – VJing for DJ KILLA MONJARO + MORE @ SEASIDE TAVERN, Stamford, 10PM

Hi guys!

I am gearing up for my annual romp in the dust. That’s right, it’s my yearly visit to the Black Rock desert.  By all means if you are attending, please let me know so there is a chance of meeting up outside of the digital realms. I’ll be staying with my friends, Camp Monkey Business at 4:30 & G this year – and once again I’m bringing my VJ gear and would love to meet up with other VJs out there. Right now I’m deciding which equipment can stand to be in those desert conditions.  I’m also lining up my VJ performance schedule right now and hope to nail it all down before arriving. Once I arrive, anything goes!

So here is my current schedule & VJ lineup for the upcoming week:

Saturday – (Aug 28) I arrive in Reno to collect my supplies/bike/tent etc. out of storage & take care of biz..
Sunday – Buy whatever supplies I need, food, water, etc.
Monday – I arrive on the playa – early morning!  Set up - Possibly VJing at Nexus in the evening hours.
Tuesday –  VJing the False Profit party (4:30 & Esplanade) – Timing TBD
Wednesday – VJing the Apres Ski Party – (3:30 & B) – Sundown til late night.
Thursday –  VJing at Nexus (10 & Esplanade) – Sundown til 11pm
Thursday Late - Possibly VJing at the Phage party after Nexus party (4:30 & Esplanade)
Friday/Sat/Sun/Mon –  Anything goes ~ Possibly VJing on the Robot Heart Bus on those nights.
Tues/Wed – (Sept 7/8) Wash off the dust & travel home

That is the good word on all my latest news. This week is for collecting gear & packing..

See you the other side my friends!…..

If you are downtown Stamford tomorrow (Thursday night 8/5) for the last Alive at Five series - Drop by the FEZ afterwards and grab a glass of wine with me – I’ll be mixing up some live visuals for their local Thursday night DJ and will be there from 10PM-1AM. No cover.

For those of you who haven’t been, the FEZ is a great little moroccan restaurant & wine bar that recently opened up downtown Stamford across from Barcelona. Personally, any place with wine & dark red walls immediately captures my heart. Quoted as being, ‘Stamford’s best kept secret. A Soho/Greenwich village style lounge in a cool & diverse artist friendly environment’ – They have an impressive selection of vino (try the Malbec.. Mmm!), traditional moroccan dishes, and a stage in the back for local artists and musicians to entertain. Every week they have a different variety of music, DJs, bands, belly dancers, ‘bring your own vinyl’ night and acoustic open mic nights.

I’m excited to say that I’ll be joining the Fez for my second show there since VJing for Mantyhose & DJ Killamonjaro a month ago. This will be a great night out prior to my Studio Opening party, so get ready!!  - And definitely stop by Thursday night to say hi.

The summer is in full swing, my blog has been quiet for the last few weeks, and I’ve been struggling to nail down one big opening date for my studio party – HOWEVER, I finally decided to set it in motion and see what happens!

Next weekend I’ll be having an official open studio night, Saturday, August 7th, featuring multi-projector live video mixing, and a poster exhibit displaying my new design series.  It is a private party, so please, if you are interested in coming – Email me to RSVP.

If you can’t make the opening party on the 7th, you’ll be happy to know that another date is also potentially in the works for a Kodomo show on Saturday, August 21st. Hope everyone is having an adventurous and creative summer!!  See you soon.

This Saturday at Moviehouse Kodomo and I will be joining Moviehouse & performing at 3rd Ward’s Birthday BBQ Bike Bash!

The screen is split four ways and give one section to four uniquely talented VJs: Daniel Hai, Holly Danger and Shinje Murakami and our very own VJ Clay Franklin. Watch as each artist visually interprets live music from four different performers side-by-side on the same screen. Music by Xylopholks, Viva Nada, La Guadalupe, & a special guest. Sure to blow your mind!

Plus, 3rd Ward turns 4, to celebrate there’s live music, BBQ, summer drinks, art, crafts, screen-printing (bring your own tees!), free workshops and synchronized biking!

Doors are at 2, performances start at 5. It’s free, but Moviehouse suggests a $5 donation to keep Brooklyn independent video thriving.

The Details:

Moviehouse: 4×4 at 3rd Ward’s Birthday BBQ Bike Bash
3rd Ward, 195 Morgan Ave, Bushwick, Brooklyn
SATURDAY MAY 22nd
FREE or $5 suggested donation

Links:

Moviehouse page: www.brilliantp.com/moviehouse
Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=117925021579091&ref=ts
3rd Ward page: www.3rdward.com/moviehouse

Hey guys – Tonight I will be over at the Bowery Electric projecting some live visuals for my friends “Only Son”. The venue is really intimate and has a lot of energy so it should be a pretty spectacular night. I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve got a whole new collection of visuals and am ready to release them into the universe. Come hang out with us if you’re in the hood. We’ll be on at 10PM!  Also playing: The Bloodsugars & Spacecamp! See you tonight!

Two shows are on the horizon that I’m really excited to be a part of and wanted to let you know!

First up is APRIL 15th at 10PM I’ll be projecting live visuals for Only Son during their last residency show at Bowery Electric!!

Then, MAY 22ND at 7PM, an exciting collaborative audio/visual Moviehouse show at 3RD WARD, called Four by Four. The projection screens are split four ways and each VJ gets a section to simultaneously visualize & interpret the live music. VJ’s include Sketch Projector Shantell Martin, Daniel Hai, myself, and one surprise guest.

In just a few days I’ll be boarding a plane to Austin, TX to join the SXSW festivities. You will most likely find me sipping a Lonestar and attending something nerdy between the days of March 13th through the 18th. I’ll also be VJing at an event on Congress called House by Southwest on the 17th, (St. Patricks day!)

Keep checking back here to the Dangerblog, because I have decided to create a daily write-up for each day that I’m out there.  I will be experimenting with a pocket Mino HD flipcam lent by my good friend Jack from Steelblender. Thanks Jack!!  It shoots 60 minutes of HD footage, is as tiny as an ipod, and has a built in USB for quick import. I’m sure by the end of this trip I will want one for myself.

I’m looking forward to all of SXSW, documenting the trip and meeting a lot of new folks. Drop me a line if you’re going, or stop by the show on Wednesday night at Silhouette!

I’m VJing for my brother’s band tonight. It’s a special birthday bash for the singer!

8PM-2AM

Two quick pieces of news!

I’m excited to announce that I will be getting my very own studio space dedicated to all of my Danger visuals work!! I was waiting to blog about this until I had some photos to go along, but they will have to wait until after I’ve signed the lease and retrieved my keys. I will be setting up shop at the Loft Artists building in Stamford in just a few days!  More on that to come.

I’ve also just bought a gold pass to the SXSW festival in Austin which starts in a month. I’ll be bringing my VJ equipment along for the ride and see what events might let me hop in. If anyone knows of any opportunities, please send me an email or leave a comment here.

Photo by Mary Woods

Photo by me

Thanks to all who came out to the “Chocolate & I” gallery show last Monday in NY!!  I had so much fun meeting everyone, tasting truffles, and sipping their chocolate margaritas. Mmm. Music, visuals & chocolate are some of my favorite indulgences.

This was the first show of mine where I was able to incorporate both of my projectors at once, split the VGA signals and mirror the images across the beautiful gallery wall. I usually don’t have the luxury of having so much space and freedom, but this felt absolutely wonderful to break free of the singular image and experiment with some new ideas.

To think, just over a year ago I didn’t even own any of the equipment to be able to perform like I can now. I had always wanted to, but it seemed overwhelming. It’s quite an investment:  laptops, mixers, projectors, cables, stands & adapters. Now after a year of experimentation, and slowly accumulating a studios worth of equipment, I can’t imagine my life without performing. I’m inspired in new directions from each and every show.

If anyone reading this photographed the night I would love to see your collection!!  Feel free to send me an email, or post them here.

Video soon to come!

To celebrate some good news that I will be posting about in upcoming days, I’ll be giving out my new DANGER PINS at the next few performances. Just come over and say hi!

If any of you are in the CT area on this snowy friday evening, I will be projecting some videos over at the City Lights Gallery in Bridgeport from 6-11pm tonight. Thanks to Liz of Paradox Ink for inviting me!

I picked out 10 of my favorite experimental pieces that I worked on in 2009 and this will be the first time they are landing on gallery walls. I’m sure at some point in the evening I’ll end up free-form VJing a bit too.

City Lights gallery is debuting their first Nu Media show, involving a mixed collection of video art, short films, and  animation. Hope to see you!

City Lights Gallery is located at 37 Markle Court Bridgeport, CT 06604  : $5 Entry fee

Kodomo + Danger Monkey town - 1/2/10

Thanks to everyone who made it out on Saturday night! It was another sold out show at Monkey Town and I had so much fun hanging out with all of you. Special thanks to Cutlery for inviting us to play, and special thanks to my brother who made it out to see us for the first time.

Kodomo & I debuted some new material which got a lot of great feedback.  Here is an early video version of what I cut up and re-mixed at the show for the new track. The original animation was not created by me, it was black and white, and used for a Raveonettes video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This is the latest bit of my experimental vj works. The concept based on my mantra, energy for energy. The impact of two elements coming together and creating passion. Creation, exchange & fire. Highly compressed but wanted to share anyway! The song is called “Surfin” by William Orbit. Footage both found & mixed with my own, plus some final cut manipulation.

RESERVE A SEAT ON THE MONKEYTOWN SITE

Click here to view the embedded video.

My little hut at La Zebra the last few days in Tulum

2009 has really been one of my favorite years to date. I’ve always said that if I were to get into video art, that my main goal would be to find the means to travel while doing what I love to do. My goals being to incorporate my love of art, music, culture & adventure with the world of design, performance and exploration.  Keeping those ideas in mind, a lot has shifted this year. I am slowly feeling this awakening of a newly positive outlook for 2010 and what is to come.

I just returned home from a long weekend in Tulum, Mexico. A birthday gift to myself for entering a new decade and welcoming my 30th year. What a magical little slice of the earth that place is. This particular adventure bought an overwhelming sense of peace, serenity and unbridled creativity. It was a slower pace than I’m used to, but wonderfully so, and a much needed breath of fresh air into a part of the world that I had never been.

I stayed in a variety of little palapa huts on the beach all along Boca Paila, a long beach road in Tulum. Very charming atmosphere with endless waves crashing on the turquoise shore, hammocks, hand painted signs and solar/wind generated cabañas. I planned my trip with two events in mind:  A weekly festive event at the Mezzanine, including puppets, stiltwalkers, breakdancers, djs and fire spinners and a salsa night & fire pit roast at La Zebra.  I’m hoping in the future I may be able to meet some folks over there who would like to incorporate video into their events, and possibly go back out there to perform. That would be quite a dream!

After a few days/nights of swimming in the Carribean, drinking fresh mojitos, feeling the powdery sand beneath my feet, snorkling in ceynotes, and bicycling above the tree-line, I’m ready for my next round of creative projects that are coming this way through the end of the year.

Saturday, January 2nd, will be the next big Monkey Town event for Kodomo and I, and we will be playing with my good friends, the Cutlery with visuals by Waking Dream.  We’re on at 9PM, so I will make sure to send out reminders for reservations when the date gets closer.  In the meanwhile I’m catching up with some outstanding projects at the moment and will be up for new endeavors as the new year begins. If 2010 is anything like 2009, I will have a big smile on my face all year round.

A drawing sample from students in class

Friday night I trekked out to Washington, DC to join the Motion Graphics Festival. The workshops all sounded wonderful, but it especially piqued my interest when I read that VJ Shantell Martin was teaching a workshop in live-painting. On the practical side of what I do, my instinct was to take the After Effects class, but the VJ side of me couldn’t let go of the opportunity to hang with other visualists from around the world, so I signed up.

The class introduced the idea of using a wacom tablet mixed with painting software to drawing live and intuitively to music, while recording your session and being able to cut it up and re-use it as animation in performance or later for editing. I found this particularly useful because I never record what I’m doing directly from the screen. There is a program called I Show You which does this perfectly, creating a high res quicktime file.

While much of my personal VJ style has been to mix motion graphics & after effects work, with video files, I’m interested in seeing what direction the concepts I learned in class could take on for me. Definitely a lot of fun, and definitely a new tool to play with and explore.

Thanks to all of you who I met this weekend. I hope our paths cross again soon!

Hello all!  I’ve been back for a little over a week and it has taken me this long just to catch up with life, time zones, and the digital realm of documentation. Our first european show was so incredibly fun and soulful. Many thanks to Camilo Tribin of Makinola who organized, promoted and put the whole thing together. Gustavo Osorio and his amazing photographic talents. Margarita Rojas of the Crayon Incident for her creative inspiration and beautiful performance with us at Miscelanea. Emily and Bryan Dunn for letting me run around with them all day and crash their honey moon. And of course Kodomo, whose music continually inspires me to do what I’m doing. Many thanks to all the lovely people that I met along the way.

Day 1

My adventure began when my plane arrived early at the Barcelona airport around 7AM. The place was dark and desolate, and our flight was the only one that had landed. I had been in the air since 5:30pm the night before, wired and exhausted. The hotel I had booked wouldn’t have an open room until 2pm that day, so I made arrangements with two of my favorite Brooklynites to meet at their place at 10AM. I had just done projections during the ceremony for their wedding a couple weeks before, and as synchronicity would have it, they happened to have one day left in Barcelona, the day I arrived.

Having 3 hours to spare before meeting them, I connected with another lone american traveler, who guides bicycle tours in Utah & Oregon. She was waiting for friends, and I was waiting for a reasonable hour to head out into the universe, so we chatted and had a great morning meeting each other and exchanging travel stories.

As I said good bye around 9AM, I walked out into the grey rainy weather welcoming my arrival, to a little black and yellow taxi cab. I said something like, “¿Me puede tomar usted a mi hotel?” and showed him an address on calle Mallorca, and off we went. About a half hour later I arrived at a cool little boutique hotel, nestled in the middle of a vibrant NY-like city. Memorable amounts of colorful graffiti were splashed across doorways, cabs were plentiful, and there were dozens of bicyclists and pedestrians all across town.

I arrive at the hotel, and am pointed upstairs to my friend’s room. I lugged my equipment and bags up to the fourth floor and was greeted with huge hugs from the newly married couple. It was such a surreal meeting of worlds to have been in Brooklyn with them a couple weeks earlier, and in another country then and there. So I dropped off my bags, grabbed my umbrella and we headed out. We maneuvered in and out of amazing narrow, beautiful streets, until we made it to Barri Gotic, the Gothic quarter of the city. Absolutely stunning. Cobblestone streets, archways, exquisite cafes, cathedrals that look like dripping wax and even the occasional street performer playing instruments or wearing costumes.

We arrived at a little cafe to order a coffee and chocolate y churros! My new favorite indulgence. After catching up on the news and sharing some delicious pastries, we headed to the famous La Ramblas to veer off into La Mercat de la Boqueria. By far the best market that I have ever experienced. My eyes were overloaded by the color, texture, variety and freshness in every direction. Such a wide creative mecca for people who love and appreciate good food.

From there we wandered in and out of cathedrals, dodged raindrops, walked along the dock near Port Vell, and mused about the inspiration of the city. Eventually we made our way out of the rain, and into a cozy vegetarian cafe, which was serving a buffet of salads, quinoa, soups and other such delicious options. Everything we had was incredibly fresh and colorful. I can easily see why there are so many great artists in Barcelona, and I can’t wait to plan another trip there (possibly) next year to re-indulge myself in such inspirational surroundings.

As we finished our meals and made our way to the door we were stopped for a few minutes by the ensuing of quite a monsoonish downpour. Emily made the comment that even the rain is passionate in Spain!

We soon left into the rain, where we caught a cab and we headed back to our hotel so I could pass out for a few hours before dinner, and before the show schedule for 11pm that night! Yes, not only did I arrive in a whirlwind after not sleeping much, and a day of wandering, but I had to be awake enough to perform our first show! Mind you, starting at 11pm in Spain, is 5AM in New York. I was looped out of my mind, but so thrilled and excited, a few hours of sleep at the hotel would do just fine.

After the rain passed, and a double rainbow appeared just in time for our evening out on the town, I had a drink at the hotel bar and we made our way to a very unique restaurant in the area known as El Raval. Interesting seafood dishes, ox tail soup, and a variety of vino later, we all made our way to meet Kodomo, and crew who were setting us up over at our first gig at Bar Lempika. Drinks were passed around, shots that tasted like mini mojitos were shared, and this little Brooklyn-like Barcelona bar slowly became more and more crowded to come hang out with us. I projected some fun italian cartoons that I had just pilfered from the library last week for fun, and let it run while we set up to play. We began playing at midnight and had a great response from everyone there that night. Even the local guy who walks in and out of bar trying to sell roses decided to stay and watch the action. It really turned out to be such a fun evening, and it was great preparation for the next night for our gig at Miscelanea.

Day 2

Sunny skies poured through my window at the 987 that morning. I gathered all my equipment and bags and made my way over to Pension 2000 to meet up with friends. The morning began with a short walk to La Rambla, and into a beautiful pastry shop of sorts. Cafe con leche, a potato tortilla y tarta de manzana. Delicious food everywhere we ventured. Then a short trip over to the market once again for more photos, fresh juice and food samplings. The day consisted of an amazing stroll up and down the Mediterranean coast line, past the sandcastles, and dipping our feet into the smooth sands and warm water at Port Vell. Quite a magical place if you ask me.

It’s hard to recount exactly where the wandering lead after that, because Barcelona is possibly the most amazing place to wander by foot that I have ever been, but I do remember an incredible italian restaurant where the chef had made his own pasta, and the prawns were freshly caught that morning.

The night came quickly and it was time to prep for the show at Miscelanea. Very cool art space! Upstairs bar, white gallery walls, and funky art on t-shirts and in book cases. There was even a little wink from the universe, when I saw posters by my favorite designer, Scott Hansen, hung up on a little clothes line of art strung between a nice little collection. There we set up limited edition CDs & vinyl for sale and continued to set up for the show. Unfortunately with my new mac pro I’ve run into all sorts of issues with being compatible with certain projectors and S-video cables, but 50 feet of VGA cable later, solved the problem.

Set up had been achieved and it was nearing showtime. Kodomo and I did a quick interview with a lovely journalist, and it was soon time to start. The Crayon Incident & GLUP! began their amazing set of very innovative electronica, and gorgeous hand created live visuals. I’m completely enchanted by their performance, and hope to see them perform again.

Around 9PM it was time for us. The room had packed itself with a wonderful crowd, and it was vibrant with incredible energy. I couldn’t have asked for a more fun performance and such an organized event. I’m still editing down video clips from the show and will be posting here shortly. We received warm smiles and a wonderful audience response all night long. Continued the show later at an after party, where I shot video and danced until we had reached the end.

Day 3

Sadly, this was already my last day. It was the quickest whirlwind weekend possible. I spent the time taking photographs and getting lost in the city. Tempting to do some touristy ventures, but I instead chose to let the day take me where my intuition guided. That will remain with me forever, and really have no words to capture it’s meditative beauty.

Day 4

Air Italia and Rome. Craziness. That is all I have to say about that!

~

I loved every second of my time in Barcelona and will definitely be going back, as soon as it is meant to be in future dates to come.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Videos to come!

Thanks to Jimmy Deane & Ryan McCann (aka Media Victim), I got to meet some really wonderful VJs from around the world at Burning Man this year, during their organized VJ meetup at Center Camp. Ryan was sweet enough to give me this wonderfully edited clip to capture a few words during my playa adventure at Burning Man as a VJ.

Thanks again guys! From this point on, I’ll learn how to speak in front of the camera lens!! Usually I make a point to stay on the other side. Nor do I usually wear kitty ears. Well, sometimes.

Below is a link to the full segment of all the VJs.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Photo by one of my lovely campmates, Rebeka Bieber

Grateful. I’ve just re-entered the digital abyss after two weeks of a disparate connection.  Hot generous sun, moon and mountains behind me.  The laundry piles from my desert journey have each a layer and a story. Not one item of clothing was spared. Just one step forward into this ethereal Black Rock City, into the Black Rock desert of Nevada. The inevitability of overwhelming dust takes over you and all that you have. You have no choice but to embrace what comes.

It’s a desert dream. A whirlwind sand storm. Blink your eyes and it’s over. A powerful oasis of magic and art if you choose to see it that way. Liberated matter of the formal routine. A re-awakened world that doesn’t compromise our personal art and expression for practicality purposes. Art for the sake of doing, being, sharing. Life for the sake of living simply, yet extremely. No money exchanged, only energy and ideas.

My own centered routines turn into dust immediately as I pack my last bag and board my first plane. This feeling of no turning back hummed a mix of wired & tired, for the four hours of sleep I had shaken minutes before.

Everything after that is a blur of watercolor and ink. Lights and stars. Sound vibrations. Fuzzy laughter. Scientists and pocket watches of burning time. Hugs of old familial energy. Self-contemplation. Fish bug fire. Night visuals upon a Phage car. Meet & greet of international VJ’s. Prima Tivo wine tasting. Jazz clubs. Fly me to the moon. Abstract angles & electrolytes. Barrels of flying fire. Warmth and sun. Bicycle wheels spinning, and a penny slot in Reno which won me $75 bucks and a philosophical conversation.

Spare change?

I will try and set free the disappointing lack of time that I spent at the Temple. The solitude that I craved there and had not taken. The personal compromises I made to find balance. The expectations of health & motivations within myself. And other such thoughts that would tap me on the shoulder and walk me through the desert hand in hand.

I’ve seen the universe wink in many colors, shapes and languages on this trip. After four years of making this journey to BRC and back, I hadn’t expected to feel as different coming home this time, but I do. Something is calling. Shapes have shifted and I am listening.

Visual inspiration = infinity

Burning Man 2007

My little studio is quickly becoming overwhelmed with equipment. I’ve decided this year for my annual trip to Burning Man, that I would take a small amount of my VJ gear out with me, and meet up with the video artists from all over the world, to collaborate for a variety of amazing events and parties.

In order to do this, I’ve had to purchase some used equipment that can live and breathe in the dusty environment and last for many hours. Last night I picked up an Epson Powerlite 76c (only 26 hours on it) with screen for $350! Never underestimate the power of people wanting to get rid of things in their homes.  Also brought home a used 13′ Macbook that is perfect for traveling. I need to come up with a plan to keep all of this stuff as dust proof as possible and with only 6 days to go, I’m not quite sure how I’m going to do it all. I am however really stoked to experiment out there. Not looking forward to lugging all this equipment on the plane with me, but there are an amazing amount of VJs that go to this event and I’m excited that this will be the first year that I am joining my peoples!

If you’ll be out there this year, I’ll be camping at 7 & C. Come find me & say hi. I will unplug from my computer universe here from Aug 28th and will be back in the default world September 8th.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Shot by Holly Daggers, aka, WetCircuit. Thanks Daggers!!!

And a different camera angle, same song, shot by me in the clip below. More to come!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here for our info on Monkeytown’s website. The calendar for August was just launched.

We’re getting excited for our upcoming show!! Mark your calendars and send an RSVP here. August 6th, Thursday at 8:30 PM. We are currently looking for a second act to play with us, open to suggestions!

Soon I will be posting the massive amount of photos & video that were taken this weekend in the Chrysalis Dome from the festival we performed at in upstate NY this past weekend. The rain gods did not hold off on any rain that they had planned for us despite my plea, but as a result the adventure became that much more spontaneous and unpredictable.

Unfortunately we were only able to get Chrysalis up for two nights before the rain turned everything into swamp lands. We then took our cables, projectors, tarps and equipment over to a smaller inflatable dome to keep the party going to finish out the weekend. Either way, the project continues to become more interesting with each launch.

Thanks to everyone who made it all the way up there and stuck it out through the rainy conditions. I had so much fun working with everyone and experimenting with this amazing project.

I expect that I’ll be projecting video for the next 4 days on the dome! Much much photo & video will be sorted through and posted here in the next week. Then it’s time to prepare for Monkeytown with Kodomo, Thursday August 6th, 8:30PM!!  

Thats all I have time for, for now!  Struggling to finish editing for the night at the day job. Then movie trailer graphic revisions. Then VJ editing. Then packing gear. Then a stop at Trader Joes to fill my coolers…  Don’t know which direction to go in first. Full report upon return!  

Pray to the rain gods and please ask them to hold off on any precipitation until next week!!

Photo by Waking Dream

This weekend, July 17th & 18th will be the first launch of the Chrysalis multimedia dome project at Lorenz Studios in East Morris, CT. There will be a number of DJs coming up to perform and myself & my friends of Waking Dream, Light Harvest & Levitation Theory will be spinning the inner world with our 360 visual designs.. 

I’ll be up there Saturday July 18th and setting up camp! Looking forward to road-tripping out there & projecting in the middle of the woods! Come out and play with us!

Details:

Chrysalis is an interactive multimedia performance space. Full surround visuals and sound inside a 100′ inflated dome. It will be a unique experience, which we hope to present on an ongoing basis. This event is to help us get it up and running, and to help us present it at the Starwood Festival the following week. Please come support us and spread the word to all your friends and please have them do the same. Free Camping. $20 Donation. Food & Drinks served. Music featuring live electronica by the Spinning Plates, electrofunk by Stratus-M, and guest DJ’s.

Tonight I designed a flyer to promote a few upcoming fundraiser dates for the project. I’ll be projecting visuals in the dome on Saturday July 18th, with Waking Dream, Light Harvest, and Levitation Theory. There will be endless amounts of music both nights, and camping available for free.

Make sure to mark your calendars for July 17th, 18th, and a pre-event fundraiser at the House of Love on July 11th.

Click here for location of the dome in Google.
 

Monkeytown with the Cutlery

Thanks to all who managed their way to the couches of Monkeytown last night!  The haunting jingle jangles, clarinet, record player, typewriter and banjo strings of the Cutlery ominously echoed the walls and brought a sultry, nostalgic mood to the shadows.

The room had a nice mellow feeling of serenity throughout our set, and was a lot of fun to edit live in my spontaneous ways of vision. I planned to have the visuals take you on a journey through time. We spent most of the evening floating between the 1920s and 1930s. Flappers, poetic meanderings, dramatic romances, cryptic cartoons and a side of Charlie Chaplan. In addition, lately I’ve been missing one of my very best friends, Zora, who passed away a few years ago. Her and I had just begun to collaborate on beautiful things together in the year before she passed.  I know she would have loved the type of work that I’m doing these days. I always wonder what we would be creating today if she were still around. In our short time together we collaborated on one stopmotion film, Fascade Filosophia (also posted below), a few bare experimental tests of painted waves (will be posting soon) and animated sand.

Fascade, full of dark puppetry and mysterious castles, was a big hit last night from what I heard after the show. It felt amazing to have her with me last night, breathing through the walls. I’ve been missing her something fierce and showing that film reminded me that she’s still here inspiring me everyday. For me, last night’s set was dedicated to her.

That venue is so intimate and personal, I wish I could project visuals there more often. It’s absolutely my ideal space, and motivates me to make better and better work.

Click here to view the embedded video.

 

J&R Kodomo Danger Show / 6/20/09

Yesterday morning, I packed up my car with my new portable screen, my laptop, mixer, cables, gaffer tape, wires & hard drive, and headed south to hit J&R’s Summer Expo.

At noon Kodomo and I set stage amongst thousands of CDs in the back of J&R for an afternoon set promoting his album, Still Life. While projecting under fluorescent lighting makes for a difficult performance on my behalf, it was a lot of fun and ultimately a successful rainy afternoon for both of us. I didn’t realize how much I missed being amongst all those records & CDs, and I always love performing. Especially for a good old fashion record store audience.

I really miss the experience of going to my favorite local record store on any given afternoon and spending hours wandering in the aisles. Record stores have always felt like design museums to me. Album covers spanning years of musical history and varieties of style, art and culture.  Since downloading has been so easy and accessible in the last few years, I’ve watched all of my favorite music stores close down one by one, and many more musicians releasing digital downloads instead of putting money into tangible albums.

These days if I want the experience of picking up an album I have to either drive an hour north to Culters in New Haven or an hour south to my NYC spots. My preference these days is Kim’s Video, or my latest favorite, Ear Wax in Brooklyn. J&R was a first for me, but they had quite a collection, and it was cool to be a part of it.  Happy Summer Solstice! 

Don’t forget, this week I’ll be at Monkeytown, Thursday (Jun 25th) projecting for the Cutlery. 8PM Showtime.  Just make sure that if you plan on attending that you shoot your info over to Monkeytown’s reservations. You can do that by clicking here. See you Thursday!

 

Photo by Holly Danger - Theatre Ste. Catherine

Firstly I want to thank Warper folks for such a fun event in Montreal a couple weeks ago. I’ve been a little out of the loop with documenting on here since I’ve gotten back and have been in the midst of planning for the next few shows. 

Just a heads up, but I wanted to leave a quick note to say that there are two shows on their way in the next week. One is with the Cutlery at my favorite venue Monkeytown on June 25th at 7PM, and another with Kodomo for a daytime promotional event & Summer Tech Expo sponsored by J&R Electronics, June 20th at noon. New footage is in the works for both, but I won’t give much away. Working on footage for 10 songs with the Cutlery this time, and excited to once again project on the 4 encompassing Monkeytown screens! Hope to see you!

Warper Party May 26th Theatre Ste. Catherine Montreal, QC

It’s official! I head out in less than a week to make a trek to the lovely & charming Montreal. I’ve taken off a few days of work following Memorial day, and am ever so tempted to use a few more days and stay out there to make another visit to Toronto while I’ve gotten that far. Especially since there is another Ghostly International tour happening the day after our show that I would looove to be at. It would involve some last minute maneuvering, but I’m tempted!

As it stands, Kodomo & I will set stage at 6pm at the Theatre Ste. Catherine in Montreal on May 26th to be part of the Warper / PreMutek Party. I’m a little nervous about the early time slot, but we’ll make the best of it. Very much looking forward to another journey, and see what may happen along the way..

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here is the live video from last week’s show as promised!  

This was our first collaborative gig at the Warper Party on May 6th at the Delancey. Minus the unmistakeable red hue that lit the screen throughout the night, the scraggly tape that held the sheet to the wall, and the discoball that sprinkled little lights on top of my visuals, I’d say it all came out great!  I’m so glad that I decided to document. After watching this I completely see what I need to work on to make an even better set as we move forward. This show really solidified that we can put on a great performance together, and we’ll be looking to seek out more gigs very soon. If any of you have a heads up on places to play, please leave comments here or send me an email. 

Music written & performed by Kodomo. Live Visuals by me, mixed, made and collected from various places. Some are my own, some are sampled, some manipulated. RT: 36 min.

I am VERY happy with how many people showed up from all over (much appreciated!), the energy of the place, and our performances went better than I could have even expected. There were a few personal flubs that were probably unnoticeable to anyone other than myself, but it will just fuel the fire to keep doing this and get better and better. This was the first gig that I’ve actually rehearsed visuals with a musician beforehand, and designed different concepts around each song specifically. The results, to me, are far more exciting and stronger than anything I could have ever improvised.

Right now I am ANXIOUSLY awaiting the time to digitize footage from last night. Check back tomorrow and I will have a full posting of video from our gig!

We are currently looking into the possibility of playing a show in Montreal during the Mutek festival that is happening at the end of this month, but need to see how we should go about doing it. If you, or anyone you know has any insight to Mutek and/or booking shows during that week up there, please let me know!  I can’t wait for the next show!

 Work in progress of a series of Danger pins that I’m currently creating.

 

Just a quick reminder that I’ll be at the Delancey Wednesday this week, projecting in collaboration with the music of Kodomo. We’ve been working hard for the last few months to get things ready and this will be our first performance together, and my first choreographed video performance. Should be a great night, especially with the dozens of other musicians booked for that evening!  I’m excited and hope to see many of you guys there!  9:30 sharp, 40 min set.

Also, I wanted to note a change in dates for the June gig at Monkeytown with Cutlery. Instead of June 11th, we’ll be there June 25th. Sorry for the mistake!

In other news, I’ve been busy feeling the motion of seasonal changes and moving forward on some new projects. Soon you can expect to see an updated portfolio reel from me and possibly an upgrade to the Danger identity that I’ve cultivated for the last few years. Hopefully a full launch of my site is around the corner as well. For now, the process of revising my portfolio has officially begun after building my last round two years ago. It’s amazing how quickly time passes, and how quickly the showcase of your work becomes outdated!

I’m also currently working on making tiny 1 inch “DANGER pins” that I intend to give out at shows, and am having a really fun time with designing them. Right now they are based on the concept of “dangerous things that you’re afraid of”. If you have a special request, please leave comments here!! I’m open to suggestions!  What are you afraid of?  Above is an early rough example of one that I’m making for someone who has a fear of giant squids!! 

Lastly, I’ve got a new toy that I’m excited to get started playing with. I finally purchased a new digital camera after my beloved Olympus Camedia 5050z died half a year ago. I am now toting a Canon SD780 and looking forward to my memory card showing up any day now so I can begin to experiment! Keep a look out here for massive photo posts to come!

Dvein, Prologue, Psyop, Black Heart Gang, 1st Ave Machine, Imaginary Forces, Rachel Maddow, Moment Factory, Jonah Lehrer.Â

Since having worked in the corporate world of video production for the last few years, I haven’t had much opportunity to immerse myself in the art world (or even the commercial world) of motion graphics the way I wish I could. Thankfully, conferences like F5, after effects meetups and the VJ world have brought this back into my life in many ways. Most nights after I come home from day to day editing, I begin to collage my own new work and find myself experimenting into the early hours, to create a bigger, more original and more ecclectic library for future live video performances.

The F5 conference reminded me just how powerful motion graphics are, and how much I love that world & the people who make that sort of magic happen. Not only did the conference showcase some of the best work I’ve seen in years, but there was a really interesting discussion about the state of creativity, and how it works from a scientific angle. We talked about how to better access innovations from the left side of the brain, and how we should be open to all new endeavors that allow us to create connections, and draw inspiration from experience. Insights seemingly flourish best when not forcing creativity. Some highlights for me were seeing & hearing all of the bizarre places that people reach to for inspiration.  Found everywhere from rubberbands that were made into stop-motion spaghetti  to one person dipping their hands & feet in cement just to see what it would feel like to wear on their limbs for a week!  Ideas are formed in some of the most oddly beautiful ways and it has always been a passion of mine to explore how other people’s brain’s work.

Later this week I’d like to transcribe my notebook that I had with me for the two days and capture the raw thoughts I had while listening to these fabulous heros of mine.  As a result of the festival I’ve already taken some of the advice and put it towards a new identity scope for my danger visuals.

A few frame grabs from new Danger intro visuals

Lastly  I want to mention how VERY excited I am to say that a new collaboration is underway with electronic musician Kodomo. It looks like May 6th will be our first performance at the Delancey for the next Warper Party. Details soon to come!!

Inspired by the hauntingly beautiful music of the Cutlery ladies and the poetic words of Nick Cave. I created this piece with an old wooden frame & collaged imagery found from fashion photos from around the world. It almost came together in a seemingly unconscious way, and became an animated photo album that expanded from the corners of my imagination. The photography was altered, animated, arranged and woven into these treasured memories. This piece was created to be projected during the Cutlery’s live performance of this song, and was debuted on the four walls of Monkeytown last Friday night. Looks like we’ll have another gig there in June!!

This week I’m cutting & collecting clips for my second collaboration with the ladies of Cutlery!  We’ll be playing a short opening set at Monkeytown at 7:30PM sharp, finishing at 8PM. I received a few new spacey netflix DVDs that I’m dissecting right now, and hope to come up with some new approaches to the performance with all this lovely new machinery that I’ll be toting along.

Speaking of Monkeytown, if you plan on attending our show, please note that it’s highly recommended to reserve yourself a spot before showing up at the door!  You can reserve a spot by clicking here and signing up!

Thanks!!

 

To those who may have been confused by some back & forth scheduling - The Monkeytown gig for April 3rd is back on!  Can’t wait!!!  We’ll be on at 7:30pm sharp!

This place is one of my favorite intimate multimedia venues. The front room is a bar with sketches drawn out across the walls, and the back room is lined with low couches amongst 4 huge video screen walls. The bands/djs play in the center of the room and the video images dance around you 360Ëš. They have an amazing selection of beers & an awesomely unusual list of food fusions. Absolutely awesome little place. Please come check us out on the 3rd!