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!…..

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.

Here is a montage of various moments during my live (and very experimental) VJ mixing set at Burning Man’s Decompression party at Floyd Bennett Field on Sat, Oct 25th. This was my first attempt at mixing live, no concepts, just a visual montage of found imagery as well as my own footage mixed in. This reel was strung together from 1 minute clips taken throughout the night from the four hours that I projected. I was happy to see some people get up and interact with the piece, as well as just lay back and watch as the visuals continue to change. This piece is edited to a track by Tobacco, called Hard Candy. Enjoy!