Basquiat x Rammelzee Download

After a recent encounter with the film Radiant Child this post is well deserved. Radiant Child is more or less the bio / autobio of Jean Michel Basquiat. Built on the foundation of a rare  interview that director and friend Tamra Davis shot with Basquiat over twenty years ago, it’s pretty in depth and highly recommened.

The film touched briefly on Basquait’s often over looked contributions to music. The ever experimenting artist, he was often involved with experimental bands or music projects. None of which could ever rival his success in the art world, but at the time it didn’t matter. The image above is the cover art for one of those projects. Full download after the jump. [Read more...]

J. Dilla: Still Shining Trailer x Art 4 Dilla Competition

Last year while in Detroit for the Movement Festival, mi hermanos Kai Alce, JT and I were invited to what we thought was a J.Dilla documentary viewing. Although it was a great body of work, it was hardly what we expcected. The whole movie was basically about an orchestra trying to learn play Dilla standards live. Like i said it was a cool movie. But while I’m in the D, any JD selections that hit my ear drums better be braking my neck due to nod factor and bass bumpin’.

That said, event organizers from last years DILLA premier should most definitely consider Brian Atkins J.Dilla: Still Shining. Recently announced by Gifted Films Inc, it’s the footage and imagery that bless this documentary with an authenticity that is extremely unique. [Read more...]

David Carson vs. 2011

For readers of the new school, old school surfer David Carson is to typography + graphic design, What Grandmaster Flash is to deejaying and hip hop. During the early 90′s he changed the face of the layout, most noticeably as the art director for the contemporary alt-rock publication Ray Gun.

January 2011 cover of “Little White Lies” Magazine

“He took photography and type and manipulated and twisted them together and on some level confusing the message but in reality he was drawing the eyes of the viewer deeper within the composition itself.” ~wiki excerpt

Cover of the February 2011 issue of HUCK Magazine

Unfortunately the pages of Ray Gun shut in 2000. The Don is now returning to a new design arena in which the styles and techniques go public overnite and then go bust like methlabs. Small doses of the David Carson aesthetic have been been popping up in Europe with the first issue of C A R S O N ready to roll in February. Stay up on the development by following @carsonmag on twitter.