The Incomparable Armen Ra

Chic. Haunting. Glamorous.
Those are just a few words I use to describe my dear friend Armen.
photos via Tim Palen

In addition to being the hottest ghoul in school, Armen also plays the theremin...FLAWLESSLY I might add.




His debut album was just released and it is truly breathtaking. It features many of the works of composer Komitas Vardapet as translated by Armen, via the theremin.


I highly recommend you pay a visit to his new website and familiarize your self with all things Armen Ra.

You can buy the CD directly from his site, or below at
iTunes or Amazon

Legendary Zaire '74 Concert

Every second of  Soul Power was mind blowingly amazing to see. Even though James Brown was the headliner, Miriam Makeba really stole the show for me. Not only did she look stunning (THE HAIR!!!), but she spit the most bone chilling, bad ass breakdown about her name right before she performed her famous "Click Song". Miriam's full name is made up of the first names of her male ancestors, followed by a one- or two-word description of their character and that night she made sure everyone knew exactly what her name was.  

"They called me Miriam Makeba, but thats not really my name. My name is Zenzile Makeba Qgwashu Nguvama Yiketheli Nxgowa Bantana Balomzi Xa Ufun Ubajabulisa Ubaphekeli Mbiza Yotshwala Sithi Xa Saku Qgiba Ukutja Sithathe Izitsha Sizi Khabe Singama Lawu Singama Qgwashu Singama Nqamla Nqgithi."

Miriam suffered a fatal heart attack in 2008 after what would be her final performance at a benefit concert in Italy. She was an awe inspiring, unparalleled performer and she is missed.

download music

New Work from Kembra Pfhaler

via hypebeast

I've loved Kembra since the Anti-Naturalists days. I only got to see TVHKB once when I was 17 at the Troubadour and I caught a pair of giant beige panties Kembra threw into the audience during Underwear Drawer. It was the greatest night of my 17 year old life.

Tesla Coil

Nikola Tesla is best known for his revolutionary work in the field of electromagnetism in the late 19th and early 20th century. He is also one of the most important contributors to the birth of commercial electricity. The Tesla Coil is one of his most famous inventions.

Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) and one of his coils, c. 1899

The Tesla Coil is basically a high-frequency air-core transformer. It takes the output from a 120vAC to several kilovolt transformer & driver circuit and steps it up to an extremely high voltage. Voltages can get to be well above 1,000,000 volts and emit in the form of electrical arcs. Tesla coils are unique in the fact that they create extremely powerful electrical fields. Large coils have been known to wirelessly light up florescent lights up to 50 feet away, and because of the fact that it is an electric field that goes directly into the light and doesn't use the electrodes, even burned-out florescent lights will glow.

Tesla coils built by Syd Klinge for Coachella 2006

In 2007, Tesla enthusiasts Steve Ward and Jeff Larson constructed two musical Tesla Coils for the "Lightening on the Lawn Teslathon" in Wisonson. The music that you hear is coming from the sparks that these two identical high power solid state Tesla coils are generating. There are no speakers involved. The Tesla coils stand 7 feet tall, are spaced about 18 feet apart and are each capable of putting out over 12 foot of spark. The coils are controlled over a fiber optic link by a single laptop computer. Each coil is assigned to a midi channel which it responds to by playing notes that are programed into the computer software.

A longer clip of the concert (just under 10 minutes long) and can be seen here.

www.teslasociety.com

Who is Sam Brown?

I like Jay Z.

I love Swizz Beatz.

But who is Sam Brown?

Gravediggaz were 16 years too early with their horrorcore and people weren't ready for that shit. I guess I'm drawing a narrow comparison because the video is on the dark side. The difference between the two is huge because the lyrical content in this is safe and the video executed like an Italian Vogue editorial. It's so good. 

I hope Rza resurrects his fang grill soon.

Clara Rockmore

She was without peer as a performer in the early decades of the theremin's use. While many listeners have heard the theremin played poorly or used mostly as a spooky special-effects device, Clara used it to perform classical works.  Under her control, the theremin sounded like the blend of the cello, violin and human voice.

Clara Rockmore & Léon Theremin c. 1991

letter from Clara to Léon, c. 1975 

"The young generation today is very interested in electronics, and even though "our" instrument is one of the very first ones, it is still the most beautiful in terms of sound, and the most magical, because it is the only one that is space- controlled. Now that we are sending people to the moon, I have no doubt that there will be a renewed interest in the instrument from which one extracts the sound with hand motions in the air. Last week, I was invited to do a radio interview, where I answered various questions about the theremin. Of course I spoke about you, your work, and about how the new generation may become acquainted with "space" music. I think that in the near future, it would be very desirable to attract the interest of a fresh young public to your instrument, and I will do everything possible to make it happen."

Clara Rockmore 

March 9, 1911 - May 10 1998 

la moineau

Amazing Grace

She performed at the Hollywood Bowl last night and I missed it. I'd known about the show for months but completely forgot until my friend called to let me know she was stuck in Highland traffic due to her performance.

I can't even begin to articulate what a huge inspiration Grace has been for me over the years. She hands down has the most vicious style I have ever seen in any artist of my time.

(V Magazine)

I'm devastated that I missed her. A close friend tells me she'll be back and that this was a sort of mini teaser tour. I certainly hope so because judging by photos and write up's, it was spectacular.

And this is why I fucking LOVE youtube. I know it pales in comparison to the real thing, but at least I can live vicariously through the audiences' shitty camera phone clips.

Her opening song "This is the Life" was performed completely covered in a silver lame sheath only to reveal her INSANE AMAZING zebra-like ensemble at 4:50. 

And altough the sound is shit, cover of Roxy Musics "Love is the Drug" is brilliant.

WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THAT OUTFIT?!?

Philip Treacy and Eiko Ishioka KILLED IT with the hats and costumes. I can't even get into my undying love for both Philip and Eiko's work right now, let alone the reality that Grace Fucking Jones rocked them both for her entire tour. What a dream!