|
|||
| |||
9/26/2012
Brian Eno Announces New Solo Album "LUX" (Out Nov 13)
Labels:
announcements,
art,
info,
listen,
music
9/25/2012
Melody's Echo Chamber @ El Rey October 8th
MELODY'S ECHO CHAMBER @ El Rey on Monday October 8th 2012.
(photo: Angel Ceballos)
Melody's Echo Chamber @ El Rey October 8th
Read more / PermalinkBEACH HOUSE @ The Wiltern
photo: Angel Ceballos
BEACH HOUSE plays tonight at the Wiltern, Tuesday, September 25th 2012.
BEACH HOUSE @ The Wiltern
Read more / Permalink9/24/2012
GLISS @ The Roxy October 5th
photo: Angel Ceballos
GLISS plays with She Wants Revenge on Friday, October 5th 2012, at The ROXY.
GLISS @ The Roxy October 5th
Read more / PermalinkMelody's Echo Chamber - S/T
Melody's Echo Chamber - S/T
Street Date, September 25th, 2012, Fat Possum
Photo: Angel Ceballos
Melody’s
Echo Chamber’s self-titled debut full-length is set for a Sept. 25
release on Fat Possum. Recently recorded and mixed with Tame Impala’s
Kevin Parker in Perth and at her grandparents’ beach house in Cavalière
in France, the album is a kaleidoscopic fusion of psych rock and warm
hypnotic pop.
The band has also
recently announced a full North American tour, as the openers for The
Raveonettes - full dates are listed below.
Tour Dates:
09/21 Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre *
09/22 Seattle, WA - Neumo’s *
09/23 Vancouver, BC - Venue *
09/26 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock *
09/27 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall *
09/28 St.Louis, MO - The Firebird *
09/29 Colombus, OH - A&R Bar *
09/30 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick *
10/02 Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre *
10/04 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer *
10/05 New York, NY - Webster Hall *
10/06 Washington DC - Black Cat *
10/07 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club *
10/08 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre *
10/11 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern *
10/12 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo’s 365 Club *
09/22 Seattle, WA - Neumo’s *
09/23 Vancouver, BC - Venue *
09/26 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock *
09/27 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall *
09/28 St.Louis, MO - The Firebird *
09/29 Colombus, OH - A&R Bar *
09/30 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick *
10/02 Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre *
10/04 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer *
10/05 New York, NY - Webster Hall *
10/06 Washington DC - Black Cat *
10/07 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club *
10/08 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre *
10/11 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern *
10/12 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo’s 365 Club *
* = w/ The Raveonettes
Track List:
1. I Follow You
2. Crystallized
3. You Won't Be Missing That Part of Me
4. Some Time Alone, Alone
5. Bisou Magique
6. Endless Shore
7. Quand Vas Tu Rentrer?
8. Mount Hopeless
9. IsThatWhatYouSaid
10. Snowcapped Andes Crash
11. Be Proud of Your Kids
2. Crystallized
3. You Won't Be Missing That Part of Me
4. Some Time Alone, Alone
5. Bisou Magique
6. Endless Shore
7. Quand Vas Tu Rentrer?
8. Mount Hopeless
9. IsThatWhatYouSaid
10. Snowcapped Andes Crash
11. Be Proud of Your Kids
Melody's Echo Chamber - S/T
Read more / Permalink
Labels:
announcements,
events,
info,
listen,
music,
photo,
robotangel,
tour,
video,
watch
MUDHONEY: LIVE IN BERLIN, 1988 DVD
MUDHONEY: LIVE IN BERLIN, 1988 DVD
OUT NOVEMBER 13 ON !K7 RECORDS
WATCH THE OFFICIAL TRAILER
The official trailer (Watch on Vimeo) for Mudhoney: Live In Berlin, 1988 provides a sneak preview of the over 40 minutes of concert footage from the history making show. Featuring one of the greatest rock 'n' roll groups of all time at their very best, a glorious mess of flailed hair, acidic caterwaul, gnarly riffage and fried guitar skronk as Mudhoney tear through material from their epochal (but then unreleased) Superfuzz Bigmuff EP and eponymous debut album.
The DVD also features an exclusive bonus interview with Mudhoney front man Mark Arm, recorded especially for the release of the DVD this summer in Seattle. Liner notes for the DVD were written by renowned journalist Stevie Chick.
MUDHONEY: LIVE IN BERLIN, 1988 DVD
Read more / Permalink
Labels:
announcements,
film,
music,
video,
watch
Cate Le Bon @ Mercury Lounge
Cate Le Bon photos taken by Daniel Murtagh in NYC.
Cate Le Bon will be playing at the Bootleg Theater on Tuesday October 2nd, 2012.
Cate Le Bon @ Mercury Lounge
Read more / Permalink9/22/2012
9/21/2012
HOW TO DESTROY ANGELS ANNOUNCES AN OMEN EP
HOW TO DESTROY ANGELS ANNOUNCES AN OMEN EP
AN OMEN DUE NOVEMBER 13TH VIA COLUMBIA RECORDS
LP DUE IN SPRING 2013
Photo credit: How To Destroy Angels
|
How
To Destroy Angels is a collective from Los Angeles composed of
Mariqueen Maandig, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Rob Sheridan. An Omen EP will be their debut release on Columbia Records, available November 13th digitally and on 12" vinyl. You'll begin to hear it and see it in the coming weeks.
Today, How To Destroy Angels shares a letter which can be read on Facebook here.
howtodestroyangels.com
Twitter: @destroyangels
Facebook: facebook.com/howtodestroyangels
Twitter: @destroyangels
Facebook: facebook.com/howtodestroyangels
Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/howtodestroyangels
Tumblr: destroyangels.tumblr.com
Instagram: @destroyangels
Tumblr: destroyangels.tumblr.com
Instagram: @destroyangels
HOW TO DESTROY ANGELS ANNOUNCES AN OMEN EP
Read more / PermalinkLovely Bad Things @ The Satellite
(photo: Angel Ceballos)
LOVELY BAD THINGS are playing at the Satellite tonight Friday Sept 21 2012.
Lovely Bad Things @ The Satellite
Read more / Permalink9/20/2012
Lovely Bad Things @ Constellation Room
(photo: Angel Ceballos)
LOVELY BAD THINGS are playing at the Constellation Room tonight Thursday Sept 20 2012.
Lovely Bad Things @ Constellation Room
Read more / PermalinkNOSAJ THING DROPS NEW TRACK "ECLIPSE/BLUE"
NOSAJ THING DROPS NEW TRACK "ECLIPSE/BLUE" VIA THE FADER
ANNOUNCES 10" DUE IN OCTOBER
NEW ALBUM HOME COMING IN 2013 ON INNOVATIVE LEISURE
Nosaj Thing photo by Mikey T
|
"Nosaj
Thing has a style that would make him fit in comfortably in both an art
museum and behind the board at a Drake recording session" - LA TIMES
It's been three years since the release of Nosaj Thing's highly acclaimed debut album, Drift (Alpha Pup), which topped countless Best Of Year Lists,
but 2013 will mark a new chapter for the 27-year-old producer, musician
and DJ from Los Angeles. With a new album, label and imprint (Timetable) for Innovative Leisure, Home marks the first time Nosaj has incorporated guest vocalists. Having remixed and worked with the likes of The XX, Flying Lotus, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Beck & Kendrick Lamar, it was time to incorporate a few collaborations of his own with Toro y Moi and Kazu Makino (Blonde Redhead) providing ethereal vocals for two of the tracks on Home. The rest of the album is rounded with Nosaj's signature cinematic soundscapes that explore the space from where Drift left off.
Now, hear "Eclipse/Blue feat. Kazu Makino (Blonde Redhead)," our first taste from Home.
Set to be released as a 10" single next month on Timetable, the song
sees Nosaj Thing retaining his signature sound while simultaneously
pushing new boundaries with his song craft. Check it out below.
STREAM: "Eclipse/Blue feat. Kazu Makino (Blonde Redhead)" -
PRE-ORDER: "Eclipse/Blue" 10" - http://amzn.to/OZIbdF
NOSAJ THING DROPS NEW TRACK "ECLIPSE/BLUE"
Read more / Permalink
Labels:
announcements,
music,
tour,
video,
watch
The Replacements "Color Me Obsessed"
The Replacements "Color Me Obsessed"
comes to DVD on November 20
One of 'The Seven Best New Music Documentaries of the Year'
-David Browne, Rolling Stone
COLOR ME OBSESSED, the first documentary about famed 80's indie-rock band The Replacements,will be released in a two-disc DVD set (with 6 hours of extras) on November 20 via MVD Entertainment Group.
Told through the eyes of fans, friends, and contemporaries, COLOR ME OBSESSED breaks
from the traditional music documentary format of music and
performances. Not looking to make a VH1/where-are-they-now style
documentary, director Gorman Bechard took a unique approach, "I decided
to present the band in a more iconic way," he explains. "I thought,
people believe in God without seeing or hearing him but rather through
the passion, faith, and stories of others. After watching COLOR ME OBSESSED, I'm pretty sure music fans will believe in The Replacements in much the same way."
Telling the band's story was a project close to the heart for Bechard. Like many who were weaned on punk music he latched onto this brash young Minneapolis band with fervor. Dubbed "the last best band" by Spin Magazine, their live shows could be miraculous or downright disasters. Their fans, unwaveringly faithful. As critic's darlings, their albums were wrought with angry guitars and passionate well-written lyrics that hinted at potential commercial success. Yet, somehow, the band managed to continually shoot themselves in the foot. Their relative obscurity was a motivating factor in presenting their story on film. "The Replacements should have been the next Rolling Stones," Bechard says, "And to the people who loved them, I think they were."
Combining
over 140 interviews with rockers (Colin Meloy of The Decemberists,
Craig Finn of The Hold Steady, Tommy Ramone, Grant Hart and Greg Norton
of Husker Du, all three members of Goo Goo Dolls), journalists (Robert
Christgau, Legs McNeil, Ira Robbins, Greg Kot, Jim DeRogatis), and fans
both famous (Tom Arnold, Dave Foley, George Wendt) and not, Bechard
delivers the obsessive tale of the most influential band you've never
heard of, The Replacements. And though containing not one note of their
music, COLOR ME OBSESSED is a documentary that really rocks.
Bechard is also releasing his Archers of Loaf reunion tour/concert documentary WHAT DID YOU EXPECT? on November 20. The film features the Indie rock icons playing two hometown concerts at Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill, NC. It premiered at NXNE in Toronto in June.
The Replacements "Color Me Obsessed"
Read more / Permalink
Labels:
announcements,
film,
music,
video,
watch
CHELSEA WOLFE SHARES NEW SINGLE "APPALACHIA" VIA FADER
CHELSEA WOLFE SHARES NEW SINGLE "APPALACHIA" VIA FADER
ANNOUNCES JAPAN SHOWS + HEADLINING AUSTRALIAN DATES
The 2nd single, "Appalachia", off Chelsea Wolfe's haunting 3rd album, Unknown Rooms is a tragic folk ballad, brimming
with devastating repetitive guitars, bass & drums & also
featuring a beautiful string section that brings despair, hope &
love to the song when accompanied with Ms. Wolfe's voice. Stream it
below.
On October 31st, Chelsea Wolfe will play her first shows in Japan and then head to Australia for her headline tour.
You can pre-order Unknown Rooms: A Collection Of Acoustic Songs here.
STREAM: "APPALACHIA"
CHELSEA WOLFE
UNKNOWN ROOMS: A COLLECTION OF ACOUSTIC SONGS
(SARGENT HOUSE)
OCTOBER 16th, 2012
1. Flatlands
2. The Way We Used To
3. Spinning Centers
4. Appalachia
5. I Died With You
6. Boyfriend
7. Our Work Was Good
8. Hyper Oz
9. Sunstorm
TOUR DATES
10/21 - Amoeba Records - Los Angeles, CA (acoustic set)
10/31 - Akaso - Osaka, Japan !
11/1 - Shibuya O-Nest - Tokyo, Japan $ (acoustic set)
11/3 - Unit - Tokyo, Japan #
11/7 - The Zoo - Brisbane, Australia *
11/8 - Oxford Arts Factory - Sydney, Australia *
11/9 - Northcote Social Club - Melbourne, Australia *
11/10 - Higher Ground - Adelaide, Australia *
11/11 - The Bakery - Northbridge, Australia *
11/12 - Northcote Social Club - Northcote, Australia (acoustic set)
11/17 - All My Friends Festival - Tijuana, Mexico
! = w/ Sunn O))
$ = w/ Stephen O'Malley
# = w/ Sunn O)) & Boris
* = w/ Heirs
CHELSEA WOLFE SHARES NEW SINGLE "APPALACHIA" VIA FADER
Read more / Permalink
Labels:
announcements,
info,
listen,
music,
photo,
robotangel,
tour,
video,
watch
Gonjasufi - north american tour 2012
Gonjasufi
North American Tour Starts Tomorrow

North American Tour Starts Tomorrow
“fearless, wildly genre-hopping” – FADER
“bass-heavy music that’s filled with texture and echo, laced with odd tones and wildly diverse instrumentation” – LA Times
“fascinating slabs of hallucinogenic head-nod music” - Pitchfork
Gonjasufi will kick off a rare run of North American shows this weekend starting at Pop Montreal. As with his European tour earlier this summer, he will be accompanied by the duo Skrapez, (10Shun - MPC, Turntables, FX; Psychopop - MPC, Keyboards, FX).
Tour Dates
9/21 – Montreal @ Pop Montreal
9/23 - Washington, DC - @ U Street Music Hall
9/24 - New York, NY @ Cameo Gallery
9/26 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
9/30 - Milwaukee , WI @ Miramar Theatre
10/4 - Austin, TX @ ND*
10/7 - Memphis, TN @ HI Tone*
10/8 - Nashville, TN @ High Watt *
10/9 - Atlanta , GA @ 529*
10/11 - Asheville, NC @ Emerald Lounge*
*Dates with Sonnymoon and B. Lewis
Gonjasufi followed up his 2010 breakthrough, critically-acclaimed album A Sufi and A Killer with this year’s mini-album MU.ZZ.LE. Produced by Gonjasufi and touring bandmate Psychopop, MU.ZZ.LE may be short in length, but is long on message - political, social and spiritual interpretations that define him as an artist. Written on the road, it was an outlet for Gonjasufi to challenge himself. It’s the response to all the adrenaline, aggression and anger he felt traveling the world, it’s a spectrum of his creativity and a testimony of how one man’s passion and determination is often misunderstood as anger. “There’s a duality that exists and to deny it, is the biggest mistake”.
The album's down tempo strings, heartbreaking soul, reanimated hip-hop and crackling haunting vocal stylings are stitched as a running thread throughout each song like a patchwork quilt.
It’s a lonely journey that will take you through the innermost thoughts of Gonjasufi’s darkest hours. He recorded and mixed it on his own in his home studio surrounded by his family and the stark contrast of the Mojave Desert. The end product is his outlet and realization for who he is, a way for him to feel comfortable in his own skin again.
Gonjasufi - north american tour 2012
Read more / Permalink
Labels:
announcements,
info,
music,
tour
9/19/2012
2012 Decibel Festival line-up and showcases
|
2012 dB Conference presented by Windows
For
the third year, Decibel Festival is pleased to announce that we are
teaming up with Windows as the presenting partner for this year's dB
Conference. This partnership allows the conference to provide a space
where artists, professionals, students, and the public can exchange
knowledge and create a supportive community that fosters networking,
collaboration, education, and promotes creativity through technology.
The conference, part of the broader Decibel Festival program, will take place at the Broadway Performance Hall (near the corner of Broadway & Pine) Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 12:00PM to 6:00PM PST. Hosts will include Dubspot, Resident Advisor, Native Instruments, Propellerhead Software, and Rane. Speakers will include Orbital, The Sight Below, Starkey, DJ Shiftee, Robert Henke, Tarik Barri, Adam Hummell and more! The conference is complimentary and open to all-ages. Considerate non-flash photography is encouraged. Speaker and bio information will be posted in the coming days, so please check the site often! For now, you'll find session descriptions and the schedule when you visit our web site.
For more information, session descriptions and schedule, visit dbfestival.com/program/conference.
|
2012 Decibel Festival line-up and showcases
The 2012 Decibel Festival Showcases can be view HERE
2012 Decibel Festival line-up and showcases
Read more / Permalink
Labels:
announcements,
events,
info,
music
FOXYGEN @ The Echo
FOXYGEN plays at the ECHO with Moonface tonight Wednesday September 19th 2012.
FOXYGEN @ The Echo
Read more / Permalink
Labels:
announcements,
foxygen,
music,
parties,
photo,
robotangel
Noisey Premieres Talk Normal "Cover" MP3
Noisey Premieres Talk Normal "Cover" MP3
Fall Tour Dates Announced
Sophomore Album Sunshine Out October 23 On Joyful Noise
Talk Normal will release their sophomore LP Sunshine on October 23 via Joyful Noise Recordings. Currently available for pre-order, Sunshine
will be released on a plethora of formats including pink/red split
color vinyl (limited to 500 hand-numbered copies), black vinyl, red
tint cassette, CD, and digital. Noisey is running a premiere of "Cover" from Sunshine and the track is available to post and share. Additionally, the band just announced a fall tour with Future Islands in support of the release. All shows are listed below.
After
years of friendship, Sarah Register and Andrya Ambro's Talk Normal
first emerged on the NYC music scene in 2007, initially releasing
demos, cassettes and their Secret Cog vinyl EP. Following the 2009 release of their debut album Sugarland on Rare Book Room Records (recorded and mixed by Nicolas Vernhes), Talk Normal released a handful of 7"s (including a split 7" with Thurston Moore on Nathan Howdeshell from The Gossip's Fast Weapons Records) and shared the stage with the likes of Sonic Youth, Wire, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Zola Jesus.
In the three years since Sugarland, Talk Normal have refined their noisy vigor into the diverse batch of songs found on Sunshine.
Tracks like "Bad Date", "Cover", and "Hurricane" carry almost a
meditative emotional energy, where others like "Sunshine" and "Shot
This Time" err on the side of explosive driving rock. Plus dance-y
"XO", narrative noisers "Lone General" and "Baby, Your Heart's Too
Big", and standout vocal harmonies on "Hot Water Burns". Produced by
the band, Sunshine was recorded in 2011 by Christina Files
at Vacation Island Studios in Brooklyn NY and Echo Canyon West in
Hoboken NJ (Files also contributed to production). Allen Farmello mixed
at The Snow Farm in Brooklyn NY.
Unlike traditional noisy-rock, Talk Normal's Sunshine
is steeped in melody, albeit unconventional melody. Sweet-sounding
female vocals are present throughout, sometimes as sung lyrics and
sometimes as instruments themselves. Ambro & Register's combined
voices often volley back and forth, each providing equal contributions
to vocals, lyrics, and instrumentation - meticulously orchestrating not
only the arrangements, but also the tonality of each collected sound.
As Pitchfork describes: "(their) vocals can handle both desperate screech and matter-of-fact detachment somewhere between Karen O and Kim Gordon."
Combined with Register's flowing, nearly-drony riffs and Ambro's finely
choreographed beats, the end result is a natural sonic cohesion. Maybe
not the sunshine you're used to, but rays within which you'll want to
bask.
Upcoming Shows:
09.29 - Brooklyn, NY @ 285 Kent w/Guardian Alien & Pop 1280
10.05 - Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall w/Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
10.19 - Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory (Flowerbooking CMJ Showcase)
10.26 - Brooklyn, NY @ Secret Project Robot Album Release Show with Amen Dunes & The Flag
11.02 - Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre *
11.02 - Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre *
11.03 - Savannah, GA @ The Wormhole *
11.04 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbit's *
11.05 - Orlando, FL @ The Social *
11.06 - Miami, FL @ Bardot *
11.07 - Tampa, FL @ Crowbar *
11.08 - Mobile, AL @ Alabama Music Box *
11.09 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon *
11.10 - Houston, TX @ Rudyards *
11.11 - Austin, TX @ The Parish *
11.13 - Dallas, TX @ Prophet Bar *
11.14 - Norman, OK @ The Opolis *
11.15 - Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone Cafe *
11.16 - St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway *
11.17 - Bloomington, IN @ Russian Recording *
11.18 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
11.19 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom *
11.20 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg *
* with Future Islands
For more info, please visit:
Noisey Premieres Talk Normal "Cover" MP3
Read more / Permalink
Labels:
announcements,
music,
tour,
video,
watch
Cold Specks-BACK ON TOUR!!!
POLARIS PRIZE SHORTLIST NOMINATION
“I Predict a Graceful Expulsion is a truly stunning debut.”
-Under The Radar
“…Dark and soulful…solid performance, solid music.”
-MAGNET Magazine
“When she begins singing, you understand the fuss…”
-Pitchfork
Cold Specks
is pleased to announce that she will be returning to North America this
November for a national, headlining tour kicking off on November 8th in
New York at the Mercury Lounge and wraps up in Chicago at the end of
the month. The full list of tour dates is below.
On her recent trip to NYC, Al Spx and bandmate Chris Cundy took a stroll with La Blogotheque’s Derrick
Belcham through Williamsburg's McCarren Park. Seeking shelter under a
tree, the duo settled into an acoustic version of "Heavy Hands" for
their eager audience: a couple and their small child. As the rain began
to pick up, the team decided to run for cover to a nearby Greenpoint
loft. Perched in an old stand-up bathtub behind the shroud of the
shower curtain, Al's voice, accompanied by the somber bass clarinet,
broke through with a hauntingly beautiful rendition of "Elephant Head.” To end the day’s events, the duo rested on a pair of kitchen chairs and sang us out with "Blank Maps.”
This three-song session can now be viewed at the La Blogotheque site here.
Suffering
through New York’s stifling summer heat Cold Specks ventured to Harlem
for the first time to perform “Elephant Head” in collaboration with Ice Fishing With Dan. Resting on the edge of the bar at Harlem’s historic and beloved Paris Blues Bar she sings like each moment could be her last. Epic. Gorgeous. Perfect.
Check it out here!
11/8 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY
11/9 – First Unitarian Church – Philadelphia, PA
11/10 – Jammin’ Java – Vienna, VA
11/11 – The Earl – Atlanta, GA
11/13 – Dan’s Silverleaf – Denton, TX
11/14 – The Mohawk – Austin, TX
11/17 – Harold M. Williams Auditorium at the Getty Museum – Los Angeles, CA
11/18 – Bottom of The Hill – San Francisco, CA
11/20 – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR
11/28 – Cedar Cultural Center – Minneapolis, MN
11/29 – Schubas – Chicago, IL
I Predict A Graceful Expulsion has been short-listed for the Polaris Music Prize,
Canada’s equivalent to the Mercury Prize. We are excited for Al’s debut
release to be included alongside of such talented musicians including
Grimes, Feist, Cadence Weapon and Drake. Stay tuned-a winner will be
announced on 24th September!
Cold
Specks, lead by singer-guitarist Al Spx, hails from Etobicoke, Canada
although she now calls London home. Channeling James Joyce’s Ulysses she donned the name Cold Specks from Joyce’s gripping script “Born all in the dark wormy earth, cold specks of fire, evil, lights shining in the darkness.”
Cold Specks-BACK ON TOUR!!!
Read more / PermalinkGottfried Helnwein and The Dreaming Child
First Run Features
Announces Theatrical Release of the Documentary Film
Gottfried Helnwein
and The Dreaming Child
Opening November 23, 2012, at New York's Quad Cinema
"The world is a haunted house, and Helnwein is our tour guide through it."
- Actor, director and activist Sean Penn
Gottfried Helnwein
and The Dreaming Child
Opening November 23, 2012, at New York's Quad Cinema
"The world is a haunted house, and Helnwein is our tour guide through it."
- Actor, director and activist Sean Penn
Film Director, Lisa Kirk Colburn, takes viewers on the stage and behind the scenes to choreographic sessions, rehearsals, the makeup room, and set construction. The film captures the escalating clashes between the purist production designer Helnwein, who is determined to stay true to what he believes is the writer's original vision, and the opinions of the Israeli Opera production team. Helnwein's insistence that the protagonist is played by an actual child, as Levin states in his libretto, is pitted against the director Omri Nitzan's desire to cast an adult portraying a small child, causing a passionate dispute between the Viennese artist and the Israeli team.
In the 4th Act, Levin writes about a pile of dead children. Finding this image impractical for stage, Helnwein masterfully creates a set using real children suspended in air. With additional images he gives the audience the illusion that there are endless dead children slowly spinning while singing of their many lost hopes and dreams. What results is a visual feast for the eyes that resonates beyond the opera world.
Gottfried Helnwein is a conceptual artist concerned primarily with psychological, sociological and historical issues who has worked as a painter, draftsman, photographer, muralist, sculptor, video and performance artist, and also is renowned for his stage and costume designs for theater, ballet and opera productions worldwide. One of his most famous works is Selektion, a 100-meter long installation of photographs of children along a railway station in Cologne, Germany, mounted in memoriam to the 50th Anniversary of Kristallnacht.
Helnwein grew up in Vienna in the post-WWII era and was greatly affected as a child by what he describes as a pervasive sense that something unspeakably terrible had happened in Austria. Upon finally learning the story of the Holocaust, he became fixated on the image of the child and theme of innocence betrayed. Helnwein studied at the University of Visual Art in Vienna (Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Wien) where he was awarded the Master-class prize (Meisterschulpreis) and the Theodor-Körner prize.
Filmmaker Lisa Kirk Colburn began working on the set of The Executioner's Song with Tommy Lee Jones in 1980. Studying at UCLA, Lisa has gone on to write eleven screenplays, many of them award winning. Her first, Clouds of Tragedy, was a finalist in the Eugene O'Neil Playwrights competition in 1994. The feature film The Journey, which Lisa co-wrote while working at the Sundance Lab, was produced in 1997 and won many national and international film festival awards, including the Audience Award at the Miami Film Festival. In 2005 Lisa produced and executive produced the feature length documentary Sacred Stage: The Mariinsky Theater, which tells the story of the survival of the renowned Russian theater in St. Petersburg and its artistic director Valery Gergiev, and which premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC and at Lincoln Center in New York City.
"Helnwein is one of the few exciting painters we have today." - Norman Mailer
"Helnwein is a master of surprised recognition." - William S. Burroughs
"Masterfully incorporating everything from painting to performance to photography, regularly causing art world outcry and public fury…his art is successful less for its evident tendency to provoke than for its extraordinary ability to perplex." - Artweek
"Gottfried Helnwein is my mentor - on any artistic thing I've done. His fight for expression and stance against oppression are reasons why I chose him as an artistic partner." - Musician Marilyn Manson
"For Helnwein, creativity is not a vocation but a mission. His subject matter is the human condition. The metaphor for his art is dominated by the image of the child, but not the carefree innocent child of popular imagination. Helnwein instead creates the profoundly disturbing yet compellingly provocative image of the wounded child. The child scarred physically and the child scarred emotionally from within." - Robert Flynn Johnson, Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco
Gottfried Helnwein and The Dreaming Child
Read more / Permalink









