BEARDYMAN human beatbox

ashwan

times up

check the links below for some of the history involved with this cut IF you don't already know.

Minerals, Vitamins, Irons Niacin

wu tang v's the beatles

I think THIS is really interesting, and more importantly, really well done. it is a mash-up of beatles tunes and wu tang accapellas. I have not listened to it all, just a quick scan, but it sounds DOPE! on the negative side, the title is a bit misleading. the beatles do not personally feature as much as i would have liked to hear here...i mean beatles cover versions have long been used in classic hip hop... a version of 'a day in the life' by les demerle was used as the loop in OC's classic 'Times Up' *post above! if i need to start digging I am sure i can come up with quite a few others. the Beatles BLEW THE F*CK UP in the late sixties, so by the mid 70's a serious amount of albums had some kind of reference/cover on them. inevitably they all brought something fresh to the table...which is cool that dude is using them here...BUT actually the TRUE artists involved are not getting their full credit and due here.
seriously I have listened to this album for a total of about 90 seconds so far. not enough to give it a critical beatdown. it doesn't do exactly what it says on the tin, but it is dope.
download it here:
WU TANG v's BEATLES mixtape
peace.
ashwan

fashion blog: up the hill

Maya Villiger


just came across an interesting fashion blog:
www.jakandjil.com

ashwan

blue monday and mad scientists

apparently TODAY is BLUE MONDAY, as calculated by a mad scientist named Cliff Arnall.
his equation for this theory appears above.

it turned out that it was part of a publicity campaign by a travel company to drum up business at this time of the year.

well, good news folks, I have another way of chasing any blues away!

I am working on a painting right now that is inspired by Keni Burke's 'Rising to the Top' and while I was getting into my Keni Burke frame of mind, I came across this little gem and figured it was the perfect way to chase the blues away.

Keni is the dude on the left hand side of the screen in the funky white pimp gear.

enjoy




ashwan

Crosby Beach

age of curiousity

wise words

"The studio is a laboratory, not a factory...An exhibition is the result of your experiments, but the process is never-ending. So an exhibition is not a conclusion."
Chris Ofili

from The Guardian

ashwan

20:50 Richard Wilson

Richard Wilson is a British artist. His work to me sits right alongside American minimalists such as Donald Judd, carl andre and richard serra.
and for the record, I know a lot of people find this type of work dull and non inspirational, I love it.
The difference with Wilson, for me is that he is far less spiritual and far more physical. when you think about his construction process, as opposed to getting lost in his slick aesthetic, Wilson's work becomes more 'maximal' rather than Minimal! how much time and effort has gone into creating this piece, when essentially, even the way it functions is incredibly simple...dark oil reflecting light.
this work was originally made in the mid 80's. I still think it is a great piece and has been a stepping stone from artists like Judd to other contemporary artists recent work, such as Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate.



this piece has recently been re-installed at the new Saatchi Gallery in London.

go check it out.

ashwan

tables turned!

I love it when something comes along to give you fresh energy. I get this from spinning when I have dug deep in the crates and found something that I haven't played in a while...like when I played last night. it's feels great to surprise an audience, give them something that they are not expecting, but fits right in and somehow it then feels like it was the only possible option.
that's also the vibe I get with these guys.
In the world right now we have so much commercial junk that it is sometimes easy to forget that a lot of people are still striving with integrity to get the most out of their art.

go peep the main site for this, it has a whole series that is definitely worth checking.
http://pitchfork.com


peace and turntables!
ashwan

OH HONEY!

paintings slide show

a little slideshow put together of some paintings to beats also created by myself (ashwan) with additional guitar licks by Ronan Tyrrell.

please feel free to pass it on.
ashwan

Pixel art- Eric Daigh

I have always had a soft spot for pixel based art.
It takes away the idea of the genius artist and makes art real...like anyone can do it. I love that and think it's important to take that attitude towards creating work.
it is not a new idea, and has been really well done by quite a few artists in different ways...probably most famously by Chuck Close.
Recently I saw this guys work though. His name is Eric Daigh. he makes these big portraits out of push pins...you know the ones that come in four colours with the lil' plastic tops on them...and while on the one hand it is a bit twee, on the other, it is really well done and so it gets the thumbs up in my book.

you can check more out here.

ashwan

FUNK SOUL HIP HOP this Saturday in Barcelona

I will be dropping Funk/Soul/Hip Hop beats and breaks this coming Saturday the 9th of January at the Gran Foc in Barcelona.
it is on Roger de Lluria,23, just off the corner with Gran Via and right across the street from the Ritz hotel.

Sitio: Gran Foc en Roger de LLuria 23 justo con Gran Via de les Corts y enfrente del Hotel Ritz...Sabado 9 Enero 2010.

ashwan

BIG STRINGS!

The Sounds of VTech / Suite For Ma Dukes: Take Notice

how would I love to have access to a big phat orchestra!?!?!
when I listen to the old funk/soul ish that lights my fire it is usually the contrast between the funk and the orchestration that really makes it work....barry white was a true master of this balance.
on the other hand, I am not into super repetitive/hi energy house or techno, but when you watch this clip from Jeff Mills with the Montpellier Philharmonic, it is obvious the crowd buzz off the extra energy that the orchestra brings.

here is a new project of J.Dilla beats, orchestral stylee...it's interesting and I am looking forward to hearing more.

until then, here is a reminder of what Barry White was capable of:



enjoy.

ashwan

Things Fall Apart

a couple of paintings that were picked up by a German private collector recently.
from the 'Things Fall Apart' series.
both are oil on canvas, 2ftx2ft