Episode 11: Peculiar Research

Ok, so, I've been really inconsistent with updating this blog. I'ma let y'all in on a little secret, though: the older you get, the more you have going on in life. Kinda like a video game. It just gets harder and harder and goes faster the longer you play. With that being said, I'm going to start doing an opening segment called From The Archives to showcase a ton of my older, lost work that I didn't have the wherewithal to archive when Blogger gave me the option. Also, to keep y'all updated on the audio version of the blog, that may take a little longer than I expected. We'll get there, don't worry. I'm just grateful some of y'all still like to read these days.

From The Archives:

The Red Queen (2005)
First up is a monotone character from one of my small sketch books from around 2005. This was years before my first group exhibit when I was experimenting with different color combinations and subject matter. You can see the early influence of scifi, mechanical, and a little bit of disembodied horror themes seeping into the psyche. This outline more than likely went up on a wall somewhere to subsequently be buffed and lost forever.

To kick this episode off, here's a pro tip:

Especially in Florida...

You think that you've seen all of the jump scares that could possibly surprise you, but then you watch this...

WHEN EVIL LURKS TRAILER
Look, I don't know about the rest of y'all, but I don't think there is a soul out there tough enough not to wince at what happens in "that" scene in this movie. Serioulsy fam, WHAT?!

Speaking of wincing, I just got around to watching Terrifier 3 and I'll just say you better be watching this movie with a friend, otherwise you will be scarred for life:

TERRIFIER 3 TRAILER


The first two Terrifiers were an absolute homage to comedic bloodshed. Slasher fans everywhere praised it as a cult classic (still do), so when the third installment was released I figured there was no way they could up the sheer visceral mayhem that Art the Clown brings to the function. They most certainly did. If all out gore is your thing in horror films, you're going to have a blast watching this (you sicko).

What an exciting time we live in...

THIS VIRTUAL 3D MODEL LETS YOU WANDER THE STREETS OF ANCIENT ROME

From Big Th!nk:

"The archaeologist Bernard Frischer developed a digital model of ancient Rome over almost three decades. Its most recent version, available on Yorescape, shows how the Eternal City developed over time. Viewing ancient Rome in a 3D space has allowed for discoveries that could not have been made otherwise."

>>> THE MODEL IS AVAILABLE HERE<<<

You can't ever say you're bored anymore. Not while people are making 3D models of ancient cities for you to peruse like you're shopping for old real estate.

You're most definitely not going to be bored anymore once you listen to what these guys have to say:

DIARY OF A CEO INTERVIEWS DR. DONALD HOFFMAN ON THE SUBJECT OF PERCEPTION

Is it weird that the voice that I imagine narrates some of my actions is Louis CK's? Also, I met a blind racist lady the other day. These two things are not necessarily connected, btw. However, after watching the previous interview with Dr. Hoffman, I'm not so sure...

This is the best thing I've heard all year:

HATE Podcast 434: SHED

SHED is the 434th guest of our original Hate Podcast series.

René Pawlowitz is a man of many aliases—SHED, Head High, Hoover, WK7, and Evil Fred—each representing a different facet of his wide-ranging musical identity. With a career rooted deeply in Berlin’s underground scene.

Download available at 10.000 listens on our Soundcloud channel: https://soundcloud.com/hate_music/she...

Follow #SHED here:
https://linktr.ee/nowt_030
/ shedofficial
/ shed030
/ nowt_030

You have to be a lover of techno to understand that the previous segment is not related to anything or anyone hateful.

This next legend needs no introduction:

JEFF MILLS LIVE @ RAVE SATELLITE 2001
I can dig for decades and still not find all the good music I've missed because of the sheer volume of it out there. I don't need to say much about Jeff Mills, but I will say that I'm still heartbroken that I lost all of the cassette tapes I had of his underground mixes. Lucky for me, they're more than likely archived online somewhere so I should probably stop whining.

I was eating Chinese food the other day and I was wondering why they always give you multiple fortune cookies? Is it even possible to have multiple fortunes? Is only one of them true and the others lies? Do they even have the power to dictate my fortune? What are they doing, attaching Skittles to their knuckles and pretending to be Thanos?

...idk, but anyway I'm back on the grind in the am, so I'll take us out with a classic by the mighty Paradox. KEEP THOSE EYES OPEN.

PARADOX - WE CHOOSE TO PERPLEX
#toycrusher #taulwatersuniverse #mechdirective #art #artblog #jacksonville #jacksonvilleflorida #jax #jaxart #jaxartist #duvalcounty #duuuval #horror #jacksonvilleart #jaxartblog #SHED #HATEPodcast #techno #paradox #drumfunk #drumandbass #chinesefood #jeffmills #whenevillurks #terrifier3 #blackthought #ancientrome #louisck #toycrusher

Episode 10: My Engine Stays Runnin'

MY ENGINE STAYS RUNNIN'
Microns, Sharpies, Prismacolors, & Copics on paper
You can only make so much use of a dying marker that's old and on its last leg. RIP to that OTR that went for almost a year straight.

As slow as I am to post on this blog, this will probably be released before any of you even read this. I'm still here to do my job, though:

A L I E N: Earth Teaser
I've always kept the thought in the back of my mind that having a cat on a space station has to be one of the biggest annoyances in the universe - besides an actively aggressive xenomorph...obviously. I mean, they knock shit over and trip people for no reason. It's only a matter of time before they set the ship off course just because they feel like it. Be that as it may, I'm excited about this new direction the A L I E N franchise is taking but let's be real...Jonesy probably put that egg on the Sulaco.

This is a major loss for the OG Adult Swim fam:

From The Seattle Times:

"George Lowe, the actor who voiced superhero turned talk-show host Space Ghost on “Space Ghost: Coast to Coast” on the Cartoon Network for nearly two decades, died Sunday in Lakeland, Fla. He was 67.

His agent, Christy Clark, confirmed the death. His family said in a statement that Lowe had a challenging recovery after undergoing elective heart surgery in November.

“Space Ghost: Coast to Coast” was the first fully original program for Cartoon Network and the spark that led to the creation of Adult Swim, the network’s late-night programming block. The show, which ran for 11 seasons from 1994 until 2012, reimagined Space Ghost, the title character from a 1960s Hanna-Barbera superhero cartoon, as a temperamental talk show host in a new format that mixed animation and live action. "

READ THE REST HERE

Space Ghost Coast to Coast - Will Ferrell and Zack Galifianakis interview (The Campaign promo)


He said "lemme just chirp that to my Twangers". George Lowe gave Space Ghost the sharp wit that made him a legendary character in the Adult Swim lineage. His is the type of art that can't be reproduced, so I'm sad to hear about his passing.

Be honest, I look like an IT guy in this video:

If this gives away anything about me, it's probably that I'm much geekier than you would've guessed. Look, there comes a moment in your life where you start receiving mail about AARP and you just become a regular person out of nowhere. It's hilarious.

On the subject of geekery:

PETE HOLMES - LIFE DOESN'T MAKE SENSE
I think there are certain principles of reality that most - if not all - people inherently realize, so we invent institutions, belief systems, communities, laws, and the likes to govern or lessen the probability of objective societal collapse. What Pete Holmes just pointed out in this video is one of those principles. Do with that what you will...

The following film is an example of what I like to imagine happens a lot with our current space faring institutions:
LIFE WATCH HERE
Mind you, what I meant by my previous statement was that our current space faring institutions probably withhold information about what they find on their expeditions. Not "there are deadly organisms they've discovered and they haven't told us yet". Although...

...but, nah, L I F E (the movie, not the existential dread marathon I'm living) was a breath of fresh air for me as far as modern scifi goes. Sure, we've seen the "crew of researchers go into space and find a violent being they shouldn't have fucked with" trope a few times, but none of them have the comic relief of Ryan Reynolds.

This was a fun, wild, atmospheric aural adventure:

HORO VISION PODCAST 019: ASC

From SOUND CLOUD:

ASC marks the release of his Defiance LP for Horo with a 2-hour mix of 170BPM techno and Grey Area seeds made around the same time as the tracks on the LP.

ASC - Defiance [HOROEX38] horo.lnk.to/defiance

ASC - Defiance: Prelude [HOROEX37] horo.lnk.to/horoex37

www.instagram.com/ascaux/

Subscribe to the Horo Vision Podcast on iTunes - found.ee/HViTunes
LISTEN HERE
I listened to the first half of this in the dark while typing out and coding this blog post. I felt like I was trying to get into The Gibson for a second. ASC has been making the type of out there, otherworldy drum and bass since I caught his Pitch Black release on Offshore / Ohm Resistance on the flip of Quoit & Submerged murderous killer tune El Topo. Still rock both sides to this day.

Until the next episode, rock to this tune by a couple of my favorite drum and bass producers gone rogue into a nasty boom-bap bboy anthem. Next time!

LOXY & INK - MANIFESTED VISIONS
#adultswim #ALIENEarth #georgelowe #loxyandink #drumandbass #spaceghost #spaceghostcoasttocoast #willferrell #xenomorph #zackgalfianakis #peteholmes #lifemovie #horovision #asc #offshorerecordings

Episode 9: Wizard of Odds

*dusts off keyboard*

"LOOK WHAT I CAN DO!"

Weird Jeopardy Contestant
Microns, Sharpies, Prismacolors on paper
It's been more than a few months and I've completely slept on Inktober last year, but I'm still finding time to "pick up a pencil", as the AI haters say. I'm continuing to line things up to get the blog into audio format (for those out there too lazy to read), so don't forget to tune in!

Is it strange that I was super excited about this, or am I just old?:

BOB ROSS - THE JOY OF PAINTING (LIVE CHANNEL)

WATCH LIVE CHANNEL HERE
From World Screen:

Bob Ross’s The Joy of Painting Heads to Tubi
Tubi will bring 30 seasons of the cult phenomenon The Joy of Painting, featuring Bob Ross, to its library on the Docurama Channel from Cinedigm.

Ross launched The Joy of Painting on U.S. public television in 1983 along with his partners Annette and Walt Kowalski. Nearly 400 episodes will stream on Tubi by the end of July, to watch for free.

“Bob Ross and his unforgettable style make The Joy of Painting the epitome of comfort TV,” said Adam Lewinson, chief content officer of Tubi. “Tubi is proud to be a streaming home for this timeless and beloved series.”

READ THE REST HERE

I know at least 80% of y'all clicked on that link and watched at least a few minutes of that feed...

Ok, my man TORN didn't have to go this hard:

SAMURAI MUSIC MIX 060: TORN

LISTEN HERE
From SOUNDCLOUD:

Continuously refining his singular approach to music construction, Torn commemorates the release of his second LP - Immortal for Samurai Music with a new mix for the label. 2 hours of the Torn vision shifting through immaculately twisted soundscapes.

Immortal is out now - sq.lnk.to/SMDELP11_

www.instagram.com/van_torn/

Twisted soundscapes, indeed. This is one of those mixes that if you played it for someone who's never listened to this style of music, they'd probably assume you had a secret diabolical laboratory in your basement...or you drive a Tesla truck.

I don't know if any of y'all have ever seen them, but these Backrooms flicks are wild:
I sat through all 45 minutes of this video and didn't even realize it. It's hands down one of the weirdest things I've seen on the internet since the days of when Hulu was a free platform. If you're not familiar, they're basically found footage videos of some random person wandering through a complex maze of rooms that each have evidence that something you don't want to know about went down. I'll tell you this though, as anxious as I am I would've freaked out by the third room.

On a lighter note, the good folks at Acrylick - teaming up with DJ Sophenom - have released this fresh reggae mix just in time for the return to peak Florida heat! (or wherever you'll be sweating it out)

ACRYLICK REGGAE MIX 2024 - MIXED BY DJ SOPHENOM

LISTEN HERE
I'm listening to it as I type this and I gotta say, there are definitely some head-nodders in there for those who know. Plus there are plenty of classics and party joints thrown in for seasoning. Smoke 'em if you got 'em!

If you're the type of person who would read this blog, I'm sure you're already familiar with this flick:
FRANKENSTEINS ARMY CLICK HERE TO WATCH
It's films like this that exist just to let people know that not every filmmaker is playing by any set of rules. It is horror that is highly unruly; akin to the VHS series or, more recently, In A Violent Nature or Barbarian. If you're claustrophobic or have a high disgust sensitivity, I'd steer clear of this one. However, if you're like the rest of us weirdos...proceed.

I'm going to close this out with a mix by one of my favorite drum and bass dj's/producers, DJ Fracture of Fracture & Neptune. The crazy thing about the internet is that - just like life - you simply can't see, hear, or do everything that's out there. Prime example: this mix is over a year old and I just found out about it. Be that as it may, it's chock full of the tough breaks, basslines, and stabs you're used to coming from this drumfunk legend. Enjoy and I'll catch you on the next episode!

FRACTURE LIVE ON KOOL FM
#toycrusher #taulwatersuniverse #mechdirective #art #artblog #jacksonville #jacksonvilleflorida #jax #jaxart #jaxartist #duvalcounty #duuuval #acrylick #backrooms #bobross #djfracture #djsophenom #drumandbass #drumfunk #frankensteinsarmy #horror #jacksonvilleart #jaxartblog #joyofpainting #milk #reggae #Tesla #uhaul

Left Field Mantra

SELF PORTRAIT
Prismacolors, Copics, and Microns
I'm only posting the portrait above because I thought it was funny.

But...

I wanted to share this over here because, like it or not, I'm immensely proud of this one:

Technology has reached yet another new height of ridiculous efficiency, and I'm here for it. More of this yonder-year insanity can be perused over on my Threads feed, if you're nasty. The images for this composition were conceptualized by me, generated in DALL-E 3, animated in Luma, then stitched in CapCut. Make you a couple of PB & J's, then scroll through that feed and get lost in it.

Well, it’s official. I’m now “guy who needs glasses to read things” old.

You can catch me at the grocery store about to read a label, then being like “wait, let me consult the focal oracles” while I slip on these geek windows. The upside: reading my phone is like 3D now.

I feel confident in taking the leap of faith by posting this as I've just started to listen to it:

SAMURAI MUSIC PODCAST: PRESHA MIX

LISTEN HERE
Samurai Music has been putting out the kind of moody, dystopian drum & bass sound that's so gritty and dark you kinda feel like you're piloting the Nebuchadnezzar from The Matrix. One of the first mixes I listened to from this camp was from Presha, but the absolute nastiest was an older one by Pessimist. If you're into that dark sound, I'd highly suggest giving that one a listen as well...as soon as you're done with this heat I just posted.

We're getting closer...

A L I E N: ROMULUS TRAILER
We're back to the OG aesthetic of the franchise. The "ragtag crew of misfits stuck on a space vessel with some horrendously evolved and aggressive beast" aesthetic. Fede Alvarez has an impressive resume (Evil Dead, Don't Breathe), so if anything I think we're in for a good scifi slasher. I'm sure the deep fanbase will have a much more critical analysis, but I just like to enjoy films and either throw shade at them or praise them. The fun never stops!

While we're on the subject of trailers for new horror, I just caught wind of this evil gem:
SMILE 2 TEASER TRAILER
After watching the first one and subsequently questioning people's demeanor for 2 months afterward, I'm kinda curious to see if they can top the creepy levels of the previous installment. If you haven't seen the first Smile, I'd highly suggest you stop being a punk and watch it alone...in the dark...at midnight...in a basement. I mean, I didn't view it that way, but I guarantee anyone brave enough to do so won't be the same afterward.

Just so you know, there are no real protagonists in the film I'm about to post below: VILLAINS CLICK HERE TO WATCH
I watched this one on accident, but within the first few minutes is a strangely comical scene involving the tall dude from Hemlock Grove who played Pennywise in the new IT and the girl from It Follows, so I continued on. What happened afterward pretty much convinved me that the best movies out there are ones that most of us won't ever see or hear about unless we go looking for them.

EXISTENTIAL QUESTION:

What makes someone aspire to be an anesthesiologist? Or a gynecologist? Or proctologist? What events take place in ones life or what influences happen to someone for them to decide "one day, I want to induce people into unconsciousness"? What inspiration has to strike someone for them to make the hefty decision that they want to peer into people's vaginas or rectums for a living?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

MADLIB - BEAT PROVIDER (THROUGH THE YEARS)
#toycrusher #taulwatersuniverse #mechdirective #art #artblog #jacksonville #jacksonvilleflorida #jax #jaxart #jaxartist #duvalcounty #duuuval #ALIEN #ALIENRomulus #beatkonducta #capcut #dalle3 #drumandbass #lumadreammachine #madlib #presha #samuraimusic #scifi #smile2 #villains

Weird Life

SKETCHBOOK SESSION
Most of these character sketches will probably be used for references for synthography images. Or they'll be Frankensteined into other illustrations "for parts". That's the beauty of digital art. The sources can come from all over.

Good news!

The mighty Synthography Magazine has released their second issue (one of my images is featured below), and I have to say the lineup is ridiculously sick! Too many artists to link here, but you can check out their Instagram for the full list. You can also order the hard copy here: SYNTHOGRAPHY MAG

Why does anyone drink these?

I took one sip and almost spit it in some random lady's face. This tastes like someone took goat hooves, pulverized them, marinated them in wasabi and gasoline, put caffiene in it, then dropped it in a can. I almost took it home to put in my lawnmower to save money on gas.

Y'all are in trouble now!

From Interesting Engineering:

World’s first’ graffiti-removing drone debuts in Washington

"The new drone can be used to remove graffiti in hard-to-reach places like high-level walls and bridges."

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has announced that it will pioneer a new breed of graffiti-removing drones. Modified from existing water-spraying drones, the new ones can cover graffiti in hard-to-reach places.

The new drone is part of WSDOT’s larger battle to fight graffiti. To this end, the state passed a $1 million bill in March of this year for this purpose.

There are two parts to the program. The first part aims to upgrade traffic cameras for easier identification of people who spray graffiti along the roads.

READ THE REST HERE

Washington, you nasty! This is actually hilarious. If you haven't stopped the graff "problem" in whatever city you run by now, in 2024, what makes you think throwing more money and technology at it will be a "solution"? Also, I think they're underestimating the average graffiti writers' intelligence.

This is like a young, sheltered persons Fight Club:

YOUTH IN REVOLT CLICK HERE TO WATCH
Michael Cera kind of puts me in mind of a younger generation Bill Murray. He's comical by his facial expressions and by saying very little. The only other person I can think of that really pulls that off is Lesley Neilson, but Cera is a little sharper. Surprisingly, this film uses the "downtrodden underdog who stands up for himself by means of split personality" trope and puts the philosophy into smaller bites. I honestly think it's all out hilarious.

I don't exactly want to link anything to Forbes from here, so I will illustrate this next segment in Instagram screen shots:

They should've just stopped at the first one, but nooooo. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the Matrix films but let's be real: No one was calling for sequels. If it weren't for the action sequences, I honestly don't think the majority of people would have watched any of them. While the film(s) are heavily laced with philosophical, religious, and scientific tropes, that doesn't really sell movies touted as action flicks. Guns, crazy flips, and women in tight patent leather will, though. Just not Plato's Allegory of the Cave.

If anyone has an extra regular sleep schedule lying around, please send me one! Until next time!

MADLIB feat. GUILTY SIMPSON - LOOKING FOR TROUBLE
#toycrusher #taulwatersuniverse #mechdirective #art #artblog #jacksonville #jacksonvilleflorida #jax #jaxart #jaxartist #duvalcounty #duuuval #synthographymagazine #interestingengineering #wsdot #youthinrevolt #michaelcera #thematrix #madlib #guiltysimpson #madlibmedicineshow