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Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Taul “Toy Crusher” Waters is a Jacksonville, Florida–based artist whose practice evolved the way street knowledge usually does: illegally, obsessively, and with a sense of humor sharp enough to draw blood. He cut his teeth in graffiti and illustration, learning early how to communicate fast, loud, and without permission. That foundation expanded into graphic design, painting, digital illustration, and blogging—each medium treated as another surface to disrupt, remix, or interrogate. His work balances discipline with defiance, blending professional execution with the residue of alley walls, sketchbooks, and long nights spent refining ideas that refused to behave. Taul draws inspiration from hip hop culture, drum and bass rhythms, science fiction, horror, skateboard graphics, and the kind of absurd life experiences you only understand after surviving them. More recently, his exploration of synthography has pushed his visual language into stranger territory, where machines collaborate in the chaos rather than clean it up. Darkly comical and deliberately confrontational, his work invites viewers to laugh first, think second, and then realize they’ve been implicated the entire time.
Showing posts with label Drum and Bass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Drum and Bass. Show all posts

Thursday, January 1, 2026

EPISODE 15: Brain Hacking

Hope everyone had a great Christmas, happy New Year, and gained some weight over these past few weeks. It's an American tradition to put on some pounds this time of year, you know...

This photograph is one of the rare sightings of yours truly - alongside the mighty OXEGEN - live on Channel 4 Morning News about...well I honestly don't remember the exact time frame. I want to say this was around the end of 2008 or 2009 in the winter to promote an art show we were a part of sponsered by ECKO Unlimited and hosted by Chris White. There's also an interview floating around on the internet somewhere of me making a fool of myself and opening my mouth live on morning television. I don't have time to dig for it, but it honestly isn't worth watching...

...from The Archives!
BRAIN HACKING - 2000

Looking back on a lot of these sketches, it seems like I was just using random types of markers that I'd find on the sidewalk or under couch cushions. (I wasn't, btw) I can admit that these types of characters were executed before I had any type of art education other than what I'd learned on the street or from other artists that I had been influenced by up to this point. It was like a creative Wild West between my brain and my hand. Living on the edge, man. Crazy days.

This is something I've been saying (and getting into a few debates and arguments about over the course of my adult life) for a while now...

From Big Think:

IN THE WEST, YOGA IS EXERCISE. IN THE EAST IT IS SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER
Annelisa Leinbach / Big Think; Wikimedia Commons
"While yoga has become a trendy lifestyle and wellness practice in North America, its roots are ancient, spiritual, and profound. Originally developed in Hinduism, yoga provides a path to achieve a higher state of consciousness and to unite with the divine."
>>> READ THE REST HERE <<<

I don't know, I don't really like to get to spiritual or metaphysical these days because why would you? I will confess, though, I'm guilty of using yoga to calm my nerves so I don't curse people out. So, I'm probably part of the problem...
Full disclosure: this next interview is not for the easily offended, but is hands down one of the wildest yet inspirational interviews I've seen yet...

ANDREW HUBERMAN INTERVIEWS DAVID CHOE ON ADDICTION, PAIN, AND CREATIVITY

"David Choe is a world-renowned artist, writer, podcaster and TV host. He tells how as a child, he was made to believe he was destined for greatness but also that he was a complete disgrace, leading him to channel his energy—including deep shame—into art that brought him global recognition. He shares about his addictions that put him on a decades-long cycle of extreme highs and lows and that forced him to eventually acknowledge and heal the childhood trauma he was battling inside. David shows up with raw, authentic presence to show us how we can transmute pain and shame into our best creative work and, more importantly, how complete vulnerability, especially about our hardest experiences, is the ultimate tool for forgiveness and self-acceptance. He also tells us the actual story about early Facebook, Pee-wee Herman and Santa Claus."

If you know David Choe's story, then you know if anyone is qualified to confidently speak about these subjects to someone like Andrew Huberman it's him. I've been a fan of his since The Whale, but I can remember a time when he had his own podcast and was going wild on Instagram. Even though that's his recent history and only the surface level of who he is, Choe is someone who's lived life as a true authtentic creative. Obviously he's also a "Do Not Try This At Home" warning to young creatives who aren't built for his type of life.

Is this true?...

SCIENTISTS DISCOVER THE FIGURE THAT FORMS WHEN A LIFE IS ACTIVATED
For the first time, MIT scientists managed to observe what happens at the exact instant a human life begins. We’re not talking about minutes later, or hours: we’re talking about the precise second in which the egg is fertilized.

What they saw was unexpected. Right after fertilization, biochemical waves travel across the egg as if someone had pressed an invisible switch. It’s not a chaotic reaction: it’s an organized activation signal, a true biological “second zero” that sets everything that comes afterward into motion.

What’s unsettling is that these waves are not distributed at random. They follow rhythmic patterns and proportions that the researchers compare to shapes that repeat throughout nature: spirals, orderly growth, sequences similar to Fibonacci, the same ones that appear in galaxies, seashells, and plants.

From SciTech Daily:
Researchers have taken a pivotal step toward understanding how living cells could have originated from nonliving matter.

At some point in Earth’s history, nonliving, inorganic substances gave rise to the first forms of life. This transition from lifeless matter to living organisms remains one of science’s most profound and unresolved questions. Today, researchers are engineering synthetic cells that behave like real biological cells in an effort to uncover insights into how life might have originally emerged on our planet.
>>> READ THE REST HERE <<<

Whenever I come across any new scientific theories or discoveries I start with a few questions. "What does the general population do with this information? Is it something we can impliment in our daily thought and lives to improve things? Is it a step in unlocking mysteries yet unsolved? Should the rest of us really care? etc." This may sound ignorant (probably through sheer definition of the word), but I kind of place this type of information in the "does it really matter?" bin.

THE AMAZING WORLD OF GUMBALL - BACTERIA


Lemme show ya somethin'...


Look, I fully realize this is a decades ago trend, but I've never been one to jump on trends so here we are. It took me years just to go from MySpace to FaceBook - stop judging me. Oddly enough, this video kind of demonstrates my tedious and machine like tendency for linear, Euclidean order. That's a highfalutin way of saying I'm a little odd. Anyway...

There aren't too many good feelings that are better than a solid modern day adaptation of a great book you read decades ago...

THE LONG WALK TRAILER

The Stephen King Universe has made a resurgence in the last few years thanks to the IT series plus a slew of other films and I'm most definitely here for it. What I've noticed is that there's been a significant uptick in talk about the King World due to the premier of the IT: Welcome to Derry TV series; I'm undoubtedly guilty of devling back into a bunch of the older films just to see how well things connect.

However, The Long Walk is one of those stories by King that stick with you over the course of your life. I remember reading this decades ago while I was on a field op in Camp Lejuene and being horrified but immersed by and in the story itself. The characters are sharp on screen and are often times entertaining, regardless of the dire dystopian situation they find themselves in. If you're a fan of the Stephen King Universe, this one is highly recommended.

GET. EX. CITED!...

WE BURY THE DEAD TRAILER

I try not to hype up new releases because it can easily turn out to be disappointing once the feature actually hits the screen, but I'm a sucker for zombie flicks; even the bad ones. There's something about the genre that keeps me interested. I should probably talk to someone about that. However, this one looks promising as this is the first time I've seen Daisy Ridley outside of a Star Wars role. (I fully realize she's done other films besides, but bear with me.) What makes We Bury The Dead different is the filmmakers idea as it relates to the temperament of the zombies. It gives them leeway to still be somewhat human...until they're not anymore. I'm ready for it.

Anyone who knows me can tell you that my taste in music is eclectic and odd; sometimes bordering disturbing. Yet on the lighter side of that spectrum you can catch me bumping these awesome human beings...

STEREOLAB - PLASTIC MILE

From Mojo:
“We have to organise how society is run in radically different ways, based on radically different values…”
>>> READ THE INTERVIEW HERE <<<

I'd read that interview; they're an interesting group of individuals. I first got tuned in to them around 1995 by one of my homies from high school and was instantly enthralled with their original sound. There have been quite a few clones that have popped up in subsequent years after their debut in 1990, but at the time the mantra was "no one sounds like Stereolab". On top of that they're very prolific and consistent in their quality of releases. I only own about 7 of their albums, but I can't say I've ever heard a bad one.

I don't like ending this episode on a dreary note, but this has been some of the saddest news I've seen all year...

From NBC News:

JAMES RANSONE PASSES AWAY AT 46
James Ransone in Westwood, Calif., in 2019.Robyn Beck / AFP via Getty Images file
"Actor James Ransone died Friday apparently by suicide, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner. He was 46.

Ransone, a native of Maryland, was best known for playing Ziggy Sobotka in the TV series "The Wire" and for his role as Eddie Kaspbrak in the horror movie "It: Chapter Two."

He acted on shows such as "Generation Kill" and "Bosch," with his final TV appearance in a Season 2 episode of "Poker Face" that aired in June, according to The Movie Database."
>>> READ THE REST HERE <<<

My condolences to James' family, friends, and colleagues. He absolutely killed the roles he played in Sinister and IT, and had a distinct type of humor to his demeanor that anyone could admire.

This hits very close to home (as I'm sure it does with quite a few of us). One of my childhood friends took his own life a couple of decades ago by getting extremely inebriated and driving head on into a semi truck. I remember the last time I spoke to him he kept telling me how weak of a man he felt he was. He grew up next door to me in Atlantic Arms in Mayport, had five sisters that were younger than him, an absent father and mother who was a drug addict. His life was rough, but he was one of the kindest people you could meet and was one of my best friends.

Another friend that I was stationed with at Camp Lejuene also took his own life by undisclosed measures. He was heavy into Black Metal, loved to fight and would stick up for anyone who was on his side, but still one of the kindest and most intelligent people I've met.

I say this to say that it is imperative that people look out for one another. Know that anyone you encounter could be struggling with life in ways you couldn't conceive or imagine and still be smiling and laughing with you, going to work, and taking care of their families.

The world at large is no joke, believe me...
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 or go to 988lifeline.org to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
BIOSTASIS - BRAIN HACK

#toycrusher #taulwatersuniverse #mechdirective #art #artblog #jacksonville #jacksonvilleflorida #jax #jaxart #jaxartist #duvalcounty #duuuval #horror #jacksonvilleart #jaxartblog #oxegenmbk #channel4newsjax #yoga #biostasis #drumandbass #yoga #hinduism #jamesransone #davidchoe #andrewhuberman #stephenking #thelongwalk #science #theamazingworldofgumball #bacteria #myspace #facebook #welcometoderry #it #stereolab #weburythedead #starwars #daisyridley

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

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

Thursday, October 31, 2024

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

Sunday, June 30, 2024

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