They say Qzen's a feeling...

Light-transmitting concrete. Rad new material! Infused with...

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:48:44 -0700

Light-transmitting concrete. Rad new material! Infused with optical fibers yet strong as ever.

I am a very happy person. I feel fortunate and competent, and...

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 03:18:00 -0700

I am a very happy person. I feel fortunate and competent, and it’s a great combination. I have landed myself in a vibrant community of creative, intelligent, loving people, and the exchange is heart-warming and mind-expanding! (Yah, I’m a bit of a hippy, aren’t I? Need I remind you I grew up in San Francisco?)

So yes, I’m very much enjoying myself in my new home of Berlin. I’ve found my cheap bike (not stolen; thanks Craigslist!) and my longer-term apartment in the hip neighborhood of Kreuzberg, complete with sane roommate who’s also a professional in the music industry — and likes cats! I don’t make that move until September, but in the meantime I’ll be sharing a sublet for a month with a great friend from San Francisco, also in Kreuzberg. For several reasons, I’m very happy to be making the move a bit further south in the city, although I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to explore Prenzlauer Berg some. And nothing is that far in Berlin by bike, so I’ll be back up here to continue exploring, perhaps on Sunday to trip through the flea market. The design nerd in me is super looking forward to developing my new nest!

I’ve started learning German, taking classes five days a week. A friend whom I know through Gray Area is here for a few months, so we’re learning together, and it’s a very interesting experience being in a class of adults. I like it! It is a bit exhausting integrating another language structure and vocabulary already, and it’s true that you are able to speak English most places here, but I am determined to learn the local language. I’ve also been using my Spanish and French loads here, which is great as I will be able to not only retain/practice them but develop the complementary skill of switching between the languages I know. Neat!

It’s been outrageously hot here, like close to/over 100°F/38°C. That’s slowed everyone down a bit, and the photo above was taken in my current neighborhood last weekend. The local firehouse brought the hoses out and delighted the people to a healthy drenching. I loved watching the kids and families and tourists and bikers passing by all laugh and dance in the water. Joy!

Milton Glaser's "Ten Things I Have Learned"

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 03:46:00 -0700

Milton Glaser's "Ten Things I Have Learned":

I believe my favorite here is “Some people are toxic. Avoid them.” That alone is going to steer your life in a more beautiful direction.

This came to me courtesy a lovely person and artist, Dean Grenier.

Snippet of an interview with Jim Morrison from 1970, in which he...

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 03:44:14 -0700

Snippet of an interview with Jim Morrison from 1970, in which he pretty much predicts the kind of music I make now. ”One person… using machines.” Shouts to Mark E Quark & Monty Luke, two fellow music nerds whom I greatly respect, through which this found its way to me.

This is a nice time to plug Mark’s awesome store on discogs (here), a digger’s delight, vinyl treasure trove!

Heat! Forthcoming Greenmoney on Fool’s Gold. Can’t...

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 04:00:44 -0700

Heat! Forthcoming Greenmoney on Fool’s Gold. Can’t wait to drop this! It’s called “Bashment ‘Ouse.” Indeed.

Curtain created with many magnets in, so you can fold it upon...

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 05:26:00 -0700

Curtain created with many magnets in, so you can fold it upon itself to open up the space or relax it to display the curtain fully. Way into this.

P.S. These ASCII curtains are pretty neat, too.

A birth control pill for men...

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 04:40:30 -0700

A birth control pill for men...:

Bring it on!

“For me,” she says, “transformation is inevitable. That’s what I find really fascinating about...

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 02:31:30 -0700

“For me,” she says, “transformation is inevitable. That’s what I find really fascinating about life, and I have since I was really very small. And I’m always interested when people fantasize that they can deny that it exists, or that they can have any control over it, or that change might be a choice. Change is the only thing we have, it seems to me, and it’s with us all the time.”

- Tilda Swinton (via splitend)

The Ocean's Load

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 02:27:00 -0700

The Ocean's Load:

I wonder if the Garbage Patch Kids will become a reality… I’ve posted before about the massive amount of plastic in our oceans. This link leads to a proposed livable island based on the debris, but be sure to check the video at the end of the article. Things aren’t so easy to set straight. We’ve got to become conscious of our use of this material and quit disposing of it in such a thoughtless way! Despite this, I like to see that we’re thinking of ways to repurpose the waste, even if this idea’s implausible.

Actually, here’s a link to a proposed sustainable city in the desert.

“This Could Be Beautiful (It Is)”. Metronomy of...

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 12:19:00 -0700

“This Could Be Beautiful (It Is)”. Metronomy of his/their first album Pip Paine (Pay the £5000 You Owe). Big fan of this record.

I have arrived. Ten-year dream: realized! …and now...

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:48:00 -0700

I have arrived. Ten-year dream: realized! …and now what?!

So yes, Berlin. I’ve been here about a week. Some first impressions: Bikes! Bikes everywhere, and it’s actually quite safe, with so much of the population riding and segregated lanes all over the place. Hair: holy mullets! And also a lot of women with short hair. Very different than the traditional female with long-hair standard in Argentina. Fashion: relaxed yet edgy. Lots of really neat glasses frames. Weather: summer came with me, apparently. And my first night here had about four hours of night only! But I do realize this means December 21st will have only four hours of day. :/ However, a big summer plus is the OUTDOOR PING PONG TABLES all over the city! Can’t wait to play!

I’ve already had one mini-breakdown, but I think it was just my feeling overwhelmed with all the change I’ve elected in the last ~~two~~ ~~eight~~ twelve-plus months, plus being faced with yet another foreign environment/language/city layout/supermarket selection/set of friends (ok, and maybe some hormones). When it comes down to it, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I’m just learning how to let myself be the artist I am and am ready to grow some roots again.

I’ve spent a lot of time finally getting up the last of my photos from Argentina today, so I’ll have to talk about Mexico City/Montreal later, but I will say that I had an absolutely brilliant time playing with Mossa at MUTEK Montreal. I wrote two songs for it (one a rap in Spanish, heh)! So fun. The festival as a whole was brilliant, of course, with my highlights being too many to list.

Now for the visuals: here. Included are my trips to Iguazú Falls and Córdoba, plus lots of city/art/friends/life photos. You should check out my friend Tyrone’s small batch of excellently-shot photos from the Iguazú trip, while you’re at it (here).

P.S. Photo above is from here in Berlin, taken Monday night on a particularly gorgeous bike ride.

There’s an article about me in German music magazine...

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 01:15:00 -0700

There’s an article about me in German music magazine Raveline, June issue. Love the headline: “Who the fouffe is Qzen?” Haha!

Satirical video of the spill and BP’s responses to it.

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 02:03:44 -0700

Satirical video of the spill and BP’s responses to it.

If you’re unaware, there is a very disturbing oil spill...

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 01:14:00 -0700

If you’re unaware, there is a very disturbing oil spill going on in the Gulf of Mexico. How disturbing? Use this to visualize the spill over your hometown. Ouch. :(

Total want. (Plus the house to house it.) Found...

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 07:28:00 -0700

Total want. (Plus the house to house it.) Found on neatorama.com, which also has a bunch of other neat stuff.

"It's all just a matter of time, anyway."

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 02:25:00 -0700

"It's all just a matter of time, anyway.":

Wonderfully illustrated talk on the perception of time in society.

Interview with Mark Ronson about music-making. Some interesting...

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:54:00 -0700

Interview with Mark Ronson about music-making. Some interesting comments on instruments of choice and the democratization/access of music.

I’ve been MIA in a whirlwind of travel and its...

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:19:00 -0700

I’ve been MIA in a whirlwind of travel and its consequences, but I finally put up my top ten from May here. I’m currently in Montreal after a second visit to Mexico City, and I plan on posting about my travel adventures (and my final photos from Buenos Aires, sheesh) this week. I land in my new home of Berlin on Sunday, and at this point it feels very unreal. I’m not even sure it will feel real once I’ve landed, not until I’ve been there for months. I feel as if I’m on one side of the looking-glass, or perhaps looking into the wardrobe, about to step through. It’s certainly scary to some degree, but if things keep on as well as they have been, everything’s going to be awesome. ;)

Photo

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:23:29 -0700

Visti and Meyland. What a team! I am sorting through music for...

Wed, 26 May 2010 20:43:17 -0700

Visti and Meyland. What a team! I am sorting through music for my gig tomorrow, and I dug up this recent 8+ minute gem of a jam, “Stars,” out now on Bear Funk. I like the patient development and the theatrical vocal climax. Not sure I’ll drop it, but it makes me happy listening to it, and I’m excited for when the moment’s ripe to drop it. (‘Twould be an epic set closer!)

Oh yah, and if you’re in Montreal, come by Velvet tomorrow! So excited to play!