MEKAS has a good interview with Yasumasa Yonehara (YONE). I didn’t really understand what made his lo-fi cheki (instant film) photography attractive, but I think I get it somewhat now.

Call me a perv, I can honestly say without hesitation I’m envious of his day job; love the subject matter.

Read the interview here:

http://mekas.jp/en/interviews/396.xhtml#1

Check out his MySpace while you’re at it: Yone’s MySpace page

Also check out his website CexWork

-NOIS29

I’m showing love to DC and Tampa today. Seeing how DC had the inauguration last week, and Tampa has the Super Bowl this weekend, thought I’d clue you in to the current sale at Commonwealth (buy 2 get 1 free), and the Super Bowl sale at Renown (50% off, select items excluded).

Let the commotion commence, go and find an excuse to stimulate the economy!

www.cmonwealth.com

www.renowngoods.com

-NOIS29

For those who are not satisfied with the standard black DSLRs on the market (or the horribly painted silver ones). You can stand out from the other photographers with Pentax’s LE version of the K2000 with a MacBook/iPod white paint job, and 2 lenses that sport the same treatment.

To be honest, I think it looks sexy. Not right for many others I’m sure. One would probably get a lot of flack from his peers (yet I’m sure many would secretly envy at the same time).

What’s In The Box:
DA-L 18-55 Lens
DA-L 50-200 Lens
USB Cable I-USB17
Strap O-ST84
Hot Shoe Cover FK
Eyecup FQ
Body Mount Cover
4 AA Energizer Lithium Batteries
Software CD-ROM S-SW84

Preorder on Pentax’s web store. Ships mid February

-NOIS29

I am really late in the game in actually subscribing to Arkitip so a month ago I told myself I need a subscription, so I don’t have to hunt them down in the wild anymore.

I have issue 0050 to look forward to as my first issue of my subscription, and it focuses on Hotelier André Balazs.

I have family (both sides of the family actually) that are in the hotel business. On each end of the spectrum really. Family that owns/builds hotels and family that work in them!

You can still pre-order this issue, it will ship around Feb 9th.
Arkitip No. 0050

-NOIS29

DOKKEMAND debut album HONS! available now, 2008 OTHER ELECTRICITIES
featuring Lars Wiik, Alison Shaw, Lost Room, Kate Havnevik, & Carrie

get it on iTunes for $9.99 (iTunes Plus)

I haven’t blogged in months. My apologies to NOIS. I sleep more often than not. Even though my contribution has become less and less frequent since the start of this wonderful blog, I have been paying attention to posts. And I think of posting often. I just don’t because I only want to post new shit. I am a geek like that. Not for the sake of being hip, but simply for the sake of having material people will actually take time to read and reflect on. I just realized there are a few recently released albums that I neglected to add to the blog on or before the dates they were released. Oh well. Let’s consider this and any future posts some better late than never shit. I will make a more conscious effort to hype their tunes.

It was probably two or three years ago I happened to discover Dokkemand on Myspace. I can’t remember how I found his profile. I think he may have added me since I was a fan of the artists he was into. However it happened I’m glad it did. It may have had something to do with being a fan of Mum. For the record: I freaking love Norwegians! I don’t know what it is about their music, but I find Norwegian Electronica to be some of the best shit out there. It’s brilliant, it’s beautiful, and it never ceases to make me nostalgic. I remember when my boy Phlar hipped me to Mum back in 2001 or sometime there about. I believe he discovered them by watching their music video that for some reason was bonus footy on an edition of the OnVideo skateboard video magazine. I don’t remember which one, but I recall some pretty ill footage of Andrew Reynolds (sick bastard). Anywho I downloaded several of Dokkemand’s demos from his profile. I have to thank him for putting me on to Aluco/Lars Wiik (decent folk type artist also from Oslo), Carrie/Laura Becerra (chill shit from Guadalajara, Mexico), and Kate Havnevik (Norway/UK alt-pop-electronica similar to Imogen Heap & Frou Frou).

I kept a close eye on Dokkemand’s profile in anticipation of the announcement of an album release date. In the meantime he posted pretty much every track from the album intermittently. In addition he put up some pretty sick remixes of other heads’ tracks such as his Doberman remix of Carrie’s EP entitled Feeding Little Dogs which I really dig. He gave it a downtempo, Trent Reznor type beat and cut up the vocals quite well. His website www.dokkemand.no was limited to a few downloadable demo tracks already found on myspace and a link back to his aforementioned profile. The site is currently under construction so I imagine it will include more extensive content in the near future. After a few years of anticipation the day finally arrived. December 2nd, 2008 Dokkemand’s debut album entitled Hons! (must be a Norwegian expression) was released on Other Electricities. Their website is www.other-electricities.com. The album is a great mix of uptempo electronica and downtempo ambient soundscapes. Something about Norwegian Electronica induces a great deal of inexplicably nostalgic emotion in me. It often manifests itself in the form of nostalgia for Nihon (Japan). My true image of Japan is quite serene and harmonious which is odd due to the fact that much of Nihon is rather lively and hectic. But I can’t really explain it to those that haven’t been there. The grind is much less chaotic than the mess I’ve experienced here in the States. Traffic moves more smoothly, an air of tranquility exists, and the ebb and flow seems scripted. This is a whole other tangent. I mean to say these kinds of tunes represent my image of Nihon.

I could get more descriptive with this review, but the Spring semester just started and I need to keep on top of things. In particular the tracks Lapp and Lupe are quite fresh. I don’t need to compare Dokkemand’s music to other artists for you to understand it. Go check it out. It’s on iTunes and I’m sure it’s available on the label’s site or other places where music is sold. If you like Electronica, in particular squelchy squeaks and bleeps type tunes, and you dig other artists from Norway do not hesitate to buy the album. What else? I’m just glad to be rid of the embarrassing Bush. More new material to come. Keep your eyes on RADAR/NOIS.

Something for your mind in 09,

GALLINAFALCO

dokkemand – lumpa

www.myspace.com/dokkemand

www.dokkemand.no (under construction)

www.other-electricities.com

My limited edition copy of All Gone 2008 arrived from Colette Paris via DHL this morning. Paid about what I paid for the book in shipping costs alone. Wish I knew that Commonwealth was picking this up before I ordered, but oh well, thems the breaks.

Now if I can only find a copy of the elusive 2006 edition I’ll be set.

Happy Year of the Ox everyone. May you get a fat red envelope if your culture says you should receive one.

-NOIS29

I started thinning out my T-shirt collection a couple days ago. Need to start to prepare myself to wear only Radar/NOIS tees in the future, so I told myself no more buying shirts. Of course, KAWS had to put these ones out, and put me at a dilemma; Do I want blue, black or pink? (the blue and pink are compelling). OF tees are probably the most well constructed and comfortable tees I own, and I wouldn’t mind having more.

I guess these will be showing up at your local OFake retailer in no time.

-NOIS29

I think I will buy some new frames this year, but the question is from who…

I wonder if I can pull off the bone colorway of Dita’s spring/summer 2009 “verve” model.

I know clear is not my thing, but opaque light might work.

shit’s hot.

via HB

-NOIS29

The Sasha Grey online ads for hipster brand American Apparel have been up a few weeks.

(sorry if these pics got you grounded or fired …but we usually post this kind of smut on Fridays)

But yesterday I saw this one. (not Sasha)

Hmm…. dunno how I feel about these ads. I like Sasha Grey and all, but I wonder how compelling they are to females who will buy zip up body suits and thigh-high socks.

Forgot where I got this but found it funny. (EDIT: oh yeah, Toothpaste For Dinner)

-NOIS29

As someone who subscribes to hundreds of blogs through a feed reader, I’ve become accustomed to scrolling through tons of fluff and reposts. Blogging has become repetitive and mundane at times. Friends of mine IM me links, and then follow up with “but of course you’ve already seen this”.

I’ve only been blogging since April 2008, and I think that I’m slowly finding my own voice. Regular readers of this blog may have seen slight trends in my own postings, sometimes I’ll post about things that I like, or things I want to buy. Sometimes I’ll just post commentary, or I’ll post about past events. I’d like to think that at some point this blog will take it’s own shape and character, if it hasn’t already started to.

I find myself paying more and more attention to personal blogs as of late, and a bit less on the “news” blogs, particularly ones that pertain to streetwear, shoes, gadgets and Japan. Oh I still read them (scan really). But I feel less and less compelled to repost. My brain has become numb to a lot of what’s coming out anyways, and I’m becoming more and more selective, tastes becoming increasingly discerning, but not quite elitist.

I think I’m moving more and more towards an editorial or open diary approach. I enjoy reading blogs from people who truly have a way with words, or at times tell their stories with pictures and photography. At times I’m envious. I feel like my own writing is no where near the quality that others put into their own blogs, and part of it is that I write like I speak and not how I think. Also, even though I post daily I don’t put nearly as much time into the process as I would like due to my schedule.

Anyhow, what brought this around is that I wanted to mention another blog I’ve been following for a minute, and it’s Marie’s blog “luxe lonesome“. Marie did the translation for the Bape book (published by Rizzoli).

I find her posts infectious and lately been looking forward to each update. Looks like it was just overhauled and previous posts are no longer available, but if you have an interest in Japan, lived there or have visited a handful of times, you too may feel a connection. Her perspective on Japanese interactions in Tokyo, and the superficiality and insincerity despite excellent customer service was spot on for me. (It doesn’t hurt that she’s an attractive girl who wears black frames, fashionable, and self proclaimed geek… which instantly qualifies her as a new crush object).

Check out her blog luxe lonesome, and I’m adding it to the blogroll to the right. I hope she continues to update it regularly.

-NOIS29

My homie (and one time RN D/LAB blogger) g.maxim (http://www.myspace.com/gmaxim) has been doing this electronic music DJ thing for 20 years, and so he felt it was appropriate to make a killer mix to commemorate. I gave this a listen this past Saturday, and all I can say is WOW.

I’m proud to have helped contribute artwork for this mix (the front cover).
I’m not great at describing and reviewing music, or at least putting it into words, but if I was to choose 3 words, I’d choose dark and buck wild.

Mix features music from the following artists (not in order)

Justin Martin
Alex Under
M.A.N.D.Y
Swag
Bruno Pronsato
Hobo
Samklang
P. Toile
Michal Ho
Soul Mekanik
Burnski
Mathias Kaden
Rodriguez Jr
David K
Hell + Rother
who made who
Gui Boratto & Anderson Noise
Booka Shade

Download this free sheetz here: http://www.mediafire.com/?1wujmm3kqwj

Visit g.maxim on his myspace page http://www.myspace.com/gmaxim

Our friend Scott contributed with photos, check out his page here http://indigopulse.blogspot.com/ (only 2 more weeks, stay up Scott!!!)

-NOIS29

Pics from yesterday’s Inauguration of the 44th President Barack Obama. Shame all I had with me was a Sony point-and-shoot, unfortunately left the DSLR at work.

The Jumbotron looked like an iPod screen to me. But hell it was worth being there in the mix with almost 2 million people. Very euphoric, everyone was on their best behavior.

Ended up walking a whole lot. Probably about 20~25 miles because we ended up avoiding all the metro stations in DC and walked over to Rosslyn in Arlington VA from Georgetown. My feet are killin’ me right now.

I am so thankful to have been able to be a part of such a historical event. Now that this country has just shaved off it’s Bush (as GALLINAFALCO put it to me in a SMS message yesterday), we need to hit the ground running and start doing things to make this country great again.

-NOIS29