Hauser & Wirth opened Daydream Nation, an exhibition exploring Mary Heilmann’s ongoing interest in drawing as a form of preserving memories, on May 2nd. An exhibition of Heilmann’s geometric forms and abstract gestural marks, curated by Gary Simmons, a friend and former colleague at the School of Visual Arts in New York, celebrates her ability to distil complex images and ideas into simple geometric forms.
Talking about the exhibition, Simmons said: “I’ve known Mary through many chapters of my life… selecting these works and collaborating with her, I’ve learned more about her practice than I thought possible. In her drawings and paintings, there’s this sense of a dreamscape, a mosaic of her travels through the desert and from coast to coast.”
The exhibition is open now and will run until July 26th, 2024, at Hauser & Wirth, New York, 22nd Street.
The DaVinci International Film Festival (DIFF), hosted at AMC Theaters in The Grove, Los Angeles, CA, is renowned for celebrating independent cinema from around the globe. Since its inception in 2017, DIFF has been recognized as a top-rated film festival, offering accolades in various categories including narrative, documentary, animation, and screenwriting, through their prestigious Leo Awards during red-carpet, celebrity-attended events.
This year, DIFF introduced the Film Asia program, curated by Andrea Zixuan Zhang, a seasoned film professional with a robust background in film theory and practice from University of California, Santa Barbara. Ms. Zhang has consistently demonstrated her flair for storytelling and her keen insight into cinematic trends. As the event moderator and one of the jury committee, she expertly curated a diverse lineup spanning cultures and narratives from China, Japan, India, and Vietnam, featuring notable films such as the animated “Swallow Dance,” the highly acclaimed documentary “Duet,” and the narrative film “Headless.”
The documentary “Duet” in particular, which garnered significant international recognition, deeply moved and inspired the audience. Beyond the screenings, the program featured a panel discussion that delved into the market dynamics and future prospects of Asian cinema. Ms. Zhang invited a panel of industry heavyweights including Kim Loan Duong, CEO and founder of Prestigious Models, Calvin Wu, producer of the Netflix animation “Extinct,” Vietnamese American actress Isabelle Du, and entrepreneur Anthony Young.
The Film Asia Shorts program and Executive Panel, moderated by Ms. Andrea Zhang
Ms. Zhang expertly facilitated the panel, fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas that ranged from personal industry experiences to broader market trends. Her ability to create an engaging dialogue ensured a lively atmosphere, making the panel both informative and interactive. The diversity of the panelists, each from different sectors of the industry, enriched the discussion, offering a wide array of perspectives.
Ms. Zhang interviewed the Best Feature Winning film “Jack and Ava”’s Cast Issac Lee, and Writer and Director Michael Pollard
Ms. Zhang, reflecting on the program’s achievements, articulated her vision for the future and the expanding role of Asian films in the global cinematic landscape: “This year’s DaVinci International Film Festival’s addition of Film Asia Program has established a new chapter of cultural representation and diversity. We have seen the power of Asian Cinema and I encourage next year’s participants to share even more of their unique perspectives and narratives as Asian American. By doing so, we aim to broaden the horizons of our audience, deepen our global connections, and further enrich our collective understanding of diverse cultures through cinema.”
The remarkable success of the Film Asia program at the DaVinci International Film Festival was largely due to Ms. Andrea Zixuan Zhang’s exceptional leadership and expertise. Her ability to weave together diverse cultural narratives into a cohesive cinematic experience was evident throughout the event. Chadwick Pelletier, Executive Director, DaVinci International Film Festival, commended Ms. Zhang’s contributions and expressed enthusiasm for the future of the festival: “”We’re thrilled with the incredible response to our all-new FilmAsia program at DIFF. Under Andrea Zhang’s fantastic leadership, filmmakers gained invaluable knowledge from industry professionals, and audiences were captivated by phenomenal short films. This program beautifully exemplifies the power of cinema to connect cultures.”
Under her guidance, the program not only illuminated the rich tapestry of Asian cinematic talent but also celebrated the varied stories these films bring to the international stage. The festival served as a gathering point for cinema enthusiasts from all walks of life, united in their admiration for Asian film.
British-Brazilian artist Liana Flores has announced her debut album, Flower of the soul, which will be out June 28 via Verve. It includes the previously shared song ‘I wish for the rain’, as well as the new single ‘Nightvisions’. Check out its Angela Ricciardi-directed video below.
“Flower of the soul wanders through many stylistic influences, from sunshine pop, to bossa nova, to 60s psych folk, evoking the changing seasons of life and nature, and the core emotions that persist throughout,” Flores said in a press release.
“Influenced by my favorite gothic romances, ‘Nightvisions’ uses a vampiric love story to explore the power of love to transform,” she added of the new track.
Flower of the soul Cover Artwork:
Flower of the soul Tracklist:
1. Hello again
2. Orange-coloured day
3. Nightvisions
4. Crystalline
5. Now and then
6. Halfway heart
7. “When the sun…”
8. I wish for the rain
9. Cuckoo
10. Butterflies [feat. Tim Bernardes]
11. Slowly
Angel Marcloid has announced a new Fire-Toolz album called Breeze. The follow-up to last year’s i am upset because i see something that is not there will be released on July 5. It features contributions from Sam Greenfield, Nylist and Lipsticism, Cole Pulice, Joseph Trahan, Nick Krueger, Jordan Reed, and COCOJOEY, among others. Accompanying the announcement are the tracks ‘The Envy of the Heavenly Powers’ and ‘RE: Official Request for Reciprocal Indwelling Procedure’, which you can hear below.
1. Everything & Everywhere Is Grace; Heaven Is A Decision I Must Make [feat. Sam Greenfield]
2. To Every Squirrel Who Has Ever Been Hit By A Car, I’m Sorry & I Love You. [feat. Nylist, Lipsticism]
3. That makes a lot of sense. Given what you’ve been through.
4. Window 2 Window 2 Window 2 Window 2 Window 2 Window [feat. Cole Pulice]
5. The Envy Of The Heavenly Powers
6. Sibling Sun, Sibling Moon, White Concrete Steeped In Celestial Light
7. Thin Neck Of The Woods
8. Labyrinthian EMDR
9. RE: Official Request For Reciprocal Indwelling Procedure
10. Asparagus Pee, SETI, & The Gift Of Tears
11. A Considerate Amount Of Pining, An Invasive Species Of Spiritual Anguish, Some Kind Of Knot To Tie, Sitting Tight, Peering Between Planks, Palms Are Sweaty, Mom’s Spaghetti [feat. Joseph Trahan]
12. It Is Happening Again (Enmeshment As A Winged Spindle)
13. The Pain-Body (Child Synergy Tears) [feat. Jordan Reed, Nick Krueger]
14. Removed From Everything & Everywhere Is Grace [feat. COCOJOEY]
TR/ST – the electronic project of Robert Alfons – has dropped a new single, ‘Soon’. Check it out below, along with his upcoming tour dates.
Earlier this year, TR/ST announced his signing with Dais Records with the TR/ST EP. According to a press release, the producer has a new album in the works.
TR/ST 2024 Tour Dates:
Sep 30 – MeetFactory, Prague, CZ
Oct 2 – Kamienna, Krakow PL
Oct 3 – Progresja, Warsaw PL
Oct 5 – Conne Island, Leipzig DE
Oct 6 – Rote Sonne, Munich DE
Oct 7 – Gebaude 9, Cologne DE
Oct 10 – TRIX, Antwerp BE
Oct 11 – Melkweg, Amsterdam NL
Oct 12 – L’Olympia, Paris FR
Oct 15 – Festsaal Kreuzberg, Berlin DE
Oct 17 – Slaktkyrkan, Stockholm SE
Oct 18 – Parkteatret, Oslo NO
Oct 19 – Loppen, Copenhagen DK
Oct 23 – EartH, London UK
Samia has shared a cover of Twin Peaks’ ‘Making Breakfast’, which appeared on the Chicago band’s 2014 album Wild Onion. It arrives in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Grand Jury label, which began with the release of that LP. Take a listen below.
“I was already a massive Twin Peaks fan when I met with Grand Jury, so when I signed there I was just so thrilled to be on the same roster as them,” Samia said in a statement. “Wild Onion was like a lightning strike of a record. And ‘Making Breakfast’ is just a perfectly-written song, painfully simple and effortlessly cool. It was my first choice as soon as I was approached about doing a cover. I hope we did it justice.”
Samia released her sophomore album, Honey, last year.
Tasha has signed to Bayonet Records, marking the announcement with a new single called ‘Michigan’. The track was produced by Gregory Uhlmann, and you can check it out below.
“In October of 2022 I took myself on a writing trip to a friend’s house in Michigan,” Tasha explained in a statement. “The little dog I shared with my girlfriend at the time had just died, and the trip was both lonely and extremely creatively fulfilling. I wrote this song near the end of that trip, sitting on the deck, facing the trees and the sky, communing with the birds and other small wildlife. This song is about the missing and the return; the reliable comfort of a sunset on a nice day, a friend to sit with, and the shining hope of more comfort to come. Don’t you feel pretty in this fading light?”
Tasha’s latest album, Tell Me What You Miss the Most, came out in 2021. Last year, she joined the cast of Illinoise, the Tony-nominated Broadway musical adapting Sufjan Stevens’ Illinois for the stage.
John Rossiter has shared two more songs ahead of the release of his new Young Jesus LP The Fool, having already unveiled ‘Brenda & Diane’, ‘Hollywood Ending’, ‘The Weasel’, and ‘Moonlight’. Listen to ‘Am I The Only One?’ and its non-album companion ‘Remember Driving’ below.
‘Am I The Only One?’ arrives with a music video directed by Dillon Cullinan. “The type of groove I love,” Rossiter said in a press release. “Strange and thick, created by Alex Lappin on bass/electronics, Alex Babbitt on electronics, Shahzad playing drums, Aaron Roche and Phil Weinrobe creating the ambient breaks.” He continued:
One of my favorite bass lines of all time. Full of melody and wonder and texture but also dancing in a lot of weird, dissonant corners. Lappin really shined on this tune.
Loneliness, emptiness, shame, guilt. Again, like Rich, a song recorded at Figure 8 that was hard to start, but slowly snapped into place once we all talked in the backyard. Talks about shadows. Demons. A transformation in a day. Very moving to sing this one with the support of such incredible musicians shaping it into what it is. So much improvisation and movement.
Canadian art punks Crack Cloud have announced a new album, Red Mile. The follow-up to 2022’s Tough Baby is due out July 26 on Jagjaguwar, and the new single ‘Blue Kite’ is out now. Check out a video for it below.
Discussing the new LP, the band’s Zach Choy said in a statement:
When we were recording the album Red Mile in the Mojave Desert, I spent nights reading about 20th century China. My grandparents migrated to Canada during Mao’s Great Leap Forward, and besides the photo albums and childhood memories, I have little basis for understanding their experience. Beginning in the late 80s there came to be a generation of Chinese filmmakers whose main subject was the depiction of life during the Cultural Revolution. The films from this time examine the growing pains of national identity, without the glorification that defined National cinema up until then. As the viewer with a degree of generational and cultural separation, I found an unusual sense of reprieve in the nuance of it all. And as our time drifted by in the desert, I continued to look inward.
The music of Red Mile came naturally, and of its own volition. The Mojave had an elemental effect. The seemingly never-ending labyrinth of touring into exhaustion that characterized preceding years. And the externalization of Crack Cloud’s mythology, displaced and dismantled as we’ve grown out of ourselves, constantly, creatively reborn, by virtue and design. This is how I would describe Red Mile, and more generally, the group’s freefall, nearly a decade in the making.
So when close friend and collaborator Aidan Pontarini pitched the skydiving punk concept for the album cover, it resonated deeply.
Blue Kite was written with a cultural intersection in mind. In Canada in the early 00’s we grew up to Sum 41. Late night YTV. And the spectre of Woodstock 99. From the outside looking in: being in a punk band meant that you could be a jackass. Pick your nose on stage; play the drum like Energizer Bunny. My relationship to punk music as a teenager hinged on self-deprecation; an easy, destructive mode of confronting what I didn’t like about myself. And what I didn’t understand about the world around me.
There’s a film that came out of China in 1993 and was subsequently banned therein, called The Blue Kite. It’s told from the perspective of a boy growing up in 1950’s Beijing. His environment is one of social conformity and political correctness, and he relishes in escapism when flying his kite. Eventually the boy succumbs to the social climate, and the kite itself is swept away into the branches of a tree. I thought the imagery was striking and wanted to incorporate it into a video with Aidan’s skydiving punk, in a hypnagogic way.
We filmed the video in and around the Desert where the album was recorded, and the skydiving took place.
Red Mile Cover Artwork:
Red Mile Tracklist:
1. Crack Of Life
2. The Medium
3. Blue Kite
4. Lack Of Lack
5. Epitaph
6. I Am (I Was)
7. Ballad Of Billy
8. Lost On The Red Mile
Orla Gartland has returned with a new single, ‘Little Chaos’. The track is accompanied by a music video from Danish director Anne-Sofie Lindgaard. Check it out below.
Speaking about the new song, Gartland said: “I think a lot about how to move through the world alongside a partner and for a long time I wanted to show up in relationships as easy-going & palatable, never taking up too much space – now I can’t think of anything worse. I can be loud, funny, clumsy, loyal, intelligent, annoying, caring, angry; this song is about showing up as all of it, all at once. I think dropping the act and showing your true self feels like the most vulnerable thing you can do.”
