Cloud of Unknowing

You'll have to pardon the watermark, but I'd feel better knowing that the clean version of this image wasn't on the internet.

Another addition to the Plastic Beach series I started in March, using the song "Cloud of Unknowing" by Gorillaz. I haven't completely forgotten about it, it's just been difficult to make the images I want with the skills I have, so it's been finding compromises.

I saw Gorillaz live in concert the other month and during the show I got to see a lot of visualizations for the different songs they played. Luckily for me, there was a lot of their new stuff during the show and that helped me figure out what I could do for the songs. Cloud of Unknowing has been a favorite on the new album, Bobby Womack's vocals really capture a melancholy that's just absolutely perfect for the sound with slow strings ensemble.

The visualizations at the concert was WW2 footage, planes crashing and falling into the sea. It was powerful stuff and helped me figure out how to finish this particular image which I have made with samples of photos I have taken of the sky from here in the US to some taken this summer during my trip to Japan.

You can see the visuals here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S02Sb_KnndQ

I do have a few shots from the concert, although to be honest many of them aren't worth noting. Blurry color a good picture does not make. I'll have to post the few good ones up later. With this piece done, that leaves the total remaining to 8. Not only under 10, but even too. Hoping to finish this series up before we reach the one year anniversary of starting it.

Rhinestone Eyes: Work in Progress

Ah, to get back into the Plastic Beach series with some fresh ideas. I tell you what, I've got a good feeling about the rest of these. I've been touching up some of my other "finished" pieces like Pirate Jet after discovering that there were some much deserved touch ups to work out. What we have here is Rhinestone Eyes, or what will become Rhinestone Eyes in the future. Ended up tracing off a trace to get the bodies down, but as far as I'm concerned it's not like it's theft. I'm merely utilizing tools that I have the good fortune to use (oh, if only I gave Illustration courses another chance).

Here's hoping I don't blow it.

Some Kind Of Nature

The latest addition to the Plastic Beach Series, "Some Kind Of Nature". This was a fun one to do, but the idea was hard to grasp. There were a lot of ways to do this but I didn't want to make this play off the words too much by using a scene in nature (grass and trees) or personalities (happy, sad, etc.) which left me with using abstract imagery. Each different piece of the image incorporates a visualization of a different sound or beat used in the song. Everything save for Lou Reed's face that I repeated over and over. No, that's just show that this image is the song he guest-sang on for the album. Not the easiest thing to grasp from just looking at it, that's why I'm explaining it.

So, four out of fifteen out of the way, not too bad. Although ideas are getting harder and harder to come by for some reason. Hopefully my previous sketches can give me a hand of what to do next. On this note, I feel that I've run into a creative snag with everything I've been working on. Ugh. Here's for creative solutions in the future.

The Plastic Beach Series - Empire Ants and Future Additions

I recently finished the second addition the the Plastic Beach series with "Empire Ants - Marching On."  Please pardon the watermark.

A LOT of tracing done here. The giant ant that was used as a mask with the W11-2 sign characters used in repetition where all outlined and turned into vectors that I made much use of. I made different variations to the same image to be used in a repeating series.

The song itself comments on how society moves on with it's routines like ants marching on (hence the the secondary title). But I interpreted from the lyrics that the song is saying as individuals, we have the choice to free ourselves from routines society places on us. It all depends whether or not you have the courage to leave behind the security of a daily regimen and jump into whatever.

Speaking of marching on, this makes 2/15 pieces done for the series! Still a long way to go, but I think I can finish it. Although trying to make each piece not too similar is rather trying, in fact I might have already failed. Either way, I have high hopes for the remaining pieces. Currently drafting "Melancholy Hill" and "Rhinestone Eyes", but the ideas are very illustration heavy (not my strongest suit, I'm still quite amateur when it comes to drawing things on the realistic or biologically correct side). I'm also thinking of using photography for some of the other pictures, but I fear that might come off as a more minimalist approach.

Plastic Beach aside, the Speech series might be getting a new addition in the near future. Been working with people like Ghandi and Mother Teresa, but I think it's time to try someone outside the lines of advocate for peace.

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach: It wasn't what I was expecting

Plastic Beach, the location on the globe where all the collective rubbish and trash has been collecting for hundreds of years. Formed by debris and scraps and held together by oil and muck. Sounds interesting, very much like the album it's named after.

It's been 5 years since Gorillaz released their album "Demon Days", which climbed up the charts with it's single "Feel Good Inc." You can imagine that when I heard that they were close to releasing a new album, I was very excited about it. I picked up the Experience Edition of Plastic Beach the day it came out at FYE, since they sell most of their CDs for $10 or less. I had read previously that there would be a lot of talent on this album, Bobby Womack, Lou Reed, Snoop Dog, Mos Def, etc. It seemed to me that they were pulling all the stops to make this album as good as it could be. I'll admit that it made the album seem much more exciting to me. It was all very eclectic, but then again this album is named Plastic Beach.

However, this idea of bringing so much talent in also comes at a price. Nick Butler of sputnikmusic.com brought up a good point when he wrote that the album was a "identity crisis caught on tape."

"It all comes down to the massed rank of vocalists here, ultimately. There's no doubting that the most fun thing you can do with this album is put it on, having never heard it before and never looked at the tracklisting, and wait in amazement for the moment you say 'holy crap, is that Bobby Womack?', or 'wow, Kano!, or 'seriously, Snoop Dogg is on this?'. It's the defining feature of the album, but it's also the biggest failing, because it destroys this band's own personal identity." - Nick Butler, sputnikmusic.com

Although a very valid point is made here, it doesn't change the fact that this is still a Gorillaz album. I've listened to it several times and I am more than qualified at this point to tell you that it's got some good sounds. With every piece of criticism that comes with this album, there is at least one good review to match it. In fact, most of the reviews I have come across have given this album AT LEAST a 7 or higher.

Ratings aside, I found the album very enjoyable. It's got a very pop-like beat, but the lyrics are what really give it depth. Songs like "Rhinestone Eyes", "Stylo" and "Superfast Jellyfish" are good examples of this. Then we have tracks like "Broken" that I personally have not interest for, the beat is too slow and the singing really doesn't do much for me. I have to say that the instrumental work was nothing short of classy, making tracks like "Cloud of Unknowing" even more interesting to listen to.

It's not the same as Demon Days and depending on your point of view, this could be a good or a bad thing. The only thing I wish Plastic Beach took from Demon Days was how it used it's guest talent for more instrumental purposes rather than vocals, I'd rather enjoy listening to Damon Albarn's singing voice. Personally, I don't think it was worth the 5 year wait, but it has grown on me. This will definitely be a good summer album, with it's overall beach theme they are running with. If you are a Gorillaz fan, I would recommend this for your listening pleasure and if you haven't listened to them before, it might be best to start with Demon Days or even their self-titled album from 2001.




gorillaz.com
sputnikmusic.com review