Robblog

All set up

GalacticRobb — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 23:29:11 GMT

Reporting from the Playa... we're all set up at 3:35 and Allante next to the big wooden tower!

Dallas

GalacticRobb — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:16:17 GMT

Hey Tribesters, I'm going to be in Dallas TX for the next few days on a short break. I'm trying to connect up with some good people and find the cool parts of the city. Anyone have any friends there? Wanna connect me up?

Back on tour

GalacticRobb — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:56:20 GMT

So I'm going back out on the road for the next couple months. First it's back on tour mixing video for some pop band, then it's off to the East Coast. I'll be backpacking down from Boston to Asheville for Transformus (www.transformus.com) where I'm finishing up work on my art installation. It's a video system for the main stage and it consists of 2 giant crystal cluster shaped projector screens. Above the DJ is a water molecule made from inflatable globes (also a projection surface). I'm sad to be leaving the West Coast during the busiest festival season of the year. Gotta make some money, I'm wishing I knew how to do that from home. I got some good parties in, so I'm not too sad. If anyone will be out on the East Coast during early July get in touch, maybe I can swing by! Later Alligators!

VJ Article Published

GalacticRobb — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:03:40 GMT

So, I've been working on an article for Live Design Magazine on the VJ world. It's a magazine covering the show production and touring industries. My article finally went to print in the Feb. issue and it looks great! It highlights the work of some prominent VJ's in the scene and describes the different directions each are taking the art form. The editors I'm working with at the magazine are stoked and want more. I'm going to South by Southwest in a week or so to do an interview with AddictiveTV. I'm psyched to meet them as they are generally considered to be one of the best VJ acts in the world right now. It will be interesting to see where they see their art going. Check out the article at http://www.dijjitalambiance.com/vjroundup.pdf

Boom 2008 Portugal

GalacticRobb — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:16:21 GMT

So this year my intentions are set to go to the Boom Festival in Portugal. I've been hearing about it for years now, and this is the time for me to explore this amazing scene. From August 11th thru the 18th, it is a week of healing, nature, and beautiful souls. I feel as though after 3 years of Burning Man, I'm ready to experience different festivals to see what they have to offer. With a focus on art and free expression and a unified vibe, it will be an experience and journey. I want to connect with others making the trip from the US. Is anyone out there planning on coming? Do you have friends who are planning on going? Put me in touch please : ) http://www.boomfestival.org/ Robb

Solstice Meditations

GalacticRobb — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 10:15:08 GMT

Just winding down from a busy month, catching my breath before the next adventure. I've been backpacking for the past few weeks, first in San Francisco then Boston and Western Mass. New Years was amazing, made it back to LA just in time. Right now the lack of excitement is making me itch, finally sitting still and taking the time to commit my experiences to type before they fade into the haze. My friend Peter from the Bay asked me to come play at a Rhythm Society event on the 14th of Dec. I drove up and stayed with an old friend from the Playa before the party. She lives at an intentional community in Oakland. They grow their own food, generate their own power, and are truly on the sustainable path. The party was absolutely amazing. It was held in a church in San Francisco proper, big arched ceiling and windows. I spent all day helping the Rhythm Society family set up. The other VJ's and I set up the video system. We hung a globe from the top of the arched chapel, projecting onto it from both sides so video completely covered it. Two 10ft circular screens filled the adjacent corners of the room. I ran into many of my friends from my earlier trip to Willits Farm last summer, it felt like a reunion. I have lots of good memories from my travels to the Bay in large part due to the Rhythm Society, a beautiful open and warm family. On my way home to LA my faithful Subaru that had carried me across the country finally died. I was stranded in the mountains surrounding the city. Thank god for triple A. On the way back to the Sugar Shack the driver of the tow truck told me it would have cost $900! Crazy. He was cool, dropped me off at my door. The next day I woke up at 5:00am to make it to the airport. My roommate gave me a ride, even made coffee. Got to Boston 8 hours later and stumbled into a blizzard. What is this white powder falling from the sky... oh yeah, I remember. After a quick cab ride I was embracing an old friend and drinking wine. It was obviously going to be a merry XMas. I had forgotten how much I missed my home, brown slush on the roads and all. 6 years in one town created a bond that will stay with me the rest of my life. LA is beautiful and new. It's also strange and can be a cold place in a warm sort of way. After a few days spent in Boston I made a rendezvous with my friend Ashanti in Western Mass. We celebrated the solstice Pagan style at a beautiful house in the forest. Big party, filled with all kinds of people young and old. We sang songs to the earth. We tied our intentions into ropes and burned them in the fire. The house was built by hand and it's architects had used sacred geometry throughout its design. After the party we drove west to a huge house in the wilderness. It was another intentional community called The Ark and was inhabited by Zen Buddhists. They were raw foodists, and made us an amazing meal uncooked and unspoiled. Ashanti led a workshop and guided us through a group meditation. We played in the snow and walked in the woods, admiring the beauty of nature. Next stop was my parents house in NH. Somehow it managed to get colder as I continued north, taking the Amtrak right into town. In a recent turn of events my parents have stopped celebrating Christmas as a christian holiday. It's become a total commercial farce, they told me. The expectation of getting tons of gifts introduces an element of greed to a holiday that's lost its meaning in this society. Instead we celebrated "Family Day", simply a gathering of all my parents and brother, aunts and uncles. I got to catch up with my cousin Heather. She lives in London and I'm going to go visit her (and the rest of Europe : ). I love my parents. I'm so grateful for having the ones I do. While I was home I was contacted by the Transformus Festival Organizers (a regional burn in Asheville, NC). They were giving me an art grant to build a set of elaborate projector screens. I had submitted a proposal weeks ago and assumed I hadn't been chosen. Christmas presents after all. I flew into LA on the 28th. I had a layover in Charlotte, they asked me if I'd give up my seat for a round trip ticket anywhere in the US. Hell yeah I'll give up my seat for a round trip ticket anywhere in the US! It took me a few extra hours (like 6) to get back, but I did. Score. I had a big show to prepare for. New Years Eve at Space Island. Stefano wanted a countdown animation synced to custom audio a DJ was supplying. Scramble to prepare a sequence and recollect my scattered gear from the Rhythm Society party. Day comes and of course I'm at the venue by 3pm setting up. Space Island is a loft in the warehouse district of LA. With an enclosed outdoor courtyard it's an ideal spot to throw loud all night parties. An enormous 3-story platform is set up in this courtyard. It features a crane structure that extends out toward the center of the courtyard. Again the 8ft globe screen took center stage, hanging above the heads of the dancing ravers, pulsing to the music like a big neon disco ball. It was nice, I had a little roped off station up in the balcony. It was set up like some kind of VIP area with couches and fluff so I had plenty of visitors all night. My roommates Ryan and Elizabeth had taken two of my comps, Jen 1-Luv and her boy Moses took the remaining 2. They kept me company and fed me liquor and red bull until the early dawn. The night was so cold. I made a new friend, we kept each other warm. I ended up staying until 4 in the afternoon the next day. Waiting until most everyone had left to break down my gear. I was that kind of tired where you just want to fall over and die and you feel so cracked out that your eyes are burning from cigarette smoke and who knows what. I collected myself and drove home. Sleep never feels as good as it does after NYE. For the past few days I've been catching up on some work. I've been writing a piece for Live Design, an industry magazine that covers the show production and touring world. They wanted a VJ's perspective and someone to tell them about innovations coming from the video artist community. Totally a great opportunity and it gave me the chance to reconnect with all my VJ friends. Putting the spotlight on VJ's is so gratifying as they are so often ignored or marginalized. Actually sitting down to write the article was a trip though. I hadn't written anything serious since college and was sorely out of practice. Fortunately my roommate is a magazine editor and she took my work and turned it into something that sounds like an article. And now my projects are done, this little chapter of excitement has passed, and I'm already feeling antsy. I'm already catching myself planning. Where's the next party? Let's go on an adventure!

Pics from the Sugar Shack

GalacticRobb — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 20:26:56 GMT

So I moved into an amazing loft space in LA called the Sugar Shack. It's exactly what I need right now, full of good people and a peaceful and artistic place to return to between tours. I posted some pics, check em out! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=6058&l=5df8a&id=505077676 Here are some photos from my cross country trip http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5988&l=6ab0b&id=505077676

Time off in Asheville

GalacticRobb — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 20:31:17 GMT

So I've been in Asheville for the past 9 days. Recouping from the Fergie tour and reconnecting with friends. It's strange coming back to a place I used to call home only to realize I don't exactly belong here anymore. I love Asheville, it's beautiful. The people are conscious and progressive, the environment is gorgeous. Over the past week I've been welcomed back with open arms and hearts. I feel like I will be leaving behind a jem and hope that I'm not making a mistake. So I'm taking off again, this time on tour with Justin Timberlake. I hope his crew is cool. So the other day I went to a swimming hole with a group of good friends. It was on private property so we had to 'sneak' in. We all walked up a long hilly road, towels wrapped around our necks, rolled up swimming gear in hand. Big dumptrucks kept passing us, it was pretty obvious where we were going. But we had no trouble jumping the barbed wire fence and making our way into the quarry. The space was so beautiful. Two waterfalls, one above the other fed into a pool far below. You could jump off the first fall into a pool on a ledge feeding the second fall. We weren't alone, other people joined us throughout the day, obviously the mine that owned the property wasn't too concerned with us trespassers. Every time I'm in Asheville I am shown some amazing secret spot. The land here is full of natural beauty. I know I'll always come home to this mountain town.

Willits Farm (July 13th - 16th)

GalacticRobb — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 00:34:30 GMT

So this week I spent exploring the San Francisco scene. I arrived in the city late after a hellish Greyhound journey which involved me sneaking onto a bus. The hostel I arrived at the first night was sketchy and I decided I'd find alternate arrangements for the next. I called around and connected with Steven, my good friend and tour manager. We had a show in NJ on Weds. so it made sense to stay with the crew lead (that way I was sure I'd make the flight on time!). The thing about touring is that you grow a bond with your tour mates. The intensity of the work, coupled with tackling stressful situations makes it so that we have each others backs, always. NJ went quick, it was a reminder that my carefree traveling would be short lived and more touring was just around the corner. So I was determined to make my last weekend count. I started putting out feelers into the community, contacting everyone I knew either living in SF now or previously. I got a few responses, a club night here, a house party there, but what really caught my attention was my friend Spot's suggestion that I check out a camping event in Northern California. It was an annual gathering hosted by the Rhythm Society in the mountains of Northern California near a town called Willits. He shot out some emails, introducing me and setting the stage. Soon I was getting phone calls from the organizers (Peter & Carrie) asking if I'd like to mix visuals. I explained that I didn't have any of my content with me but would love to come. Peter offered a ride from his place an hour north along with a tent and sleeping bag. I caught an Amtrack the next morning after staying with my friend Devon. The trip was long but trains have outlets so I spent the time on my laptop writing my first blog entry (see LA Adventures : ). I knew from the first 15 minutes of conversation with Peter that we'd be great friends. He is a video artist, like me, and we had plenty to talk about on the ride out to the camp ground. I knew immediately that our paths were meant to cross. We stopped at a farmers market on the way, using my GPS to find one en-route. After seeing how it worked, Peter was sold. We even used it to navigate the dirt roads leading out to the camp. Willits Farm, as the site is known, is one of the most beautiful sites I've ever had the pleasure of camping. The first thing that catches your eye is the large pond that the owner has lined with rubber and surrounded with tiered ledges being used to pitch tents on. The pond is filtered like a pool, but has bullrushes and lillypads growing along the banks. I spent an hour or so wandering around, getting acquainted with my surroundings. There was an amazing garden with grapes growing over trellaces, an orchard with well groomed berry trees, and hot tubs in various locations. I decided to set Peters tent up on the tiers overlooking the pond. It was shaded by the forest and far enough away to allow me to sleep when I felt the urge. The tent was really cool too, it just popped into shape, no poles required! That night I helped construct the stage and lighting. I felt at home doing things I am good at, running cables, hanging screens. It gives me a sense of purpose and makes me feel more at ease when I can contribute to the production of an event. Soon the stage was set and I started meeting more of the Rhythm Society crew. After dinner everyone convened on a grassy hill next to the garden to watch movies on a big fastfold and projector we'd set up earlier. I snuggled in with a cozy group, giving massages and feeling at home. As people began to wander off to bed I joined a new friend in the hot tub and had an amazing time sharing and learning. The second day was all about dancing. From the time I woke up under a blazing sun to the moment I passed out music of many genres wafted through the air. People danced by the pool during the day, music coming from the beautiful chill out tent positioned to provide music to the throngs of bathers. The best part was that no matter what DJ was playing, no matter what they were playing, it was always good. The mixes were long and the trax usually meshed like a zipper. I spent the day lazing around the pool, wandering up the hill occasionally to see the view from above. Towards the end of the day people were getting things ready for the craziness to come. The music on the main dance floor started around 9 and went through the night. I was taken care of and was in the right mind state all night. I spent a good deal of time on the dance floor, followed by time in the chill tent. It's always struck me how different the energy is in the Bay Area. People seem more friendly, open, and secure. Conversations happen spontaneously walking down the street with complete strangers. The whole city is obsessed with sustainability and green living. Everyone practices yoga, and the average San Franciscian seems very connected to Source. The Rhythm Society, I quickly realized, is composed of people living these ideals to the extreme. That first night I connected with a few key souls on a very deep level, knowing that I was following the intuitive path set before me. For the rest of the weekend, I continued to meet amazing people and make incredible connections. I felt accepted and loved by everyone I met.

LA Adventure (June 28th - July 5th)

GalacticRobb — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 17:50:13 GMT

I'm on my west coast journey now. On a 3 week break from tour, I figured it would be a perfect time to explore the wonders of the Pacific side. After the last show on the East Coast leg I spent a few days with friends in NYC, then flew into LAX and rented a car. Having some friends in LA made it an easy place to start. I'd already heard about a camping party that the Moontribe collective was throwing out in the Mojave through Chadwick (Moontribe DJ) and Trish. I was thinking that maybe I would stay with them that first night, but Chad seemed hesitant so I decided I'd find another place. Through some kind of wonderful synchronicity I got a call from a NY friend of mine who happened to be backpacking through LA as well. He quickly got me a couch to stay on and in return I offered him a ride to an amazing party in the desert. The next morning we went to Trader Joe's, stocked up on Tastybites and rice milk, entered the coordinates into my Garmin and headed out. The GPS has become my most valued travel companion, always there in a pinch and infinitely knowledgeable about anywhere I happen to find myself. It was a 4 hour drive out to the spot, we traveled through some of the most beautiful landscape I've had the pleasure of seeing recently. Flat plains poke dotted with cacti surrounded by towering mountains, barren and alien but oh so majestic. When we arrived at the campsite, Chad and Trish were there to greet us. They welcomed us in and guided us to the parking spot. Immediately it was apparent that the site had been carefully chosen. A stream ran down out of the mountains, flowing through the desert bellow like a blue snake clothed by green trees growing along its banks. Everyone was camped along the banks, under the trees offering shade. The mountaintops were covered in snow despite the raging 110 degree heat in the valley and the stream was fed by the frigid melt water from the peaks. Chad had been so kind as to offer up a tent and sleeping bag so after drinking a beer and meeting some of the tribe we set up camp. The rest of the day was spent mingling and meeting. That night the party raged on and on, the dancefloor set up under the stars, the only lightshow was the full moon. The DJ's had the skill of 14 years of practice and they kept the energy alive all night into the morning. I think I lasted until about 7am. The next day was more of the same. After a day of surreal, time was forgotten and all that existed was the energy of the dancefloor, keeping our feet moving and souls connected. Connecting through dance is a powerful, primal and ancient phenomenon. The drive home on Monday felt much quicker than the journey out. It's funny how that works, when you know where your going time seems to pass quicker. Dropping Tim (friend from NY) at his friend's house, I decided to sleep there that night. The next day I called Chad up and made arrangements to stay in Santa Monica with him and Trish that night. I followed Garmin out to their house and helped him unpack from the party. We got some food and went out to a club for the Moontribe weekly in nearby Venice. I slept well that night, the familiar feel of earplugs blocking the sound of the house mates insomnia. The next few days were spent around Venice beach, absorbing the heady atmosphere. Before too long I made my way out to my friend Evonnes. She lives with her husband at an artists loft called the Sugar Shack. Maybe a dozen people coexist in the absolutely ideal community living arrangement. I had a nice pile of beanbags to sleep on and the wonderful company of Evonne and Brent who showed me more of the scene in LA. Traveling is amazing by a combination of the places and the people. By finding people who know the scene you are instantly able to experience the best parts of a city while avoiding all of the pitfalls. I've decided that LA is a beautiful place with a vibrant scene, alive with the energy of the people who make it. I know that if I move to LA I'll have a place waiting for me; maybe in Venice, maybe at the Sugar Shack. I'll have friends waiting for me and a community to be part of.