Torpedo Volume 3

WE'RE SUPPORTING

Los Angeles-based artist Ronald Llanos takes his inspirations from the surrounds of the urban jungle around him. Of his work, he says: ‘I’m interested in the people and places of Los Angeles. The urban realities around me hold plenty for me to be inspired by’. His work has been exhibitede at the Pasadena Center for Fine Arts, ANDlab, Brentwood Art Center, the Art Center College of Design, and, more recently, the Wax Poetic Gallery. Read more

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

My town is one of foghorns at five am, the smell of salty air and the sound of seagulls, Peets coffee, steep hills and die hard fans and loyalists. For those of us who have been here in San Francisco for some time now, we know all the secret gems of this small city — from Clarion Alley, to Army Street, from Irving to Broadway. Read more

WE'RE WEARING

Heavily influenced by music and film, the design team at Conquer Gear showcases their tees not as clothes, but indubitably as limited edition art pieces. That said, I wonder what film or music piece inspired Mr. Owl picture t shirt [below]? Led Zeppelin came to mind, but then so did Joni Mitchell!. As for film inspirations, Clockwork Orange, Lord of the Rings and Out of Africa. Hmmm, maybe I’m not so good at this afterall. Read more

WE'RE THINKING

The AirPiano is an innovative musical interface which allows the playing and controlling of software instruments simply by moving your hands in the air. Above the AirPiano is a virtual matrix of keys and faders, each assigned with MIDI messages ready to be triggered. The length of a triggered note is equivalent to the time a hand is placed on the corresponding virtual key, which is also confirmed by LED feedback.

WE'RE READING

I am really into Hong Kong action flicks from the 1980s and 90s. When I first moved to New York, there were a handful of curious friends who were also interested in watching movies such as City on Fire by Ringo Lam, which Reservoir Dogs was based on. How did they find videos like thus? At the legendary Kim’s Video in New York City. These days, City on Fire can be find online, and Kim’s is history. But all the videos that entertained the film geeks of this city for more than twenty years have found a new home in, wait for it, Salemi, Sicily. Yes, the southern island of Italy. Kim has recently relocated there, as this sad but heartwarming story about him in yesterday’s New York Times reveals.

Rarely is a film politically poignant as well as wonderfully written, acted and shot. The second feature from director Kimberly Peirce of Boys Don’t Cry was inspired by her brother, who joined the army, and was only possible after months of meticulous research. Read more

WE'RE LISTENING TO

After getting lost in the quagmire that is the internet, M83’s Digital Shades, first released digitally in 2007, has just been given a space on the shelf in your nearest music shop. Before shooting to acclaim with Saturday=Youth, Anthony Gonzalez looked closer to Krautrock and Eno and produced this ambient sometimes beautiful record. There’s much less of a disco feel than both Saturdays and his first album, Before the Dawn Heals Us. Some might say it’s a bit self-indulgent, not easily accessible, and more of a soundscape than a pop attempt. Yet, like Eno, Gonzalez is slowly becoming a master of the perfect chord sequence, and the result is an interesting, often heart-wrenching, set of compositions. Read about M83’s favourite songs right now.