This Wednesday November 16th, Masses director Alex Pelly will be part of a screening of short films that “examine what LA means to those that inhabit it, in a program and discussion about our public urban identity” presented by Big City Forum & Cinema Speakeasy. She will be screening her video for “Javelin @ Bob Baker Marionette Theatre,” which captures the band performing a playful electronic set while delicate marionettes masterfully dance across the stage.  Come join us and have a grand ol’ time watching some shorts!

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

July 7th marks the first Paper Ships show, a new downtown event taking place the first and third Thursday of every month. When the creators of Paper Ships approached us with an idea for a new downtown event, we were thrilled. We were immediately smitten by their passion for art forms big and small.  After all, their dream for a cinema-meets-concert event seemed right up our alley. We agreed to come on board and, along with our friends at dublab, vowed to do our best to make Paper Ships one of the summer’s coolest events.

The shows will be held at the old LA stock exchange. Once a wood-paneled haven for West-coast Wall Street types, the building has been transformed into a new venue, Exchange LA, in a way that exemplifies everything Paper Ships stands for. Now, with both the amenities of a modern club and the beautiful remnants of an original art deco design, Exchange LA is the poster-child for the re-purposed vintage aesthetic. And, with our own Alex Pelly in charge of visuals, we can almost guarantee that your mind will be blown on a bi-weekly basis.

Though the rest of the Paper Ships shows will have a vintage nautical motif, the first installment is a celebration of ”Beats, Rhymes, and Life,” the soon-to-be-released documentary about one of the most influential groups of the 1990s, A Tribe Called Quest. Michael Rapaport, director of the documentary, will host the evening, at which Phife (of ATCQ) is scheduled to appear. The evening will open with DJ sets from dublab’s Frosty and KCRW’s Garth Trinidad, as well as a rare set by Madlib (of Stones Throw). Peanut Butter Wolf and Prince Paul (of De La Soul) will be bringing their VJ skills to the floor, so get ready for some of the best sights and sounds this summer will ever see.

The inaugural edition of Paper Ships is certainly not to be missed, so come out this Thursday (and every other Thursday after that) and enjoy a fantastic show with us.  Who knows, there may even be a special end-of-the-season event in the works, so watch out!  Check the website (created by our friends over at The Visual Engineers) for current show info.

FOR TICKETS AND EVENT INFO, CLICK HERE

7pm-11pm

Tickets for the event are $100 (Limited Quantity Available)

JF Chen Loft
941 North Highland Avenue
Los Angeles, CA, 90038

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CREATIVE CULTIVATION

The Series’ eighth installment, “The Sky’s Gone Out,” includes live performances, shadow puppetry, video art, and everything in between. With work from our own Matt Amato, Ariana Natale, and the lovely Mia Doi Todd, the event promises to be a whirlwind of a show, so check it out!  After all, what could be more fun than a night that leaves you wondering just when exactly the real performance began?

The event is free and anyone 21+ is welcome.  If you’d like to attend, RSVP to: theseriesLA@gmail.com.  Doors open at 8pm!

The Rooftop at The Standard, Downtown LA
550 South Flower Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Doors open 8pm, Show at 9pm, 21+
RSVP to: theseriesLA@gmail.com

Featuring:
Ariana Delawari
Ariana Natale
BKOB
Cristine Diana Tatomer
Drew Denny
DJ Jung Hollywood
Ezra Woods
Idalia Valero
Joseph Matterson
Julz the Huntress
Kennedy Kabasares
Kevin Litrow
Letters vs. Numbers
Majken Christensen
Mandy Kahn
Marilinda Rivera
Matt Amato
Mia Doi Todd
The Movement Movement
Nellie Bethel
Nicole Disson
Russia Hardy
Steven Wendt
Tommy Santee Klaws
VUM

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TONALISM

On March 11, 2011, Japan was hit by one of the most devastating disasters in recent history.  While half the world slept, a 9.0 earthquake struck the eastern coast of Japan with such force that it caused the earth to spin faster than it ever has before.  The earthquake and its aftershocks triggered a series of events that have continued to overwhelm our friends overseas.  We could give you numbers, such as how many people have been evacuated or how high the radiation levels are, but they all point to the same thing: what people really need is hope.  That’s why we’re so excited about Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: A Musical Collaboration to Support Disaster Relief in Japan. Masses director Matt Amato has collaborated with Elliott Sellers to create video art for the fundraiser, hosted by Mischa Barton.  Tickets are $12 at the door and all proceeds go to the American Red Cross, so come out and join us tonight at the Bootleg Theatre from 8pm-midnight!

Performances By:
Corridor
The Goldberg Sisters
Taylor Locke
Hands
The Venus Illuminato

Wednesday, April 27, dublab collides with dub club for a 2 room sound fest at the Echoplex.  From dub and dance hall to bass and riddim, Headcharge will feature world class artists from Jamaica to Japan.  Our own Masses Lab director Alex Pelly will be mixing live video at the event, along with Miko Revereza.

In the Echo, dublab features Duppy Gun Productions, Punky Reggae Party DJs, Danny Holloway, Tom Chasteen, and renowned Frosty.

In the Echoplex, dub club presents reggae legend David Rodigan, Japanese DJ crew Mighty Crown, Shinehead, Firgo Digital with Kiddy Ranks, and more!

9pm-2am / 21+

$10 before 10pm, $15 after 10pm
Advance tickets $10 from ticketweb.com

Entrance through the Echoplex
1154 Glendale blvd.
Echo Park
dubclubla.com

CLICK HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE AND MORE INFO

If you’re a Los Angeles-based fan of Explosions In The Sky, you may have noticed that their April 30^th concert at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery sold out in 72 hours.  Lucky for us, the concert will now be preceded by an outdoor art and listening event that just so happens to be absolutely free!

On Saturday, April 23^rd, Hollywood Forever will be hosting Explosions In The Sky’s Taking Care: 6 Visual Interpretations.  The installation centers around the six songs on the upcoming album Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, each of which will be premiered on loud speakers throughout the cemetery.  Seeing as the band is known for their self-described “cathartic mini-symphonies,” you won’t want to miss the chance to hear the album 3 days before it’s officially released.

But it gets better!  Six artists (including our own Matt Amato) have been asked to create a visual response to a song that will then play alongside the music, making the installation not only a fantastic sonic experience, but also an astounding visual one, too!

[Here’s a look at the tracks along with the artists interpreting them]

“Last Known Surroundings” -Matthew Lessner
“Human Qualities” -James Fields
“Trembling Hands” -Matt Amato
“Be Comfortable, Creature” -Jesse Fleming
“Postcard from 1952″ -Chris Lipomi
“Let Me Back In” -Alexis Disselkoen

So if you love Explosions, visual art, and eerie places, you should probably save this date.  For more information, look here.   Gates open at 8pm and the cemetery closes at 11pm.  Though tickets are free there is a limited supply, so RSVP HERE to secure your spot.

Raul B. Fernandez’s “One Man Band,” featuring Grant Leuchtner, will be screened at TEDxUSC on April 12.  An exciting conference dedicated to “Ideas Worth Spreading,” TED delivers talks and multimedia presentations relating to technology, entertainment, design, and more.

One Man Band was originally shot with two cameras to create 3D.   A clever short too unique to spoil, see it for yourself!

IN 2D

IN 3D (put your glasses on!)

CLICK FOR MORE INFO ON TEDxUSC

Catch Masses Lab Director Spencer Ockwell at the upcoming Boston Underground Film Festival, screening his short, “If Not Now When.”

Featured as part of the “Illustrated Oddities” program, the film is an abstract story using live action and animation, plus a surreal score from Australian artist Tjupurru.

““If Not Now When” is a mythopoetic journey through a bizarre world where time loses control…things don’t go as planned.”

The film screens on March 26 at 12:30PM and March 31 at 5:45PM at Kendall Square Cinema in Boston.

CLICK HERE FOR B.U.F.F. AND THE ILLUSTRATED ODDITIES LINEUP

WATCH THE FILM

VISIT SPENCER’S GALLERY

Featuring:
Aaron Drake, AI for AI, Alex Lilly, Ariana Natale, Drew Denny, Emily Lacy, Jason Grier, Julia Holter, Majken Christensen, Cristine Diana Tatomer, Mandy Kahn, Meagan Judkins, Nicole Disson, Poor Dog Group, Sharon Pierre-Louise, Sophie Morte,
TEARIST, Ten West, and more!

The Rooftop at The Standard, Downtown LA
550 South Flower Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Doors open 8pm, 21+
Free

Immediately following the films there will be a live performance from a surprise guest, after which Labrat djs will spin some soundtrack selections on the Spanish Patio.  Tickets for the event are $12 (or free for Cinefamily members) and can be bought in advance here.  The artists are all amazing and the night is sure to be a blast, so don’t miss out!!!

Saturday, February 26^th at 2pm, Masses founding member Matt Amato will be at Public Works with Masses Lab directors Abram Pineda-Fischer, Ariana Natale, Alex Pelly and June Zandona, where they will be screening some of their latest work and discussing the processes involved in creating music videos for Sister Crayon, Oy, Crystal Antlers and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, as well as Javelin’s “VisionVersion.”  But if a hands-on event is more your style, come by the workshop room at 5pm for our “Shooting With ‘Toys’” Harinezumi workshop.  We’ll share some tips and tricks for shooting with these great little cameras (which we can’t seem to get enough of!).

So come out to Noise Pop this year and collaborate with us!  The full schedule of Culture Club events can be found here. Tickets can be purchased online in advance for $10 or $15 the day of the event.  Hopefully we’ll see you there!

The festival takes place this coming Sunday, January 23^rd, at the Downtown Independent Theater in downtown Los Angeles.  Events begin at 11am with screenings and panels, including the sure-to-be-mindblowing “Up & Comers” panel from 1:00-2:00pm.  At the end of the night the festival will culminate with an after party at The Echoplex featuring Voxhaul Broadcast.

Tickets can be bought online here by clicking on the event you wish to attend.  All day festival passes are $40, while admission to individual panels/screenings are $10.  There aren’t too many festivals that focus on
these bite-size works of art, so come check it out!!

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

It all begun in March 2010 in New York. The artistic sphere speaks only about a small digital camera: Digital Harinezumi. Completely out of date, this camera cannot shoot clearly like one of those high-tech cameras. Its fickle and rough shot are always full of noises, and leaves us with a sense of déjà-vu. When it comes to the videos, its peculiarity is outstanding. That is what caught the eyes of the artists*. They immediately realized how unique this video camera could be. And soon…so many videos created by many different artists. In March 2010, the videos were shown at the entrance of the New Museum in New York.

Next was the Tokyo show – where a new way of expressions was born. It was called “The Forest of Harinezumi.” The videos collected from all over the world were cut into pieces, then shuffled and connected. Jubilant videos, melancholic videos, nostalgic videos, and wild laughter – looping the videos of everything, happening around the world, they became 100 different videos, playing on more than 100 small and big screens. As the music and the images were synched at certain times then let lose at other times, we have tempted to create a forest out of videos.

In December, the forest comes to Paris and will settle at agnès b.
*agnès b., Matt Amato, Benjamin Kutsko, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Patrice Leconte, Kim Gordon, Christopher Doyle, Mark Borthwick, So yong Kim, Hossan Leong, Albert Maysles, Ari Seth Cohen, Barnaby Clay, Bruce LaBruce, Carla Brookoff, Chad Phillips, Chan Wook Park, Chris Apple, Collective of vision, Cristina Guadalupe, Dave Potes, Grant Leuchtner, Harmony Korine, Isabel Coixet, Jehad Nga, Jens Leckman, Jonas Mekas, Joshua Zucker-Pluda, Luiza Sa, Miranda July, Mounte Eerie, Nick Dangerfield, Nick Waplington, Oliver Payne, Peter Spark, Rage Goh, Xiao Han, Bob Lee, Clarence Lee, Chris Ong, Looi Wan Ping, Jimmy Taenaka, ….
videos mixed by SuperHeadz.Tokyo
Opening December 9th from 7.00pm to 10.00pm
agnès b. 17 rue Dieu 75010 Paris
Exhibition from December 9th to 23rd 2010
agnès b. 17 rue Dieu 75010 Paris
And 6 rue du Jour 75001 Paris

CLICK HERE TO SEE A PREVIEW OF THE SHOW

Watch a movie about 2009 screening here!

Matt Amato and Alex Pelly of The Masses and John Wyatt of Cinespia will be doing visuals  for dublab’s “Creative Cultivation: Fall Fundraiser Dinner” on Tuesday, September 21st.  There will be musical performances by Flying Lotus, Los Esotericos, Daedelus and the dublab soundsystem. Dublab is a grassroots, non-profit organization with a mission of sharing progressive music, arts and culture with the world.  Come join The Masses and dublab for a very special night of music, food, projections and most importantly fun.

TICKETS:
All proceeds benefit dublab, a creative 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. A portion of your ticket donation is tax-deductible.  Tickets are very limited and must be purchased in advance.

$100 each (Limited to 90 tickets total)

DUBLAB.COM/DINNER

FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

Click to get tickets for:

Bowerbirds “Northern Lights” (Jun 18th 8:00pm & Jun 20th 7:00pm)

Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros “Kisses Over Babylon” (Jun 19th 10:00pm or Jun 23rd 7:30pm)