Postcards from Monster Studios: Recording Latitudes in Nashville

View from the main console: Monster Studios  is 

owned and ran by Producer/Musician Brian Irwin.

She is a string Goddess : Andrea Young brought magic on the final  day of recording. 

 Happy Feet...

 Recording in a room with a view: Nashville Green. 

 

Mr. Irwin

Grateful...

It's like boarding a train in the dark, carrying one small piece of luggage - Destination

Unknown. When I first arrived here I had 6 songs, some chords on a guitar and an incredibly gifted Producer/Musician - Brian Irwin - our train's conductor if you will.

Our train moves so fast, but at just the right speed. This is going to get corny, full steam ahead... At just the right speed, we weave through rocky canyons, swiftly pass pristine lakes and endless valleys of tall Tennessee trees dressed in leaves the color of heaven - our train spars with blinding sunlight followed by warm drops of cold rain.

We manage to pick up a few passengers along the way. A little Percussion, some bangin' Drums & two Guitars. A beauty filled Bass and a rather victorious Viola color our path with new songs and laughter. There were of course moments when I couldn't see the sky. Our conductor swiftly twists yet smoothly maneuvers our train across the tracks - makes us believe we can fly as we rise above more valleys, over deep gorges and dance pass undiscovered bodies of water at record speeds... We rise above the tracks as if floating through time - suspended inside newly birthed patches of  blue, we see the stars as if for the first time.

Five days later we arrive - warm, dry, safe, liberated. The journey was the destination, and the destination turned out to be : continued...

Ushering in 2013

It's a new year and I'm walking in the light of Gratitude for all that 2012 has brought into being. The resources and endless players who've arrived to help bring my dream of recording an album of music is coming to life. So much change -  moving from busy urban jungle Korea Town to quiet tree lined street South Pasadena...to saying goodbye to an amazing job working with teenage girls at Step Up in June, only to return to it (for the third time) in January.  A wealth of rich and textured experiences with my beloved friends and family (nu and not so nu) - including witnessing the birth of my niece Emmie. Surviving being hit by a car this time last year whilst on my bike rushing for the train. Slowing down. So much love and support from folks I know, folks I've never even met (re: youtube, kickstarter). Spooky journeys into the unknown, journeys into love and heart ache like never before pain and back again. Death. Going inward. Lessons. Growth. Acceptance. 

                                              Designe, Simon, Eric Bolarie Photography, Make Up Angela Johnson

2012 brought me a new guitar which heralded New Songs for my New album out this beautiful new year, 2013 - Vertical Love the EP is on the horizon and in the works. It is literally 15 years in the making.  New Mentors, new alliances, new ideas and re-newed vision. New prospects, deeper connections and a beautiful black rescue Kitty, Osho who keeps me sane and teaches me true love everyday. A new road bike, the red Dragon. Watch out. A newly deactivated break from social networking ie: Facebook & Twitter.  Falling in love again with the simple things in life, the basics, finally learning to folk-us (focus). Embracing the easy come easy go's, creating healthier boundaries and really eye-spying the red flags in life as a I daily strive to carry the white flag of surrender in all that surfaces. Letting go  to let all that truly matters in. More and more, having more to give of myself. It's a new year, and I'm walking in the light of Gratitude for all that has come to pass and is coming.

Vertical Love in South Pasadena, CA

What a fun evening sharing tunes new and old with friends new and old at Buster's Cafe in lovely South Pasadena where I also reside. This town truly appreciates and supports Live Music! BigThanks to the Busters Familia, crew and to everyone who came down.

First Show in 2012: String Theory Acoustic Music Festival, DTLA

A Decade of images: "Outtakes" opening at the new Braj Gallery

Pre-Installation of main wall. It took about two
hours to sift through the entire collection.

The first Polaroid up: An early Self Portrait taken
on the 7 Train Platform in Queens, NYC circa 1999

Gallery owner Caren Braj standing next
to the first Polaroid placed on the wall.

Though I've been honored to create my brand of Polaroid Installations here in LA, Barcelona, Rome and Paris, at the end of 2011 I was thrilled and proud to present my first solo Art Show at a dear friend's new Gallery Space on Temple Blvd. in Echo Park - A neighborhood close to my heart since I not only lived there for 2 years between 1998-2000, but it also is the place where I was living when I first got inspired to start exclusively shooting with Polaroids for what would be the next ten years. Looking back it seemed an appropriate "coming full circle" moment for me and my cherished Polaroid images taken on all of my travels to end up there first.

It was especially meanigful for me to show video work for the first time. Below is a blurb created for the gallery.

View from the front door. 14 Film shorts were projected on the wall above right.

View from the back of gallery. More images were placed

in a line on the opposite wall of the main installation.

Music Producer, Artist Alejo and friend.

Performing/Visual Artist, Educator Kraig Blue

Family: My brother Hassan Booker, his wife Bet and

my nieces Sabrina, 4 and Aaliyah, 5.

Artist Leland Bankowski and Caren Braj looking good enough to eat.

Colombiana Poet reciting a 10 min piece en espanol.

I've got to get her name from the friend whom invited her!

Taking footage of her partner reciting his politically charged poems.
He did two moving pieces.The two poets and activist's invited are a couple.
It was a Divine experience and the perfect Blessing for the new space.

His name, also still needs to be retrieved.

This is my dear friend and one of biggest supporters Caren Braj; also a painter and film maker and yes, a newly Grammy Nominated Producer (for her Production work on a video for TV on The Radio) was the beautiful platform that made this magical evening possible. We've dreamed of this night and space for many years and we were like two 5 years old's having a blast in the sandbox the 24 hours it took to prepare for the big night which, by the way was a spontaneous decision made just two days before the actual event. In other words on Wed. night we decided to do an opening in her new gallery, Saturday. Looking forward to the closing. Thank You Caren.

Taking A Stand for Peace at LA Vs WAR

Check out the global [PEACE PROJECT] which was started a few years back by photogapher/dj Azul. I got in on this engaging and powerful photography based movement the very last night of the event. It was a real honor to stand up for peace with long time aquaintance Azul, especially doing it in the space of our weekly open mic, The Vortex. Power to the Photoz of the People!