Archive for the ‘Music’ Category
Music to our ears… 31 HOURS LEFT!
“It’s always been my passion to perform on stage and to connect with people through the healing power of performing arts.” -Mataji Booker
Only 31 hours left to take part in helping our girl Mataji record her first album, Vertical Love. Describing her beats as acoustic folk-soul, Mataji has a beautiful sound that get’s your body moving and all the while slows you down to enjoy this life we’re living!
Behind the music with Johanna Cranitch
Crossing paths in the barren desert of Salton Sea California, we first met Johanna Cranitch as an assistant on our past Fall 2010 photo shoot. It didn’t take long before we found her true gift and passion lied within the music scene as a song bird of NY. Since then, we’ve had the pleasure to work with Johanna in creating the music for our seasonal videos, and with each lyric she writes and tune she builds… she continues to leave us speechless.
We had a beautiful heart to heart with Johanna recently on the story behind some of her lyrics… and her inspiring work as a musician goes much deeper than song. Johanna works to pull focus on building awareness of eating disorders and hopes to continue doing so by giving talks on the issue. After having her older sister pass from anorexia, Johanna felt passion to share her story and honor her sister by encouraging other women to find strength in themselves to overcome such a difficult disease.
Johanna described for us the meaning behind her song Heavy Heart…
Johanna:
Heavy Heart is actually a song I wrote about my upbringing and childhood. I have always had a pretty hard time letting go.. letting go of relationships, friendships, people dying. I think it’s directly related to fearing that I will feel once again, what I felt when she died. the theme of “can you grow up soon” is about letting go of expectations and realizing that you have to be your own person and cannot hid behind your parents protection forever. “I am building castles in the sand” – I am protecting myself, a child like image to go along with the theme of feeling like I need protection from sadness.
I am building castles in the sand
Digging circling with my two hands
I will build it nice and tall so you you can’t get to me at all
Can you grow up soon and take care of all of that you need to do?
you do!
Heavy heavy heavy heavy heavy heavy heavy heavy heart
I am digging for treasures in the sand
Someone else’s dreams might be in this sand
Lost long ago, on a trip outside
heavy rain has washed it all away
can you grow up soon? and take care of all that you need to do?
you do!
(Do you need some help, will you take my hand
I will show you how, i will show you how)
Chorus
Is it time yet? my heart my heart won’t be still
I don’t know if I can grow up I can’t grow up yet
I can’t grow up I can’t grow up yet
I Want to hide want to sleep under the sheets so I can escape the world
I can’t grow up I can’t grow up yet I can’t grow up i can’t grow up yet
is it time?
Chorus
i am counting all the sheep, like my mother told me to
i am brushing all my teeth, like my father told me to
can you grow up soon?
will you tell me how to wipe up this room
with all these tears
MUSIC ROCKS FASHION TOMORROW!
Just a few of our favorite things: music, art, style… and plenty of good people!
Get in on the action tomorrow at the District in Tustin, CA as Sophisticates United Network presents LA Sera with Wakey! Wakey! and Ray Barbee & The Mattson 2!!
Dream Love Cure Concert Series
Join us and our friends at Skate4Cancer for the launch of the DREAM.LOVE.CURE. concert series! Great Bloomers start it off this Friday, June 15, and you can expect plenty of special guests to get in on the mix.
Oh, and did we mention this sweet poster was drawn up by the amazing illustrator and Element Advocate Neufeld?? Such a talented woman! See more on Juliana HERE
Hope to see you there!
More about the DREAM.LOVE.CURE. Concert Series here.
We did this little thing called Coachella…
For nearly a decade, Coachella Music Fest has been attracting folks for three days of multiple stage banging bands in the middle of Indo’s desert land! Now calling in around 80,000 folks to make the trek (for a pretty penny), you can bet we had to hit the road and find out what all the buzz was about… ok, ok, we admit, it wasn’t too hard what-so-ever to convince us… honestly we begged to go!
We had the wonderful honor of guest-editing and intagramming for our dear friends at Foam Magazine along the journey and above are just a few of our favorite shots throughout the lace & boot clad dusty three days!
Read our FULL recap on the weekend at Foam Magazine’s site HERE!
Planted like angelic seeds in my life I love watching them grow by Brooke Reidt
Element Eden asked me who I surround myself with and what draws me to those people. I thought I would introduce you to some of my friends who inspire me. Somewhere along the way they were planted like angelic seeds in my life and I love watching them grow! So many of my close friends are artists, constantly creating their own art and living out their dreams. There’s too many people like this in my life that I simply adore and are hugely inspiring to name here, so consider this a sliver. (A big sliver since I didn’t post yesterday.)
Meet Ixchel, such a small girl filled with so much magic! Ixchel is named after a Mayan goddess and she seems like she’s from another universe or perhaps a whole universe exists within her. She creates photographic images that you want to climb inside of and make a new life for yourself without boundaries. Just looking at her photographs takes you on a trip to places you can’t find on any atlas. All shot with film and no photoshopping! Look!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixchelara/
This is Niki. I met her on a porch of a house called “The Legion of Doom” in Ohio when I was hitchhiking across the country at 17. She very much seems a part of me. Living on opposite coasts I still feel like I grew up right beside her. She’s a genius the way she moves color around on canvas, wood or paper. You know that story about the boy who turned everything he touched to chocolate? Well this is the girl who turns everything she touches to beguiling beauties. Niki and her art are a spellbinding sea yours eyes need to swim around in. http://planticandwingishscenery.blogspot.com/
Mariqueen is a mermaid. No seriously, you’ve heard the lore of singing sirens that make ships wreck? This is her! Her voice gives you shivers and it does kind of kill you in a way. She’s a mother, lover and singer of the supernatural descent. Currently hypnotising, mesmerising and making waves in her band How to Destroy Angels drown your ears. http://howtodestroyangels.com/
Steve is cosmic. If Picasso came back to life as a hunter of life his name would be Steve. Steve is a magician of the arts, he dances to the beat of his dreams. From sculpture, mosaics & installations, to abstract paintings erupting in color he manifests a world of love you can live inside of. His art is not only a life of dedication but a life celebration. http://stevefawley.com/
This is Chris. I think you can see just from this picture that the energy of this being is extraterrestrial. Yep this picture was taken from one of his performances somewhere on a moon orbiting in the outerest parts of outer space. I know I wish was there too! The energy this alien invests into the music he makes can take you there! Listen to his project Free the Robots it will take you on that universal voyage you’ve been dreaming of. Chris is also one of the owners of a really impressive restaurant here on earth who is celebrating their 4th anniversary this weekend, The Crosby go! http://www.myspace.com/freetherobots
June June she’s sucha swoon you just want to spoon her forever! Aside from being sweet like a pile of puppies, she’s made of crystal prisms that cast rainbows of light on everything in her path. You know that Rolling Stone’s song “She’s a Rainbow”, that’s June. June is an artist, designer, blogger, film maker and snowboarder. She’s kind of a mystic sometimes she disappears and then resurfaces with some new zesty project or film that captivates your heart. http://blog.boatpeopleboutique.com/ http://www.peepshowfilms.com/
Finally there’s Paul who is one of my oldest friends. He divides his time between New York and traveling to the edge of earth. Right when he’s teetering so close to the edge you wonder if he’s fallen off and disappeared forever, he propels himself back to the present dimension sharing stories of people through photographic artifacts. His photographs transport you into intimate introductions with people and places that are so alternative to the nature you know, you wonder if it’s a dream. Paul has dedicated his life to exposing these hidden treasures through portraits you can see here.
http://www.paulnemirahcollins.com/
Styled out beats…
Hether, past Eden designer, had knowledge of underground music like a true tuned in beats junkie. Just as quick as she’d get together a design tech pack of the most beautiful bag you’d have eyes on, she’d throw out song names, the root of their compilation and depth of meaning behind each word, cord and back rhythm.
Well, good news, she decided to build a blog around the fruits of her knowledge and pair the two creatives of fashion and music into a beautiful encyclopedia of eye candy for the ears. Yes, yes, now we can all rest in the fact we will soon be firing off band trivia with the perfect poise of a three piece short suit (yes, short suit, get in one… you’ll thank us this summer).
Behind The Seams interview with Director: Amber B Dianda
The weekly Behind The Seams series continues!!
Today, releasing the clip we’ve all been on the edge of our seats waiting for, as we go behind the lens of Advocate Amber B Dianda on the creation of “Eden”!
The film itself was co-directed by Amber B and Kirk Dianda, who documented all the products and personalities behind the brand. Amber is also the hand behind the stop-motion animations featured throughout the film, cutting out each piece individually and positioning them one by one for each frame! While I could describe to you the steps taken in making the film, it is much better explained by Amber herself, so without further ado, a Q&A with our dear dear friend…
Alex: Describe what entails stop-motion animation.
Amber B: Stop-motion (also known as stop action) is the process of shooting one picture at a time, and moving an object individually between frames, creating the illusion of a moving image when played back. Stop-motion animation has a long history in the film world, and helped define movies as we know them today.
Alex: Why did you choose to partner stop-motion animation in the creation of the Eden film?
AB: I’m a huge fan of Tim Burton and old school Disney animations, and I’ve always wanted to try my hand at creating my own stop-motion. So when Kirk and I first started talking about this project, we knew we wanted it to keep it short, but still treat it like a story as opposed to a documentary. With that in mind, we needed something to carry the story along, and the animations and voice-overs created the perfect thread to tie it all together. The animations also captured the quirky and creative aspect of Element Eden, so it was a perfect fit.
Alex: How many paper pieces did you cut out by hand for the entire film?
AB: Too many to count, but I took over 2000 individual pictures to create the entire animation!
Alex: About how long did that take?
AB: We worked on and off on this project for over a year, but not a year straight of work… We’d shoot a few days here, and then not touch the project for weeks. I had a lot of other projects going at the same time, so in between those, I would carve out small scenes, one at a time. I would maybe spend an entire day cutting paper out one time, and then other times I’d focus and shoot all day (and night).
Alex: What was the most challenging aspect in the creation of the film?
AB: Trying to cram all the amazing people and things about Element Eden into a piece under 5 minutes. We literally have hours of awesome footage that we shot over the period of the last few years.
Alex: You and your husband Kirk do quite a few projects together as creative minds… Was this one any different?
AB: No, it wasn’t different. Each project we do, we approach it with fresh eyes and strive to capture the idea of the project as best we can. We both work very differently when it comes to creating things, so I think we teach other something different with every project. I usually shoot still photography and his specialty is film, but our rolls changed and blurred on this project. I always love learning and mastering new things, and feel very lucky to be able to share that with the most special person in the whole wide world, my husband.
Alex: What is your favorite part of the stop-motion animation within the film? Why?
AB: I think the words section that describes what it is to be an Eden girl is my favorite scene. I have worked with Element Eden for about ten years, and have met so many amazing and inspiring woman associated with the brand. At first I wasn’t sure how to capture that until I came up with the words that describe an Eden girl… It became a manifesto, and I love how each word grows to reveal the next.
Alex: Looking back, what is one word you would use to sum up the entire film and why?
AB: Feminine. It’s beautiful and nurtures all the traits that Eden stands for.
Alex: In the many personalities featured and interviewed, which sticks out in your mind and why?
AB: Shooting Miya Ando in her studio in DUMBO, Brooklyn. Miya Ando is the sweetest woman you will ever meet. She’s tiny and delicate but has this amazing studio that is full of heavy duty metal working tools like hammers and blow torches. It was such a contrast to the intricate workmanship of her pieces. She’s incredible, and I will remember that day we spent with her forever.
Embrace the climb…
Dear friend and lead singer of He’s My Brother She’s My Sister, Rachel Kolar, hits her beautiful notes with strong rhythm and a psychedelic swagger… and the fact she has a heart for adventure and embraces of the great outdoors just makes us love her that much more! Wish we could of joined her on this journey to take on the mountains of Ojai over the holidays!
Help us spread the word and support one of the best local bands around, He’s My Brother She’s My Sister, as they’ve found themselves bus-less with a full calendar of tour dates! Find them on PLEDGE MUSIC HERE and please do hurry as they only have 8 days left to raise money for a tour van!!!
Adventure with Rachel in the Martina fleece coat… FIND IT HERE
Snowflakes start falling…
What’s your favorite holiday tune?
Elton John “Step into Christmas” -Alison, Eden product developer
Michael Buble “All I Want for Christmas” – Wendy, Eden design director
Matt’s version of Arnold Schwarzenegger in “The Christmas Song” -Jenn, Eden product developer
George Michaels “Last Christmas” -Filipa, Eden designer
“Grandma got run over by a reindeer” -Todd, hardgoods art director
Elvis Presley “Blue Christmas” – al, marketing