Beatrix Sky

I first met Beatrix Sky as she opened for a friends band at a show in Olympia, though I came to support my friend, I left hooked on Beatrix's music. I am here to tell you that you should be too. Her indie synth pop sound will carry you away in a dream and when you awake you will be left wanting more.

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Beatrix Sky has been gaining traction throughout the Northwest, playing shows in Seattle, Tacoma, Portland and keeping it local here in Olympia. Not to mention being brought up in conversation with some other local heavy hitters; with writes up in My NorthwestNada Mucho and Northwest Music Scene. Don't miss your chance to catch a show as I believe you are getting a sneak peak at the beginning of something truly amazing. Her newly released album "Fever Dreams" is a follow up to her debut EP "Sympathy," both are currently available on Bandcamp. With physical copies of "Fever Dreams" to come. Best yet, you can catch her tonight at Obsidian with a killer lineup. Event info here.

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Let us "Blow Ya Mind" with The Muzes

Like many projects of our projects as of late, the day starts before the sunrise and long after the sun goes down. Red first met The Muzes at the show SUGAR! Which took place in Olympia, hosted by the one and only Heddie Leonne. Hearing the Muzes music and meeting the ladies behind the music we knew we had to work with them.

Kelley Mak and Jaeda are powerhouses in hip hop independently, so when fate led them to one another at a festival in 2013, joining forces and creating the duo, "The Muzes", happened as organically as their introduction. With musical resumes lending an impressive trail, The Muzes have shared stages and mics with underground heroes and hip hop legends.

Jaeda, an Inland Empire, WA native is signed to Abstract Rude's label Keep the Feel. She's sugar and spice and will snatch your mic, this experienced performer will blow your mind with a live electronic band, intoxicating instrumentals, or acapellas. She oozes passion from her pores and always leaves you wanting more.

Kelley Mak, reigning from the Inland Empire in Southern CA, is a part of the House of Vibe All Stars. She brings the sultry side of hip hop to life with lyrical theatrics and raspy undertones and draws in her audience with wit and and that "good friend vibe.”

When working with a group while they are on tour, the biggest hurdle you face is scheduling. Hence the 4am morning and a drive to Spokane to catch the girls on a day off between shows. Each time we have been to Spokane for work we find something new, this time we found the Red Room. We can’t thank the Red Room enough, they opened their doors and allowed us full reign of the space for the afternoon. A cast of characters came out in full support as well. It was difficult to tell if life was imitating art, or the other way around, but the fans and friends fit the look of the project flawlessly.    

Heres a little peek into the day. Video after the jump!

Nissan Fest 2015!

A 5am start to make it up to Evergreen Speedway in Monroe WA and get ready for the day, Nissan Fest 2015, the annual event hosted by Northwest Nissans. By 10am the track is set, the drivers are ready to go and the media team finishes their safety meeting. There is some apprehension when you start the day by signing your life away to the powers that be; although it might also be an indication of the awesome experience that awaits.

I have been shooting for many years in lots of crazy situations; this was a new one and a lot of quick learning in the moment. A huge thanks to Jason Zimmer and the crew at Northwest Nissans for the opportunity and for the guys on the track for the tips and tricks to shooting drift photography.

The day kicked off with the autocross event; the technical course proved to be both changeling and confusing as many drivers got lost in the twist and turns. Horsepower and speed were less of a factor as 2 of the top 3 cars were Datsun 280 Z’s.

As the afternoon approached, the grandstands filled up and the drift competition got underway. It doesn’t take long for it to feel normal to have cars fly by sideways at high speeds and you get into a grove of enjoying the rush and capturing the moment. You are quickly snapped back into the reality of the situations when wheel weight shoots off a car and narrowly misses you or a traffic cone is kicked up in your general direction. Near misses keep you on your toes and humble in a situation that is always testing what it means to be in control.

“Never exceed your limits. You push the envelope and you live for those moments when you’re right on the edge, but you don’t go over.” I was reminded of this quote throughout the day watching these guys push the boundaries. Check out some of the shots of the day, thanks to new friends and the great experience. Can’t wait to be out on the track again soon. 

Sol's Premiere Party for the new music video "People"

Check out some images from the premiere party for Sol's new music video "People" directed by the talented Noah Porter. The video is incredibly stunning, it does a fantastic job of reflecting the raw heart and work ethic these two bring to their craft. In case you didn't know Sol been doing his thing for a while in the Seattle music scene. He makes great music which has built up a strong following of friends/fans that support the movement and sounds that Solzilla is putting out into the world. Be sure to check him out and catch the premiere of "People" 03/03/15. Northwest stand up!!!


Sugar! Ladies Hip-Hop in Olympia WA

Here are some Behind The Scenes shots as well as a highlight reel from Ladies Hip-Hop night- Sugar! in Olympia, WA. Presented by Heddie Leonne w/Special Guest DJ OND4, Host The Illustrious Ms. Hattie Hotpants, Corina Corina, Garlic Man & Chikn, The Muzes and Night Fox. There is an incredible amount of talent in these MCs, you could feel the excitement. It was basically one bad ass, sexy righteous dance party. Celebrating these powerful ladies was quite a way to get the (Eagles) club going up on a Wednesday...

Olympia Film Society presents Repeal Prohibition Celebration Day

On Dec. 5, 1933, Americans regained the freedom to imbibe! Repeal Day is fast becoming a nationally celebrated holiday, yesterday was the 81st anniversary celebration with an evening of live music, burlesque, craft cocktails, and costumes from the time of Prohibition. Local craft bartenders created pre- Prohibition era cocktails while live music filled the 1924 movie palace! Performances by members of Olympia’s own TUSH! Burlesque were amazing! Check out the night in pictures.

Work Is The Principle Music Video Behind The Scenes

Check out the new visuals for 'Work Is the Principle' by Ang P, Afrok, Puget and MG! The Visionary, produced by Smoke M2D6 of Oldominion. Featured on K Records hip-hop compilation album 'All Your Friend's Friends', Work is bursting of heart and soul with vocals by some of the finest MCs in the Northwest. Everything rides nicely on top of the clever sample of Ashley Eriksson's Sunset. There's a strong focus on honing your craft, providing a showcase different skill sets that play out cinematically. The video also highlights the lifeblood and beauty of the Pacific Northwest that is Olympia Washington. Directed by Red Williamson and produced by Matt Guile of Newspin Films. 

The video premieres tonight 8PM 11/15 at the Olympia Ballroom along with the All Your Friend's Friends mini documentary followed by amazing performances by WildcardTyler Xp AndrewsFree WhiskeyMIZ and Angel Perez of the RLC, and Calvin Johnson. Also including a For MCs By MCs Rap Battle featuring MC AKA and SOS.

Good Bad Girl Music Video and Behind-the-Scenes Photos

Today is the premiere of the latest music video from Newspin Films, "Good Bad Girl" by Heddie Leonne of Free Whiskey & Everybody Weekend. The track is on the K Records Hip-Hop compilation album "All Your Friend's Friends" which is released today as well - 11/11/14. We went in a witchy and dark direction based on the feeling we got from Heddie, and the Calvin Johnson sample. The story came together very well, and the props we were able to dig up really make the whole thing pop. Check out these behind-the-scenes pics and watch the video below!

Behind The Scenes: Transported Android Amaker Music Video

Android Amaker recently shot an out of this world music video for a brand new track called Transported. The video is directed by my good friend Peter Robinson, AKA Ten Hundred, who asked me to be the cinematographer on the project. It was a rollicking fun day of shooting, drinking and bloody pig hearts. In between assisting Peter and drinking fancy Tequila with the band, I was able to snag some behind the scene stills to give you a glimpse of the video. According to The Stranger, "This is a brand new song off of a local concept album. I dare say it's not quite like anything you've ever heard before. At least not on THIS planet. Some of the players involved are country-punk Brent Amaker, musicians Vox Mod and P Smoov, along with dancer/artist/musician Molly Sides, photographer/artist Frank Correa, and menswear designer Chris Jones (Like a Rockstar)." Its a wild ride of a track, listen after the BTS photos.

You can preview/preorder the album here. And the live performance (think more performance art than live music set) will explode with a singular, one-time-only live event at Neumos on November 7th.

GO TO Tracks: 2 (I'm the One), 5 (Flesh Roboutique), & 10 (Transported). If you have the time, listen to the full LP in order. This is a concept album and the story unfolds. Below is the back story and inspiration for the project: Raymond Kurzweil. I had heard the name in the 1980’s. I remember an electric piano that was touch sensitive and it sounded exactly like a grand piano. It was revolutionary. I played keys in a new wave band, so I didn’t have much use for such a thing. Most of my notes were limited to wave pitches and monophonic modulation. A polyphonic electric piano was a waste of my time. But I remember the name. And I didn’t see it again until I picked up a copy of Time magazine with this cover story: 2045 - The Year Man Becomes Immortal. That’s all I needed to become hooked. There was a man on this planet and he believed he could become immortal. He wasn’t a quack. And this wasn’t a tale of magic fountain in a mysterious location. This was a scientist whose credentials were authentic and he was a true believer. And his story was published in Time Magazine. Raymond Kurzweil invented the Kurzweil electric piano in the 1980’s, he invented the technology that became SIRI, and now had proposed the theory of technological singularity. And I believed him to be the messiah of scientific discovery. I read the Time magazine article on a flight from Oklahoma City to Seattle and it was a pivotal point in my life. It would lead me on an adventure that I would not have predicted. It would become an obsession and dominate my life. And my life would transform from what I once knew as life into something different. Something I cannot explain with words. It would lead me on a quest for immortality. It would ultimately change my identity and the universe would know me as Android Amaker. Not human, but immortal. The One.

Music Video: Beer In A Wine Glass

We recently shot another music video with local Olympia rap duo Double B & Laces, the track is called Beer In A Wine Glass. We had a blast working with these two, they bring the same high energy and excitement you get at one of their live shows to any project they are involved with. The video for BIAWG has a Lonely Island vibe, it's big, over the top and funny. A bunch of people came out on the day of shooting. My good friend Michael Porter was director of photography and 2nd camera. We had a fantastic lead girl by the name of Serenity Skye, she's a great model and very easy to work with! We also had dancers for the dance routine, Brianna Jones was our choreography director. A bunch of local rappers came out to show support as well as a fine group of well dressed characters that really brought the whole thing together nicely! Check out their EP Up All Night on iTunes!

Ten Hundred | Reincarnated

If you didn't already know, some of the most dope, original art and music is coming out of the Northwest as it has for years, people are just starting to pay more attention to the upper left coast lately. Somebody that more and more people are paying attention to is Peter Robinson, AKA P Smoov (of Fresh Espresso & MAD RAD) AKA Ten Hundred (painter, creator, maker, dreamer). He has been a major player in the NW music scene and has been making waves with his unique art style and approach. He paints over old canvases and covers them with vibrant, offbeat characters from another universe, such as the Watcher - a diamond shaped creature who sees all that unfolds in this alternate reality. Previously, we did a short film for Peter where we followed the creation of a piece from start to finish in 48 hours. He teamed up with us again to document the creation and preparation for one of his biggest shows yet, Ten Hundred- Reincarnated. We shot for three days over the course of a month to show some the intricacies of putting on a show of this caliber. The check video link below the photos; in the meantime, here are some behind-the-scenes shots leading up to the Ten Hundred art show. 

Demaro Vibe Island Music Video: Behind The Scenes

We just finished production on a really fun music video for up and coming NW artist Demaro to his new single Vibe Island. The concept for the visuals was simple- find your own Vibe Island. His particular Vibe Island involved partying with some beautiful ladies in a beachy setting. Even though it was a gloomy rainy day in the Pacific Northwest we had bikini's, palm trees, beach umbrellas and a kiddie pool, which was as close as we could get to a tropical island. So you have to use your imagination a bit, but it's not that hard as you'll soon see. Be sure to check out Demaro's music online and remember the face because you'll definitely be seeing it again. The video drops this Wednesday so until then, enjoy these behind the scenes photos by Cheyney Jones & Red Williamson. 

The Uncluded at the Olympia Timberland Library

Tonight was the first stop for The Uncluded Tour where almost 700 people turned out for a free, all-ages show at the Olympia Timberland Library. It was truly a unique and amazing experience with all types of young and old in attendance. Aesop Rock & Kimya Dawson put on a raw performance in a quirky environment that suited their sound so perfectly. If you haven't heard their album Hokey Fright yet, I suggest you check it out. Keep scrolling to see a video of them performing live on KEXP last year.

Nani Poonani as the Mad Hatter

Our good friend Nani Poonani is performing at the Capitol Theater with Stripped Screw Burlesque in the production Disney After Dark on April 12th at 8pm. Nani is bursting with character and has a great routine you won't want to miss! If you ever thought you might like to see a burlesque show, this is the one for you. Shout out to Shelby Rude for the hat, which happens to be from my 'Rude Hatter' shoot years ago! I think they're a perfect fit. If you make it out to the show and want to smell nice be sure to pick up a bottle of homemade Wiggle fragrance from her Etsy shop. Go Nani!

Noah Gundersen Ledges Tour

Recently, we had the opportunity to follow Noah Gundersen around on tour for his new album Ledges. We covered major stops on the west coast leg, including The Neptune, The Doug Fir and The Trobadour - all of which sold out. It was incredible to see Noah perform in front of 1100 people in Seattle and bring the room to a hush. You could practically hear a pin drop. The album is dark, brooding and bursting with raw emotion and heartfelt expression; his live performance reflected that perfectly. It felt like years of counseling in 55 minutes! Be sure to give Ledges a listen in it's entirety.

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Ten Hundred Art Movement

I did a little mini documentary a while back on one of my favorite seattle artists P Smoov of Fresh Espresso & Mad Rad. He is also a painter by the name of Ten Hundred. I had a blast spending the weekend with him, here is the finished product we came up with.

A documentary project following artist, producer, painter Peter Robinson (aka P Smoov, aka Ten Hundred) as he walks us through the world behind his paintings and his creative process.