LIFE is BUTTER.

Benicio del Toro @ G-STAR RAW show

2009-02-18T01:05:00.003-05:00

So, G-STAR, the Dutch denim company that's been working hard to do the Andy Warhol -- bringing the high & the low together -- in the fashion world lately, has been a part of NY Fashion Week for a bit now.

They have established this thing called the "RAW icon" where they bring in a celebrity to add a "surprise element" to their show.

A year ago, they had Dennis Hopper read a poem at the end of the show. Random, yes.

Last season, they brought on Heather Graham and Alan Cumming to introduce the United Nations' Millennium Campaign, namely the End Poverty 2015. Their official press release said "G-Star Raw is proud to announce its partnership with the United Nations Millennium Campaign to jointly raise awareness for the Millennium Development Goals during New York Fashion Week." ...And announce they did. But whether they did anything further, i.e. donating any dinero, to the project to end global poverty by 2015 is unknown.

This year, the honorary icon was Benicio del Toro. Like Hopper a year before, he came on runway at the end of the show to read a poem.

What I wanna know is, what exactly did he add to the show?

Oh My...

2009-01-27T16:25:00.001-05:00

Oh my lordie. It's 2009, innit?

Okay, for real, I'll try to update this more frequently.

But it's not one of my resolutions for this year. I'm just saying, I'm jus' sayin'.

But see you soon.

A Note on Spike Lee x G-Shock

2008-05-07T19:58:00.001-04:00

No, seriously, I don't want the digital camera. Hence, you do not need to comment on this post.

But yes, I have been working on this project for the past year and some change. And the time has come, finally, to talk about it.

Many thoughts at the moment.

1) Yes, I have abandoned this blog for an entire month now. But I'm back.

2) Mmmm... Yes, Spike Lee seems ubiquitous at the moment, doing projects with G-Shock, Nokia, Nike...

3) And yes, I have a little crush on him.

4) And... Oh yes, the publicity team at Casio USA sucks. Big time. They need to learn the cool from its Japanese brethren. A way to cheapen my year-long project. Thank you very much.

5) But yes, I still enjoy working with them.

And soon, I will be talking about the 14th...

Potentially Most Dismissible Saturday

2008-04-08T11:25:00.003-04:00

I must say, I'm not sure if I used the word dismissible right, but in any case, it's about last Saturday.

The entire borough of Brooklyn and in-the-know Manhattanites headed to First Saturday at our lovely Brooklyn Museum. As the Takashi Murakami show were to kick off, you can imagine how many people were to rush over Eastern Parkway.

It was packed. The line for the exhibition was longer than the much-hyped Basquiat show a few years back. And, may I emphasize the fact that even though the beauty of First Saturdays lay in the all-night free entrance (the museum's open till 11PM), somehow, somewhere, they decided they can charge regular (which is already $2 more than the normal $8) admission fee??

I really don't know what the big deal with this was. The show's already done showed (pun intended) in Los Angeles. Plus the unnecessarily glitzy reception with an "exclusive" Kanye West performance (hasn't he been appearing at too many of these to be "exclusive" already?) happened already on Thursday last week.

The DJ set by Muro was on the stuffy first floor next to the gift shop, when it's usually held upstairs. The sound system? Aweful. Because of the large totem pole-esque pieces from the Americas that were not to be removed from the room, the speakers weren't placed most efficiently. The DJ flew in all the way from Japan, and this is what he gets. What.

Library in Nightclub.

2008-04-04T13:24:00.002-04:00

And that is the powerHouse Library at Mansion.

The opening was last night. So, powerHouse is an awesome publishing company, but what concerns me is the selection of the club. If it were to open its own night venue, that's one thing. But they are going with Mansion, another mega club hailing from Miami taking over the space that formerly housed Crobar.

Now, I'm not hating on Mansion. (In fact, my homeboy DJ Ryo spins tonight! If you're going out tonight in NYC, go and holler.) The lighting in the main room is quite astoundingly beautiful. And is that Pucci fabric on those couches? Fabulous. If I begin to think, Mansion itself is a pretty exciting venue.

And powerHouse states that they are going to use the space for book release parties and such.

But, then, why am I not excited at all about this? I love books. I do. And you know I'm down with nightlife. So why this disillusionment?

Perhaps because the idea of books in a posh space with liquor is not at all all that fresh... The Library at the Hudson Hotel? Or the beautiful collection at the Chambers mezzanine (not to mention its owners -- both of the NY location and of the Minneapolis one -- are some major art collectors ).

Okay, they are both hotels and not nightclubs. But in New York, where a numerous -- and many infamous -- parties are held actually at hotels (think Chelsea Hotel, the Mercer, QT...), what's really the difference.

I really hope that powerHouse Library does something that would blow my mind to live up to its great accomplishments they've made so far... because quite frankly, this move hasn't impressed me a bit.

More TMB.

2008-04-03T13:46:00.002-04:00

In case your curiosity for The Martinez Brothers -- who, by the way, also set fire at the Diddy party in Miami last week -- has intensified, here's a great interview piece: Click Here. (No worries, it ain't gonna take you to any porn sites with random windows popping up.)

Vice City in Serenity.

2008-04-02T17:18:00.006-04:00

The holy sunrise over South Beach. Amen!

Copying, reprinting, reposting, or reproduction in any format of the photos that appear on this blog without a written consent from the author is prohibited.

Biz Markie Gone Wild.

2008-04-02T12:31:00.006-04:00

Have you seen Biz Markie spin an *astounding* set of "Holiday", "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of These)", "Cotton Eye Joe" and...was it "Holla Back Girl"?

Yep, that's just what he did...before shifting into his hip-hop/dancehall set at Cameo, after a 2, 3-hour set by Jazzy Jeff. Indeed, this wrapped up the series of parties for us at WMC '08.

At 7:14am, I prayed to the rising sun over the warm waters of Miami Beach. Sure, it may not compare to doing it on the islands, it still was a serene moment much needed after those many days/nights of partying up in the beloved Vice City.

Till next year -- we'll bring back the scene to NYC.

Breaking at the Hell of...

2008-04-01T22:07:00.000-04:00

Remember how I was saying I didn't shoot any videos at the Hella Int'l Party the other day?

My home girl Thim, who was one of my two lovely partners in crime on this trip, shot the ill viddie, and is sharing it with us. Thanks baby! And here it is...enjoy.

Beach Break.

2008-03-31T10:15:00.002-04:00

Between dancing and drinking and other decompression/wile-out strategies, needless to say, a beach break is a must in Miami. Weather-wise, this year's WMC has been better than the ones in last couple of years.

So, whilst chillin' on the beach, I saw some awesome kids:

Ultra...Drum'N'Bass.

2008-03-30T13:15:00.000-04:00

So, what happened after the Hella Int'l party was that we went to Ultra -- the infamous outdoor electronic music festival. I know some of you are thinking "Ew," but I did.

Why? Because, we missed the Drum & Bass Arena party on Thursday! We had to somehow compensate for our needs for DnB, yeah?

It was the second day of the 2-day fest, and other stages had Underworld;, Carl Cox, Moby, Enur (of the Calabria '07 fame), etc. There was a set by the MSTRKRFT on the first day, it seems.

So, here's a not-at-all-so-great clip from the Ultra Drum & Bass stage. But trust it was AWESOME. Andy C, Goldie (!!), Adam F... I know that if you don't know DnB, these are just mysterious and plain names, but dude, you've betta ask somebody.

Hell of International.

2008-03-29T19:29:00.003-04:00

Okay, the official name is Hella International, but since I am NOT from the Bay, I refuse to say "hella" in any occasion. Anyway, the party went down!Hosted by Stones Throw Records, Hella International is known to bring together a banger set by the label artists and their friends. This year at the WMC, the lineup included Madlib, PBW, A-Trak, and my personal fave DJ Mehdi, and it was hosted by Aloe Blacc. And yes, a lot of J. Dilla tunes. What, what.

B-boys were breaking it down, per usual, starting out a mini battle. I see a lot of b-boy/girl battles, but this one was tight. Sorry I didn't shoot a video.
AND I missed Mehdi's set! Grrr. But I'll let you know why later. Gotta run now.

The Crucial Objektivity.

2008-03-28T07:16:00.002-04:00

So, you know, the reason why I let a few days go by between my updates here is... I'm having a GREAT time. Sure, this WMC has been the most quiet I've ever seen, but how you make your life so butter is by just enjoying it or finding a way to enjoy it.

Anyway, the Objektivity party at SoBe Live was sweet!

To start with, the Lower East Side's own homeboy (represent) Filsonik was going hard with a hint of that Latin thing he does. The people who were there know that he really worked the crowd up to set the solid base for what was to come in the rest of the night.

Then there came The Martinez Brothers... my personal main event at the party this night.

The DJ duo from the BX has been killin' it on the house scene for the last couple of years, traveling across the country and beyond to Europe and Asia.

The craziest part? That they are 16 and 19 years old! According to some online sources, they got put on house music by their father, who didn't like that the music they were listening to -- hip-hop -- had a lot of offensive language.

And the result turned out to be more than what anyone would have expected.

Seriously, look out for their future gigs near you. Even if you don't listen to house usually, I swear you're gonna be hyped.

WMC '08 Report 1.

2008-03-26T18:50:00.002-04:00

Miss me?

I did. Anyway, told ya I was gonna write about the WMC. So let me get on that.

It's the Day Two of the Winter Music Conference '08 here in Miami. I must say it's pretty chill so far. I mean, A LOT mellower than some previous years. Is it the effect of our declining economy? Perhaps. But am I not enjoying it? Duh, I LOVE IT. I can feel that it's gonna be crazier from Thursday on, but right now, the people here, whether DJing or partying or else, really are doing it just to do it for love. No extras.

Aside from the mellowness, there are a few other things that I have noticed different from the usual WMC scene:

1) Shelter party - Usually it took place later on in the week, mainly the last day of the party-laden week. But this year it happened on the first day. I heard from a reliable source that Shine at the Shelbourne, the venue where it's always taken place, got booked by some commercial promoter... Has the WMC gone too "overground" (not that it was ever underground, but you know what I mean)?

2) Downtown reigns over - So, perhaps because of the arguable state of the WMC as expressed in (1), I hear hosting a party in South Beach has become not so easy. So there seems to be A LOT more parties this year in downtown Miami. Tonight there's GotSoul & Therapy with a tasteful lineup with Danny Krivit, Quentin Harris, Rich Medina, etc. at the celeb favorite Karu & Y. Can't wait. It'll be amazing.

3) ...hmmm, I forgot what else I'd noticed. If I remember and think it's crucial, I'll post another day.

Now I've gotta get outta here & get me some good Cuban food... TTYL!

(P.S. Be patient with the video. I think it's pretty nice.)

Frank White's Philly Association.

2008-03-21T15:32:00.006-04:00

What does the name Frank White inspire in you? The more romantic version of the American gangster? Perhaps Biggie Smalls. Or, the baseball player?

Whatever you may have thought of the name previously, your new definition should be the new(-ish) Brooklyn social that's a part cafe, a part gallery...with some drool-worthy fresh waffles on weekends. Now, that's real gangsta.

If you haven't had a chance to drop in yet, here's a good reason tonight:
Jayson Scott Musson, a.k.a. that ridiculous(ly) "amu-azing" (I just made that up) rapper from Philly's own Plastic Little, will be showing off his other mind-blowing body of work -- visual art. And yes, there'll be music and drinks (and maybe some snacks).

Now, seriously, I'm not from Philly, but I'm somehow charmed by and obsessed with the City of Brotherly (and Sisterly) Love. Though often misunderstood as an NYC wannabe, they've come a long(er) way. You'd be proud to see how our little offshoot has grown up...

Philly Invades Brooklyn
at Frank White
Tonight from 8PM-12AM

Basically, It's A Girl Power Show.

2008-03-21T02:22:00.005-04:00

My gal Aiko Nakagawa's really workin' it this month. Just as soon as she made the quick little appearance at Kidrobot the other day, she's ready to open a 2-person show at the East Billyburg gallery Ad Hoc.

She's showing her latest body of work in this show with Lady Pink. Alright, however, let me just say that the event title is pretty lame: Brick Ladies of NYC.

Ew.

I mean, NYC streets are mainly concrete. And I think any decent street artists *today* know not to bother with pretty and now-precious brick walls. I think they named it this because Pink has been drawing up bodies made of bricks. No disrespect to the big Lady, but it really doesn't rep my gal pal, does it?

Also, take a look at the flyer. Pink x Brown. I guess Aiko is brown? Hmmmm... I sense that the gallery folks need a better copywriter and a flyer designer, perhaps.

Either way, the show's set up pretty nicely. Last night was the preview attended by friends, family and potential buyers. And the opening reception is tonight:

Friday, March 21, 2008
from 7PM till 10PM

at Ad Hoc Art (49 Bogart Street, East Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

Followed by an after party at Marble & Stone Inc right around the corner from the gallery.

All Neon Like.

2008-03-19T03:28:00.001-04:00

Speaking of Burton... Here's something new from them:

The '09 Light Camo Jacket, as it is called, features artwork by Chicago-based Chuck Anderson (who, by the way, is quite a hottie...). Supposedly, it's a part of the upcoming 2009 outerwear collection. It's looking...hot & all neon like. It's not made with "glow-in-the-dark threads" like Björk sang, but I'm sure anyone would be beaming whether on the street or in the snow.

More Than Snow: Burton Book

2008-03-17T01:48:00.006-04:00

In case you were wondering where I'd disappeared to in the last few days (i.e. if I'd already quit this blogging thing), I was at the Pier 94. Everyday for the past 4 days, working at the Antique Show. It's a cool little -- um, actually gigantic -- expo for those who are interested in modern antique & design.

Anyway, today's topic is Burton Book.

You probably figured it's about that snowboarding brand Burton. And yes, it's in Japanese. This isn't a new book. It came out late last year in Japan. But I wanted to talk about it because 1) it's a really beautiful book, and 2) I'm looking for design-minded boutiques and stores in the U.S. and abroad that are interested in carrying a few copies (trying to help out a friend here).

The awesome 200-page book is of course all color. The exclusive interviews with the founder Jake Burton and his creative team, as well as pro-riders Terje Håkonsen and Shaun White, are all quite inspiring (I mean, Jake "invented" the Olympian sport!). It's quite frankly like an archive of Burton's 30-year history. You can also peep the design environment at JDK, the best of Burton ads and some of the meanest artworks by Andy Jenkins, Geoff McFetridge, and others. (Oh, you've got to check this stained-glass lamp that Pucci - not Emilio - did for them!)

Can't read Japanese? Do not despair. The book is heavily photo- and image-oriented, and is gorgeously designed. It's a bookshelf eye-candy, just like your "favorite" Taschen book that you don't actually read but love to own & look at (...so cool, innit?). Plus, it comes with the never-before-released Burton documentary DVD, For Right Or Wrong.

Interested in purchasing or selling at your own retail outlet? Holler.

Finding Aiko.

2008-03-13T04:31:00.002-04:00

So here's a super rare chance to get a glimpse the elusive lady and one (or more) of her limited-edition bunnies from Kidrobot.
Don't miss out!

A Kind Reminder.

2008-03-12T10:58:00.003-04:00

I think you're supposed to be at Sutra today to meet up with us.
10PM till...

Don't know what I'm talking 'bout?
Check the post from 3 days ago. Please.

The GAME Rebellion + Dizzee Rascal = !!!

2008-03-11T01:05:00.004-04:00

Hell-Oooooh

Brooklyyyyyyyynnn...
(and the rest of NYC... and, fine, NJ)
How you doing? Where you going (tonight)? Can I come too?

And if I can, I'ma rock out big time.

Because, we got an event to attend this evening. If you did your homework yesterday, you listened to (and perhaps even downloaded free or otherwise) the G*A*M*E* Rebellion mixtape by J. Period, Searching for Rick Rubin. Now, I imagine you are totally ready to see them live, yes? YES? Yes...good. So, good boys and girls, here's the treat:

TONIGHT at SOUTHPAW (125 Fifth Ave, off Sterling Pl, Park Slope, BK)

The BK hot boys are ready to rock your world like Michael Jackson. (Ok, maybe more like P.E. or Jay-Z or Jimi Hendrix.)

And the main man is...YES, DIZZEE RASCAL. The U.K. boy that set fire to the then-tired U.S. "urban" music scene back in '03.

Now he's back with his third album, Maths + English, proving that he is the one & only out of the entire grime scene that made real impact this side of the Atlantic.

I know the $20 ($25 at the door) cover price ain't wallet-friendly, but betcha you're not gonna regret it.

Aiko the Dearest...

2008-03-10T12:00:00.000-04:00

Aiko Nakagawa's perhaps one of the most mysterious artists to rise out of NYC's street art battleground in the past decade. She founded the now renowned collective Faile with two dudes back in '99, and has since traveled and exhibited internationally. And for the last couple of years, street art fans worldwide have been speculating like, "Is Aiko still with Faile?"

The answer is NO. As much as she loved working in the team, she felt she needed to go solo and face the world on her own to challenge her creativity. Now, that's an independent woman. Charlie's Angels would be proud.

Anyway, if you're into toys, ya tu sabes -- Ms. Aiko is about to drop her first toy as a solo artist this week!! She's turned her iconic Bunny character into a toy. Available this Thursday at Kidrobot, the bunny comes in two colors: blue & yellow. Limited edition of 750 each. Retail $39.95. Holler.

The Boys of Brooklyn.

2008-03-10T02:06:00.005-04:00

So, before I say anything about them boys, you listen to their music yourself. Don't know who I'm talking about? Jeesh, you slow.

Better Watch Out, Better Not Cry...DJ Silva's Come To Town.

2008-03-09T03:56:00.005-04:00

Just got this flyer this morning. Hope you can make it, too. xx, ButterLife.

MSP presents:

Welcome To NYC, DJ SILVA
at
SUTRA (16 First Ave, bet 1st & 2nd Sts)
on
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008, 10PM till...

Free with RSVP
silvaworldnyc@gmail.com

Join the MSP crew, Ahficionados and friends this Wednesday to welcome DJ Silva to our beloved New York F@#$in' City! Arguably the hottest Japanese import in the House scene right now, DJ Silva is about to hit our city with her hyper sexy blend of house and soul. Already a household name in Asia, with multiple singles and five albums under her belt, she's set to become a heavyhitter here and in the rest of the U.S. of A. So, don't miss out on this rare chance to see her up-close and personal!

Underneath The Mercer...

2008-03-07T03:39:00.014-05:00

So, I heard the team that brought the swank to 105 Riv at the Hotel on Rivington was revving up the "underground" scene at another plush auberge: The Mercer. They call it the SubMercer.

The main event not to be missed this evening was actually happening a bit further downtown on Ann Street: Dante's party. (Told you I'd mention him soon.) But by the time I was ready to step out the night was getting late. So the compromise came in the form of the said subterrain.

By now the hotel's become one of the legendary establishments of this ever-changing city we call home, and those who's either worked at the hotel in the late 90s (i.e. sometime between '98 and '00) or frequented there know that the subterranean world -- no, not the Kitchen -- was infamous.

You go in from the suspicious entryway right of the main hotel entrance. Take the elevator down two floors and turn left. Say hello to the lovely coat check clerk, and turn left again. Now on the right you'll see a red door -- and that's the entrance. Got that?

On the deck tonight was Alex From Tokyo, the charming Japanese-speaking French DJ that knows good music -- the kind that educates the musically-minded, rather than just simply throwing in the latest hits. The scene was sleek, sophisticated and...well, I'm not sure if it were pretentious, but it was pleasantly predictable. There really weren't enough people there tonight to make any grand statement about this place. So let me know, if you have already been or are going there, what your experience was like.

Coming Up Next...

2008-03-06T03:40:00.008-05:00

Not that a blog requires a preview, I wanted to give you a heads-up on what's coming up next here on LIFE is BUTTER. There will be topics other than these that are listed here. However, these, I'm definitely going to be talking about in upcoming days. So holler at me if you already have thoughts on these:

1) G*A*M*E* Rebellion

- Brooklyn's finest. Their first mixtape Searching for Rick Rubin is out now. (P.S. Ed, thanks for letting me use this photo.)

2) DJ Silva

- My homegirl is about to start gracing the wheels of steel in NYC finally! Her welcome party is next Wednesday at Sutra. Don't miss out on it.

3) Dante

- There are many Dantes in the world, but there's only one that I'm concerned about at the moment. And that man makes some amazing fried chicken -- so amazing that even though I don't eat much meat, I can't resist it -- and awesome videos that I can't get enough of.

4) WMC 2008 - Yep. I'm skipping SxSW to save some dinero and headed down to Miami instead this year. Anyone going? Know any parties that I shouldn't miss?

hello.

2008-03-05T19:30:00.002-05:00

Welcome to LIFE is BUTTER.

a modest blog by a not-so-modest blogger from nyc.
join me + my fam. live ur life like butter: rich, smooth & creamy.

xx