Cocksucker Bruise zine launch (Syd) w/ Sex Tape & De'von Sue

 On Thursday night (04.10.12) the usual Sex Tape bedroom show was expanded to a kitchen sized event with the arrival of Jack Mannix and an armful of his 'Cocksucker Bruise' zines, both fresh from Melbourne. The live music element of the evening pictured above was joined in by myself (Sex Tape) on the Moogs and my housemate and local music talent De'von Sue on the Jaguar. It was great to hear Jack spilling out some Circle Pit numbers as well as a Clean cover, he seemed to enjoy himself and the crowd took it in nicely, just in case they were put off or confused by watching the show in such an oddly intimate space. Copies of the zine were available (best you check out the content yourself at the link below) and naturally the event broke down into a good house party after the set. 

 http://cocksuckerbruise.tumblr.com/

Love,

Jim S

Sex Tape notes

Sex Tape - The Musical
Alaska Projects
Kings Cross Car Park level 5

12:00pm 21.08.12 - 12:00pm 22.08.12

The above performance shots are several of the documentation fragments from last week's twenty four hour Sex Tape performance. The intention for me with this performance was simple; to resolve some creative arguing i'd had with myself over what way to go in my slowly developing musical direction. The drama took place in a recently adopted storeroom in the Kings Cross Car Park by Alaska Projects. My one-man play involving three different characters, the long dispute involved one character (1) who played an ambitious young rock guitarist, another (3) who represented a more anti-establishment, artistic 'non-musician' and lastly another character (2) who acted as a the mutual friend/enemy between the two and often directed the discussions and frequent arguments. The change from one character to another was suggested by a subtle change of outfit between the characters and they generally had their set places in the room when acting.

Giving this inner discussion a dramatic public forum had the absurdest qualities l artistically enjoy and should that have become boring, the twenty four hour opportunity to play undisturbed with my music gear would make it worthwhile. The answers l was looking for were discovered early in, after about three hours having the assistance of the wall to document the discussions on (see photo 4) I decided that live music audiences today are more contemplative and needed to be treated that way, that l should be aiming for more of an ambient direction; lengthening out performances and trying to achieve my aims in more subtle ways. Like most current live music fans l would have really enjoyed to have lived and partied in a time before draconian OH&S measures and over zealous venue management, or maybe just when live shows were more volatile and extreme for reasons somehow lost these days, but given the current tamer attitude, l thought that was one of the most productive discussions l had with myself (technically) during this Sex Tape performance, something will be took on board with my next bedroom show in the coming week.

Until l'm too old to continue performing under the title Sex Tape with any dignity, it will always remain an imaginative creative outlet used again and again in performances like this. I tend to think Sex Tape has probably been used by some other group somewhere in the world with at least a few releases under their belt so it wouldn't fly for long with me adopting the name anyhow. Proper music releases as with all my output will simply go under Jim Shirlaw in future.

My very best wishes

Jim S

Sex Tape - The Musical - Sydney

SEX TAPE - The Musical - Sydney

12:00pm August 21 - 12:00pm August 22

Situated on ground level, Kings Cross car park (Level 5) Sex Tape - The Musical is a fiery new twenty-four hour drama about powerful union, devastating betrayal and the terrible truth about the quality of it's subjects. Jim Shirlaw plays Character 1, 3 and their mutual and ultimately ill-fated friend Character 2, collectively composing a wall of opinionated savagery weaved into the sonic wail of self-made synthesizers and modified Fender Telecasters. Truths intimate and personal as well as grandiose and universal will be leaked hour after hour with no sympathy to the art in question..

Alaska Projects
http://home.alaskaprojects.com/
Kings Cross Car Park, Level 5 (ground floor, on the right)

"Tear Down This Tower"

Alexander Cross released "Tear Down This Tower" this week, a six track remix album of local talents taking their own stabs off material from Cross' recent Hard Road EP. Amongst better notables featured on this release l'm proud to say l have my first recording out in the open with my (Sex Tape) remix of 'Haunted Man' as well as the creation of the album artwork for the digital release  

http://alexandercross.bandcamp.com/album/tear-down-this-tower-remix-ep


Jim S

Bedroom Shows

Bedroom Residency
March 2012

The five Thursdays contained in the month of March 2012 will each mark solo bedroom performances from my music project Sex Tape. I've been practicing and devising may variations of Keyboard + Pedals and will be showing it off this Thursday (March 1) and then each Thursday night from there.

All you need to do is turn up at my house for an 8:30-9:00pm show in my room. Each gig is BYO, free entry, i'll have limited seating available but only room for about three to five souls each week so if you read this and you want to come, please let me know below and i can pass on other details like where l live if you don't already know where that is. With the miniscule capacity, best you turn up alone or just with your partner/best friend.

Jim S

Coming up: Sex Tape support at New War 12" launch and trialing the guitar/synth/voltage mixer machine

Lately on the Sex Tape front i've been trying to devise an electric guitar/synth, mainly to see what sounds l can find as well as dropping the keys out of my set up if possible. The Moog Freqbox is at the heart of this progression, basically when hard 'synced' (left-hand switch) the incoming audio signal is used to modulate the VCO, you can actually play the oscillator like you're sending in a CV signal, in more simpler terms you can turn any instrument into a synth by running it through the Freqbox; audio goes in and the voltage signal of the oscillator (being modulated by that audio) goes out. However when feeding in an electric guitar signal, the sound of the hard-synced oscillator is really abrasive, akin to an oscillator fuzz; it's virtually impossible to play chords or anything requiring the sound of more than one string at a time, you could lower the mix but then all you're really doing is creating a guitar distortion/fuzz pedal. Oh yeah and this is suggested in the manual; the Freqbox is useless without an expression pedal to plug into the Freq jack, you need to be following your playing at all times by lowering or heightening the frequency of the VCO to have any dynamic sound.

For the time being i've continued with running a keyboard (early early Yamaha Portasound) through it, currently for better cleaner results. The guitar/synth/voltage mixer set up in question is pictured below, note the very valuable CV expansion with the Moog CP251 and the Korg KP3 (pre-amp) still getting some heavy sounds of it in the mean time!



In other news, Melbourne's New War have their 'Ghostwalking' 12" launch this time next week (08.10.11) at Black Wire records on Parramatta Road Annandale which l'm helping out with; playing an opening support Sex Tape set. The gig poster with most details listed is included below, seems like it will be a good show from what i've heard of the bands listed, i've never seen any of them live so i'm looking forward further more. The promoter who's a good friend of mine asked me to play after she saw the set l did a little while back at Ching-a-Lings in Darlinghurst; that set was a pretty abrasive; keyboard and Moogerfoogers so it shouldn't be a problem doing something like it again, think i'll leave the experiments on the synth/guitar machine at home next weekend, maybe not..


Jim S



New War 12" launch event on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=286263108057816

NOT GIVING AWAY ANYTHING

Part of Peloton's Performance Month September 2011

Peloton
19 + 25 Meagher St
Chippendale NSW

Saturday September 10 2:00 - 4:00pm

'... marking a large board in front of him with words on either
the correct or incorrect panel, which will obviously build
up with words as the performance progresses'

As much as my powers will allow me..

not giving away anything

Sex Tape; new gig, new art

Developments have been occuring on the Sex Tape front with my first solo show coming up next Tuesday (August 16) at Ching-a-Lings. The night is part of Daniel Grosz's month long 'Great Songbook' live music program at the venue. I'm playing week 2 which is a focus on Patti Smith, the week before having been a look at Johnny Cash and Burt Bacharach and the week following my performance (23) will be themed on Phil Spector. Being a big Spector fan l would have loved to play the third week but at this point playing a solo show with a single synth, l don't think that i'd be able to produce the 'Wall of Sound' required so Patti Smith it is.


Of course at this point l don't really know how to play music yet BUT l do have a Patti Smith impersonation l often do when justifying why l'm not so crash hot on her open readings, especially on the early albums ie Birdland on Horses. My 15-20 min performance on Tuesday (on stage 8:00pm) is going to be an extended performance of Birdland with my parody in place, improvising Symbolist poetry. It will be interesting if anyone bothers to acknowledge this on the night, l imagine some Smith fans may be offended.. Anyhow in the meantime you can see some recent artwork i've made for the Sex Tape effort. The top one is my favourite, can you guess the film reference? (see answer at bottom of post)




Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Sex Tape Facebook group
http://www.facebook.com/readpalmmusic

Jim S

pics from that Revenant Party; Alexander Gambotto-Burke and the 'Sex Tape' Society

Revenant Party
30.06.11
Low 302, Surry Hills, Sydney Australia

Alexander Gambotto-Burke and the Sex Tape Society

pics by; jcphotographics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mca88/

Chapter II

Sex Tape transcended from blog idea to musical reality on Thursday night (see event below) with some good feedback and a pinch of stress experience tied in with running the event as well as performing the first time with an artist who was also celebrating his first gig.. my contribution for this one came in the form of some oscillating swirls thanks to my Moog pedal bank and KP3 as well as backing vocals mainly for the chorus in each song.. it was a success and was pleasing to hear all the swirling analogue effects i've been carving away finally blasting through a decent PA system.





For now i'm looking to book a Sydney tour hiring out friend's bedrooms in the inner city to play very small, private solo bedroom shows. Working with the host, i'll create a small list of mutual friends (10-15 p) who are invited around for a 1/2 hour set which on completion will just dissolve into a normal gathering. Having completed recent artwork for Sydney bands The Preachers and The Walk On By i'll be on the hunt for some artwork business also to even out the Sex Tape productivity.

I came up with this short intro for the initiative:

'Sex Tape is Jim Shirlaw's open-ended musical and visual art mercenary service. Aimed at working with musicians, Sex Tape can provide musical or visual art reinforcement for your band or solo efforts. With the right settlement (applicable offers of trade are welcome) l am happy to work with anyone in the studio, and/or on stage for an agreed term; l can play with you or in your band, as well as create artwork for it; both options or neither!'

I've been wondering how to integrate Sex Tape into the name of a group/artist i'll be working with.. decided that instead of something generic and lumbersome ie '..... ft. Sex Tape' i'll ask all collaborators to either integrate the words 'Sex' 'Tape' or both words into the name of their title; you'll see example on the poster below in my previous entry 'AJGB and the Sex Tape Society'.


Jim S

Revenant Party on it's way

the Read Palm Press presents

Revenant PARTY

FREE ENTRY

A sneek peek of things to come, launching in 2012 'Revenant' will be an online music database starting in the Sydney local scene. For the time being; a night of bands and some new creative ventures for some, at the stylish and beloved Low 302. Seagreen Clarence will be kicking off his new interview program, catching up with Domeyko/Gonzalez on current news as well chatting with Jim Shirlaw about what's coming up with Read Palm press and what the full deal is with Revenant alongside partner in crime; Alexander Gambotto-Burke, both will also be performing on the band spot's opening slot;

DOMEYKO/GONZALEZ

VIRGO RISING

ALEXANDER GAMBOTTO-BURKE and the SEX TAPE SOCIETY

Live Interviews by Seagreen

Sex Tape DJs


artwork by Jim Shirlaw

Temperamental Analogue

It's been a challenge recently to get more than one decent shot out of a role of medium-format when using the flash in dark environments on the Lomo Diana F+; it's been OK before but not anymore. One of my loves of analogue treatment with anything, (and l suppose one of it's universal laws) is that it helps you to sometimes come up with more creative and eventually satisfying solutions to getting around problems. The two examples below demonstrate the simple cut and paste when using two photos that individually are nothing special. Sure, the process/idea isn't amazing but l thought l should share them as l do like the finished result and if you're in a similar situation and wasting heaps of money on bad film results try something similar!

The first shot/s is of Domeyko Gonzalez during performance from Thursday May 19 at General Store for Contemporary Art, the opening of James Kerr's new exhibition.

Domeyko/Gonzalez

The second a friend took of me and i've since adapted it as an early portrait for my upcoming 'Sex Tape' music initiative, further more to come on that subject..

Sex Tape

new artworks: thoughts on Sex Tape

The two images below are newly completed drawings which in regards to my former posts, apply to the 'exteriors' module. The emphasis on pastel colour via the red under-painting gives them the hot visceral Australian appearance i've been after, hopefully they should be appear further dramatised when opposed by the drifting, muted, mixed-media 'interiors' to come..

currently untitled, oil pastel on paper 2011


Coffs Harbour commission, oil pastel and acrylic on canvas 2011


Recently some offers have come available to create artwork for local Sydney bands as well as (with the recent acquisition of my beloved Moog VC system, see once again below) in some cases join these bands, to provide in light of my musical ignorance 'tactical interference' as l call it. These propositions got me around to thinking of a project name l thought of a while ago, whilst anticipating the soon-arrival of my VC manipulators.. I thought of creating an imaginary band called 'Sex Tape' depicted exclusively in artwork, kind of like what Damon Albarn did with inventing 'Gorillaz' and hiring Jamie Hewlett to create all the images/animation of the 'band'.

In this guise i've now decided on inventing myself as a sort of 'music mercenary' which bands/artists can hire to make their artwork or to join in on their sound, or both! Sydney, as anyone who goes to enough gigs knows, is brutally divided by its 'scenes' most of whom resent each other and don't allow any fraternising with the enemy; l always enjoyed working with a mix of bands during the Exquisite Corpse/up late with Jim Shirlaw years and now l intend to contribute in breaking down these petty barriers as an artist and musician of fortune.. we shall see.

On the news of my music l don't have anything to upload yet but l can positively say i've made a lot of ground in the last four weeks with figuring out what does what and sculpting a sound that makes an electric guitar sound totally unholy while also still audible, not actually patching the guitar through the audio in/out of the Moog Freqbox did a lot to assist that!

More on the Sex Tape coming up, VC setups as well as a Youtube special feature,

J . S