michaelkim.ca - MK blog

Thailand photos after the jump

I’ve finally sifted through all my Korea photos and it’s uploaded for your viewing pleasure.

I’m not usually the one to pick this kind of stuff up, but this guy is a Piano Genius! I almost cried. But seriously, good stuff!

Elijah Bossenbroek was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He started playing the piano at age six, but wasn’t a typical piano player. He often hated the dull repetition behind learning notes and playing to metronomes. Frustrated, Elijah began writing his own piano compositions at age fourteen. At the age of eighteen, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where he spent the better part of 5 years traveling to places such as Mississippi, Japan, California, and Kuwait.

Upon his return from the deserts of Kuwait, Elijah purchased a home recording studio and began working on his first album, “Harmony In Disarray,”. In 2007 after gaining a lot of popularity and momentum in the music industry, he was noticed by an A&R at “A Matter of Substance Records” which singed him to a record deal and produced his anticipated second album “Carpe Lumen”.

Justice, another French duo dropping some hard hitting funky sets. What is it with the French? They’re releasing some of the best stuff I’ve heard in a while. I call it Dance France.

As for this video, they you might have heard this one before as a MSTRKRFT remix but here’s the video. Worth seeing for tshirt lovers everywhere. Trippy stuff.

Justice - D.A.N.C.E

All you favorites on one Set.

This video brings back childhood memories. As a kid, I would spend hours playing through books, just like these. Glasgow, Scotland’s Shitdisco tears it up on “OK”, quite literally!

Doll Face follows a machine’s struggle to construct its own identity. The machine with a doll face mimics images presented on a television screen and ultimately self-destructs from its inability to adopt a satisfactory visage. Created in its entirety by Andy Huang, Doll Face presents a visual account of desires misplaced and identities fractured by our technological extension into the future.

Genre: Animation
Running Time: 4:12
Location: Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Doll Face : Christina Frenzel
Producer: Andy Huang
Screenwriter: Andy Huang
Director of Photography: Andy Huang
Editor: Andy Huang

I’ll be the first one to admit, that !!!’s frontman is a freakin goofball, but the way this guy moves is pure genius. Their music just makes you wanna move those feet and shake that ass! Here from New York, see them live in Toronto May 19th, 2007.

www.myspace.com/chkchkchk

Norway has been pumping out many great artists, to the likes of Kings of Convenience, Röyksopp, Annie. Now Datarock seems to be in the spotlight. The duo from Norway, will be playing Toronto with Cansei de Ser Sexy (CSS), June 4th, 2007. Not only is their music super danceable, but these guys are pure jokes! Just plain silliness! Good laughs for geeks like me. Just watch the videos.

Datarock - “Computer Camp Love”

Datarock - “FaFaFa”

The burbs around Toronto, are producing a steady supply of great bands, to the likes of Mississauga’s Meligrove Band, St. Catharine’s Alexisonfire and now Newmarket’s Tokyo Police Club. This show was sold out the first week on sale. Big ups to Alejandro who got me the ticket as he had to leave for Europe this week. Man Ale, sorry but you missed a hell of a good show. These guys were young, vibrant, still full of energy, this being their last stop on their tour. Quite the contrast from what now feels like the geriatric Junior Boys. TPC killed it and you left craving for more. Too bad they only have like seven songs on their debut album as they played all seven at the concert. With these guys signed to the hot Paper Bag Records, they should go a long way. You can catch them again at the Virgin Festival in September.

‘Nature Of The Experiment’ - Tokyo Police Club

Man, that looks like Stuart Little with big ears doesn’t it?

Every year the kids go wild for free chocolate (and for me, Lick’s burger coupons) at the Easter Parade in the Beach community of Toronto. Fun for the child in me and seeing a lot of happy faces.

The boys from Hamilton played at the Mod Club, Toronto, marking the release of their new Remix EP. Entering the building, it was great to see a sign announcing no more tickets, as they sold out last minute. Right from the start, you kinda could tell they seemed rather tired from endlessly touring Europe and North America. Nonetheless, lead singer Jeremy Greenspan seemed to demonstrate a need to appease the crowd by throwing in a mix of the old and the new and some of the more danceable stuff. Matt Didemus stuck by his synth rather focused and other times, starry-eyed routine. Despite their performance, their music is always enjoyable taking bits from old school house and techno and throwing in Greenspan’s heartbroken lyrics. As for their new Remix EP, apparently UK’s Hot Chip does a cover of “In The Morning”. Gotta check that out.

Air, another French duo doing their their thing with a more chilled out vibe taking inspiration from Japan. Think about the music in Lost in Translation. In Toronto on Saturday, May 5, 2007.

Air Official Site |
Air Myspace
Astralwerks Records |
Buy At Amazon.com

Last time around was back in 1999, at a Syrous rave, also at the International Centre, Toronto. Good memories.

As a triber put it: “Total french house to overload my senses all night? Robots? Pyramid? Dirty Beats? why not”

One question I have is how the fuck do they see anything in those things? Do they just put in a tape and do the robot dance?