China’s Spectacular Molten Metal “Fireworks”

A 500-year-old Lunar New Year ritual in Nuanquan, China (a short span, considering the nation has celebrated the holiday for 3,800 years), Da Shuhua involves Chinese blacksmiths tossing molten iron at an icy door to create a riveting shower of sparks. The name translates to “beating down the tree flowers,” which refers to an agricultural practice that stimulates growth in fruit-bearing plants. It was developed as a …

Micropixie: The Universal (Blur Cover)

One of seminal English act Blur’s most beloved tunes, “The Universal” gets a fresh take from Micropixie, aka Neshma Friend. The cover carries the pressing intention of the original, but layers vocals and instrumentation in a refreshing, albeit loyal way. Friend has an album, Dark Sight of the Moon, coming out 8 March.

Jeron Braxton’s “Octane” Animated Short at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival

Competition and consumerism amidst the sensation of psilocybin-saturated chaos

Animator Jeron Braxton‘s work acts as a necessary reminder of the value in short filmmaking. The 24-year-old artist returned to the Sundance Film Festival this year with Octane, a psychedelic aesthetic ride coursing on an undercurrent of societal brutality. The selection follows up his Sundance 2018 Best Animated Short win for Glucose. Braxton owns the short film category, but his visual voice is noted in the music world as well—by way …