For those of you that look at the OBEY Clothing blog and live outside the U.S., I say to you... "Hey Man, How's the weather?... oh yeah? That's cray-cray." Shieet, sorry.. It's been quite a month of May for me, and I'm gearing up to head back out to Europe. This little message to you is to let you know that if you're in the area, you may wanna check these things out. Not because I say you should, but because it might be something you're sorta into.

Next Saturday, May 28th we've got a pretty nice sized thing brewing up called OBEY RADIO WARSAW (in Poland). I've never been, and I'm super excited to hang, put up some art, and play music with some fellow Polskis. Also, I'm excited to feature the Revolutions Art Set from big boss man so I'm guess-timating that it's gonna pop-awf like it's 2012. This one's official.

Oh and hey, the following week (June 3rd, 4th, and 5th), fellow OBEY USA-ian, DJ Pubes a.k.a. Ship Wrecked a.k.a. Steven Ter-nos-tank, will be joining me in Moscow, Russia for a different event all together, but somewhat in the same light. OBEY RADIO MOSCOW will be featured within the FACES & LACES show, which is an up-and-coming event for all things "Artsy" in the country. We're very excited to be apart of this, and again, if you somehow happen to be in the area and wanna party with Uncle Pubes and Cousin Roam, join us. It should be oodles of fun. More updates soon about this event soon!

And for those that are stuck in the U.S., more specifically, Santa Ana... We've still got OBEY Radio happening every Friday at The Crosby!

I Love you and safe travels, _ROAM.

Hi There,

Remember this?

Well, he's having an art show this Thursday, May 19th in Los Angeles (address on the flyer).

Should be a fun one...

- ROAM

Summer is coming, the sun is out, and its time to hit the greens!!!

I have been a fan of Death Cab for years so I was excited to hear from bassist Nick Harmer about his idea to collaborate on a video piece for their song Home Is A Fire. I love the democracy of music and I’m always excited to bundle visual art with great music. Nick sent me the lyrics to Home Is A Fire and they evoked the duality of “home” both as a place you inhabit, and also as a place that inhabits or traps you. One’s relationship with home might be complicated, but ultimately it can be a two-way dialogue, of which we can at least affect one-way. The city can be an impersonal place, imposing, simultaneously anonymous and claustrophobic. However, there are opportunities for us to affect the city(and life) experience rather than accepting things as passive voyeurs. We all have fears and insecurities about ourselves and our circumstances, but if we have the courage to take risks and participate we can adapt and embrace the flux, rather than fear it. This video is about illustrating these ideas and the multiple dimensions of the city experience by taking the viewer on a journey to encounter the Home Is A Fire  lyrics as street art.  Street art appeals  because it makes the landscape a little less dreary for the viewer, and it is a bureaucracy free creative outlet for the participants. I would say that a street art call to action is “if you don’t like your home… reshape it”. The power of street art is in its intrigue and authenticity , so it was crucial to actually put all the lyrics and images up on the streets. We wanted the viewer to experience the urban environment in a very real and intimate way that celebrates that one person’s wart is another’s beauty mark. Some of the art was put up prior to the video shoot in places that seemed appropriate to the lyrical themes, while other pieces were put up during the shoot. We filmed the preparation of materials as well to demonstrate the energy and process involved in becoming pro-active. Some of the street art was cleaned within a day. Street art, like everything, is ephemeral but I hope that in watching this video and listening to the song, people see a little magic and potential in the unappreciated details of the landscape of their lives, no matter how fleeting they may be.

Thank you to all the people who helped make this video happen.
-Shepard Fairey

The video for Home Is A Fire is a result of ten people: Shepard Fairey, Benjamin Gibbard, Nicholas Harmer, Jason McGerr, Christopher Walla, Aaron Stewart-Ahn, Tarin Anderson, Todd Mazer, Justin Micthell and Christopher Hills-Wright who all live where art, music and film intersect.

For me, Home Is A Fire is about redefining familiar space. The narrator in the song seems unsettled, searching and yearning, scanning the environment for something comforting in an uncomfortable place. I knew that if the band would give me a chance to make a visual accompaniment to this song that those would be the themes and mood that I would most want to highlight and accentuate. As a parallel to this, I have always been intrigued and excited about the street art movement that has really exploded during my lifetime. It’s a movement and expression that I feel defines my generation in many ways, and some artists that for years worked as shadows have now become known by name. One of those names is Shepard Fairey. And not only is he an artist that I hold in the highest regard, but he is also a friend.

You can probably see now how these things connect. It was a logical step in my mind to take a song about redefining familiar space and connect it to the visual artistic expression of street art, which also, to me, is rooted in artists redefining familiar spaces. So I called Shepard and asked him if he would be into figuring out a way to do this and also make it compelling. From the very first conversation, Shepard could see this intersection between his world and mine and knew exactly what to do and how to do it. We agreed on key points, we could see it in our minds. I was beyond happy and honored to have his involvement in this.

So I left him to do his thing, to make the art and he left me to mine, to assemble a team of equally creative cinematographers to help document and capture not only the final moments of the art being on walls, but the process leading up to that. This wasn’t a typical music video shoot in that there was no shooting script, no real specific direction to give other than “here’s the song, here’s the art, react.” In every way, while the concept, the music and art, came from Shepard and I, the execution and realization of this project came from Aaron Stewart-Ahn who acted as our Producer and was also one of four cinematographers that also included the talents of Tarin Anderson, Todd Mazer, and Justin Mitchell. Without their eyes behind the lenses, this would not have come together has beautifully as it has.  I also have to give credit to Christopher Hills-Wright who, as our editor, had to sort through footage from four cinematographers and somehow weave it all together to make a cohesive, watchable experience.

And that is what this has ultimately become, an experience, something interesting to watch and to listen to. There are many narratives here or there are none, it either makes sense or it doesn’t. But regardless of whether or not this “means” anything to you I hope there is a mood and atmosphere in the music and images that makes you think about your familiar spaces and how you define them.
-Nicholas Harmer

Once again I finally got a roll of film developed, thats been sitting in my camera for 3 months... its a little mix of ponys, OBEY, and lil glimpse into our summer artist series..

Shep and the boys prepping for Record show

Upcoming featured artist, Alia Penner... be sure to check back soon!

thats bout it!

-Furlong

Today we are releasing the Dark Wave/Rising Sun shirts. OBEY has many friends and collegues in Japan. We hold a great respect for the Japanese people and their culture. Please help us in our effort to lend support to the good people of Japan. OBEY Awareness is releasing Dark Wave/Rising Sun shirts to aid in the relief effort in Japan after the tragic earthquake ans tsunami on March 11th, 2011. OBEY will donate 100% of the profits from the sale of these OBEY Awareness shirts to assist Japan in theis time of need. Thank you for your support.

"Nature is a thing of beauty but also of power... it gives but also takes away. The wave that brought destruction to Japan is part of an ocean that also gives life. Despite the tragedy, the sun will rise on a new day and there will be opportunity for humans to rebuild and demonstrate their amazing resilience. I hope the funds raised by this image can make a small difference to benefit Japan's recovery." -Shepard Fairey

Check out the styles HERE.

the birds are falling out the trees... poor dude!

-Furlong

KUTMAH "The New Error Vol. 2" Sampler

Next week, our pal Justin "Kutmah" McNulty will be getting some well deserved love by our Southern California extended family, and I'm happy to be apart of this celebration. Last year, I reported on the deportation and organized a FREE KUTMAH: OBEY Radio event and got a chance to visit him in Manchester and London which lead me to plan this Los Angeles event with Brandy Flower of Hit + Run. Please join us on May 12th, 2011 at the HVW8 Gallery. More info below!

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The Los Angeles exhibition of "Two Soups And A Honeybun" debuts May 12th at HVW8 Gallery in Hollywood brought to you by Hit+Run, Dublab, HVW8, & OBEY.  For KUTMAH's hometown reception he has created "The New Error Vol. 2", an exclusive 80-minute mix cd, as well as a limited OBEY Kutmah tee, a limited-edition screenprinted poster, and a 92-page art book of the entire "Two Soups And A Honeybun" collection, which will be available for sale (in limited quantities at the event).

Then there's the afterparty at The Echo, brought to you by Dublab and Hit+Run, featuring Ras G, Jonwayne, Take, Superdeluxe, Alter, and Gaby Hernandez for the icing on top.

For those of you in London, there's a launch party on May 11th for The New Error Vol. 2 at Rough Trade East in The Old Truman Brewery with live performances by Kutmah, Om-Unit, Tapes, Blue Daisy, Cherrystones, and Patchwork Pirates.

All in all, it seems like a hell of a week. Would love to see you here!

## official release ##

JUSTIN ‘KUTMAH’ MCNULTY was born in Brighton, England and moved to the United States when he was twelve years old.  KUTMAH grew up in Hollywood, California where he earned his reputation as a talented underground artist & DJ.  As an intrinsic member of the Los Angeles-based music collective dublab, KUTMAH launched his seminal club Sketchbook in 2004, which forged roots of the now-infamous L.A. beat scene.

On May 5th 2010 without any advanced warning and based on no criminal activity, armed U.S. Federal agents entered KUTMAH’s home and arrested him. Kutmah was incarcerated for two months under immigration charges. Sparking the FREE KUTMAH campaign, a collective of artists, friends and fans  rallied for the release of the well-respected artist. Theincredible global support behind the FREE KUTMAH campaign showed the power of his presence in modern art & music.  Upon KUTMAH's release, he was immediately deported to the UK where he currently resides.

It was during his time spent locked-up that KUTMAH sought solace in art, drawing to keep sane with only a short pencil and his laminated ID card. The frustrated and emotional impact of his imprisonment and deportation have come to fruition with "Two Soups And A Honeybun", the full collection of 37 drawings KUTMAH created in prison.  "Two Soups And A Honeybun" debuted in London at 18 Hewett Street gallery on January 19th 2011. To celebrate the initial exhibition KUTMAH also launched "The New Error", his exclusive three-volume mix cd series released with long-time collaborators Hit+Run.

The Los Angeles exhibition of "Two Soups And A Honeybun" debuts May 12th at HVW8 Gallery in Hollywood.  For KUTMAH's hometown reception he has created "The New Error Vol. 2", an exclusive 80-minute mix cd, as well as a limited-edition screenprinted poster, and 92-page art book of the entire "Two Soups And A Honeybun" collection.  KUTMAH's global art tour will culminate in Japan this summer with a special month-long showing in Tokyo, alongside record shop in-stores and an official opening night afterparty with djs and live performances.

Over the last year KUTMAH has toured Europe, djing shows with Saul Williams, The Gaslamp Killer, Flying Lotus, Gonjasufi, The Cinematic Orchestra, Dabrye and others.  KUTMAH also has forthcoming records out on Stones Throw, Brainfeeder, Poo-Bah & All City Records in 2011.

www.kutmah.com

-ROAM