w endy romero/frecuencia modulada time mac hine

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ero e sti
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d rhymes
re with beats an
time machine
back to the futu
contents
2
contributors
note
from the editor
does he really know anything?
tokyo
cafe
what? amazing sushi in the orange plaza circle!
wendy
romero
this Guadalajaran chnges the Melrose fashion
3
4
scene one stitch at a time
5
7
thrift
culture
who, what, why, where, and when
poetry:
a sun-shining gloom
a poem by mike chung
prose:
something to believe in pt. 1
a short story by justin jasper
root
down
a down to earth hip hop club, breaking beats and
11
ground
12
time machine 14
geisha girls
16
scribble theory
mae
shi
is it a bird, or a plane? no, it’s la’s most musically
experimental band
the three amigos, keeping hip hop alive
not really girls but they rock
17
18
bringing culture to an unlikely location
jeana
sohn
a cute quirky Korean doing things her way
9
10
Editor-in-Chief
Glenn Robinson
glenn@overundermag.com
Contributing Editors
Brigitte Le-Thanh
brigitte@overundermag.com
Sam Bowden
sam@overundermag.com
Lorie Yrigoyen
lorie@overundermag.com
Tim Luang
tim@overundermag.com
Contributing Writers
Mike Chung
Justin Jasper
Marianna Jamadi
Art Direction
Glenn Robinson
photography
Paul Sargeant
paul@overundermag.com
Eric Sargeant
sargeanteric@hotmail.com
Thanks to everyone who is involved in
this long process! A special thanks to
Marianna Jamadi and G. Scott Barrett
Content
Tokyo Cafe
161 N. Glassell
Old Towne Orange, CA 92866
714.639.9536
Frecuencia Modulada
7619 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Root Down
www.rootdownclub.com
Mae Shi
www.mae-shi.com
Time Machine
www.timemachinesound.com
Geisha Girls
www.geishamovement.com
Scribble Theory Gallery
210 N. Bush St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701
714.542.5928
www.scribbletheory.com
Jeana Sohn
www.jeanasohn.com
table of contents
From start to…well finished with the first issue,
Over/Under has weathered through it all. From
withstanding a drastic name change, man I
was “Stuck” for a while, to getting fired twice
from the same job that I am still currently
working, to finding out that my career was just
a delusion that lead to depression, to living
with my ex-girlfriend, hence the “ex,” to just
wondering if it was worth it. Still I stuck with
the magazine.
Just seeing the immense amount of culture
hiding within the cracks made me want to
keep going. Everyone always complains at
the lack of things to do, but I began to see
different. I couldn’t ignore the next Picasso, or
the next Beatles! The magazine has become a
broadcast to the public, “look at this cool shit!”
and, for the artists, maybe, just maybe it will be
a place to get their voices heard.
Now I am not claiming I can do wonders for
anyone’s career nor do I think that I have
the epitome of taste, it is all right though. I
just would like to spread the word and help
out where I can. The content is based upon
what my staff and I find interesting, sort of
little glimpses of us. We like to see people in
similar situations, people following their dreams
and passions, and then give them a chance.
Maybe it is to help inspire us, but hopefully it
will help to inspire you, the reader.
Over/Under is completely clickable. It won’t
pop or flash, but you can navigate by clicking
on the particular article or go back to the table
of contents by clicking on “table of contents.” If
you click on the links you will be directed to the
corresponding website. Enjoy!
Glenn Robinson
Editor in Chief
table of contents
tokyo cafe
written and photo: Glenn Robinson
A year and a half ago my friends and
for many of the students, hence the cultural diversity within its staff.
I noticed a new Japanese restaurant
An interesting sight indeed. In any given day you can hear Spanish,
within the antique ridden Orange Circle.
English, Korean, and Japanese, and that’s just during lunch.
Tokyo Café, a welcome change from the
standard Orange fare, has the food of one Not only is the staff diverse but the food is too. Patti’s personal
of those hidden, but always savory and
recipe for Korean BBQ beef is by far the best and most addictive beef
authentic underground hole in the wall
I have ever tasted. There is also Orange chicken on the menu, an
places in addition to a nice and relaxing
unlikely dish you’d find at a sushi bar, but just like everything else, it
setting where you can thoroughly enjoy
is consistently amazing and probably the only place in the area you
your meal. We each had our respective
can get fresh orange chicken made to order.
bowls of meats; chicken, sesame chicken,
and beef, only to notice this was fuckin’
Because of the appetizing food and personable service Tokyo Café
good!
has become one of the premier hot spots in Orange. It’s diverse
food caters to diverse people and adds a hint of ethnic style to an
A couple weeks later I returned with my
otherwise static, all-American area.
girlfriend at the time to try the sushi,
and oh what sushi they had. In addition
Tokyo Cafe
to all the standard sushi you’d expect,
161 N. Glassell
the menu adds some unique flavor with
Old Towne Orange, Ca 92
some specialties such as the fear factored
866
714.639.9536
Monkey Balls (tempura’ed mushrooms)
and the fire roll (a deep fried California roll
with an explosion of hot sauce).
Avoiding the stigma of most sushi joints,
Tokyo Café offers half price sushi specials
everyday. For example a fresh California
roll is only $2.95. This is something that
the owner, Patti Wang, is particularly
proud of. Her food is accessible to
everyone, including students, and is of
the highest quality, something fast food
America is not used to.
Patti, a restaurant veteran, fell in love
with Old Town Orange and wanted to
try something different from her Korean
upbringing and Chinese restaurant
experience. Just walking distance from
Chapman University, Tokyo Café is a staple
lunch/dinner spot as well as steady job
table of contents
text: brigitte le-thanh
photo: mike alivanera
You know Melrose Avenue as the breaking
ground for a plethora of creative minds,
boasting your sister’s-bedroom size
restaurants, stores, and galleries
that promise you one indefinite
thing...individuality.
Walking down these cigarette-ridden
streets, you can hear the sounds of
eclectic, electric world music blaring
from each store. You come to realize
that many have their own D.J.’s
spewing out raw, venemous beats.
Are we in San Francisco yet?
Not quite...S.F. hasn’t had the
pleasure of meeting one of
the most creative designers
I happened to have met.
Her name: Wendy Romero,
Her talent: needle and thread, Her store:
Frecuencia Modulada-which translates to
frequency modulation. For those
who still don’t get it, check your radio
dial.
Wendy and her husband hail from
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, where
in the sixties the artist movement
made leaps and bounds. Even today
fashionistas parade around in the
runway staunch of Gucci and Prada.
But Wendy and her Husband
were not alone in their
journey...they had company,
two children and their
friends from Guadalajara.
They were in this
adventure together.
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o/u: What intrigued you about the
American culture that made you start a
new chapter in California?
Wendy: Well I…I don’t follow the
American culture, or any other culture.
I just, I been always going with my
feelings and whatever gets like in front
of me somehow takes me to another
place and to other places. They’re like
doors that they been just there, that
somehow are not closed, but they’re
a little bit open so I just have to look
inside and…I…I am in this place by
just following the flow. The only thing
is I said myself is you have to have
your own business before 23 and I
accomplished it.
o/u: How long did it take you to
accomplish that?
Wendy: I’ve been trying since sixteen,
but I didn’t know exactly what to do,
but in the clothing business, it took
me like nine months to finish what I
thought that might work…
o/u: So you were designing when you
were still living in Mexico?
o/u: Mmm…I moved here when I
was fifteen years old and I started the
clothing more constant two years ago.
o/u: What made you decide to move
to California out of all places at only
fifteen?
Wendy: Mmm, my sister moved here
like…seventeen years ago, so I was
visiting all the time, but once, I wasn’t
doing to good at school so my dad
sent me here for a while and then I
started going to school and I started
liking it so I stayed here and things
started to happen. So somehow I
was getting like…little seeds that got
translated to other things, somehow
I started getting roots and roots and
roots so…I cannot get out of here
anymore. Not stuck, but I am like,
somehow this is my spot, but I can be
transplanted anytime.
o/u: Do you see yourself “stuck” in a
bad way here or a good way?
Wendy: No, in a very good way.
o/u: You are thriving?
Wendy: Mmm Hmm!
It’s not about being
“stuck.” It’s like a
plant, you know,
when it grows you
have to move it to
a bigger pot so it
can grow more.
o/u: So your
dad looking
at you now, is he
proud of you now, that he sent you
to California? Cause you weren’t
doing good in Mexico and now you are
thriving.
Wendy: Yeah actually they weren’t
very proud of me because I couldn’t
pass a math test, like all of them were
pretty bad, bad, bad… Like “zero,”
and the teacher, she was mean. She
was pretty mathematical. She would
go like, “- 5.0,” she wouldn’t just give
“zero.” It was really pretty bad.
o/u: But look at you now.
o/u: How would you compare the
lifestyle of LA to that of where you are
from?
Wendy: I think you build your own
style. It’s hard to compare styles.
(Says, “Thank you,” to customers)
You have to build your own thing,
because even in LA, from store to
store there are different styles, but
if I compared what I would be doing
myself, my style there and my style
here probably will change a lot
because of the weather. I change
my mood from the weather and
Guadalajara is a place that is pretty
tropical, wet, dry, and fresh. It’s all
these things in one little spot. It’s
never too hot and never too cold,
but there’s huge rains. It rains pretty
heavy…heavy, heavy, heavy and
then it’s gone, that’s it. Then the sun
comes out and the whole city smells
delicious and right after the sun
everybody gets happy and everybody
goes out because it is a great sunny,
wet, fresh day.
But the life style is pretty much
everywhere is same thing. Work, do
your
own
thing, go
home,
party, visit your
friends, but what
I miss mainly is
going out of my
house and visiting my
neighbors and they all get together at
six o’clock in the corner, and you can
see the whole neighborhood in the
corner just hanging out.
o/u: Do you consider yourself “Avant
Guard?”
Wendy: No, because it is something
that is simple and doesn’t follow the
trends, but is in a circle. I don’t belong
anywhere I have my own style, so
I don’t have any competition with
anybody, I only have my own style,
my own designs; I don’t even have
competition with myself because I
don’t even reproduce the same piece
that I did. “Avant Guard” is something
that you set up and have been doing
and doing and doing so that you
are bigger, popular, and everyone is
looking at you. I am not like that and
I don’t want to be, so no. What I do is
something that is not out there yet.
o/u: Can you appreciate that each
piece you make is not the same?
Wendy: I love it because I would like
to keep every single one, but what am
I going to sell?
Wendy Romero, a very unique and
real individual changing Southern
California one stitch at a time along
with her friends on Melrose Ave.
Frecuencia Modulada
7619 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
www.frecuenciamodulada.tv
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O
text: sam
bowden p
hoto: glen
n robinso
n
ne might think that digging and
searching through a variety
of used and abused clothing
from strangers’ closets would be
odd. They would probably also find it
crazy that people actually buy these
clothes. But day after day thousands
of us are out there seeking their
favorite group of thrift stores, swap
meets, and yard sales with hopes of
finding that one article of clothing that
would make a great addition to our
wardrobe.
But before we head out to the local
shop, there are some issues that
must be brought up. First off, one
must try to remove the thought that
your favorite vintage “1982 police
world tour” shirt could have been on
the back of some eighties hair band
groupie that just did a line of coke
off of a port-a-potty door latch, or
squeezed into by some 42 year old
plumber that utilized the cotton blend
treasure to clean his nose bleed
after a drunken bar fight over whose
wife had the most real teeth. But
once you get over the gross realities
of buying clothing that is hopefully,
at the most, second hand, you’ll
find that you will be able to create
a powerful and unique wardrobe
for cheap and you might even
meet some crazy people along the
way. Another downfall of shopping
second hand is finding clothes
that actually fit. Nothing is more
discouraging than finding a gem but
realizing there is no possibility of
making it work. Here is when having
a sewing machine and a little “knowhow” helps a bunch. If these are not
available to you, continue the hunt
or give it to someone special. Don’t
give up, for every piece that doesn’t
fit, there are many that do...keep on
keepin’ on.
Beauty of the thrift.
The absolute best part of thrifting
is that you can find just about any
style you are trying to create in as
little as one shop. With next to
nothing prices for a 1979 high school
reunion shirt to a 5 dollar complete
suit, one could purchase a full outfit
for the night in under 8 dollars, and
guarantee no one else at the bar
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could match it. The two hottest reasons
to shop second hand is to show that
you have a style and personality of your
own. Yeah any red state guy who moved
to L.A., got a job at Abercrombie, and is
pursuing acting/modeling, could wander
into Urban and find his size in a “made in
Ireland” t-shirt, some Lucky jeans and a
pair of tired old Pumas. This gent could
fit in rather nicely at, say Saddle Ranch
or his local Friday’s. However, our young
friend - finishing it off with a played out Von
Dutch hat turned sideways and dropping
about 300 dollars to bump into three other
guys with the same shirt doesn’t sound
like “style” to me. The harsh reality is the
ingenious owners of stores such as Urban
Outfitters, Buffalo Exchange, and Anchor
Blue design their stores so that these people
don’t have to keep up with fashion - just
walk in see what’s on the models, and then
slide daddy’s card to seal the deal. They’ll
tell you what’s cool. The best part about
the whole thing is that the majority of these
people never think that someone up high
is forcing them to follow the trend they are
creating in the store. Thrifting is like deep
sea fishing-you go out into the ocean, throw
out a line and see what you come up with.
I have been shopping second hand for a
while and even to this day when I walk in
to my favorite shops, I never know what i
am going to leave with. I have purchased
everything second hand, from a toaster to
a Nintendo, to a vintage pair of boots that
dated back to before I was born.
When you think of the whole culture of
thrifting, it really comes down to whether or
not you have the courage to get out there
and put in some work to dig and search and
sometimes find nothing. However, when
someone is in your house asking about a
certain used piece of art, and you explain
to them how you had to fight off some 88
year old man to eventually haggle the price
down to a quarter, you will feel a sense
of self appreciation and style, rather than
simply explaining that you scored it at the
mid-annual sale at JC-Penny’s. I guarantee
that you will never be more fired up than the
day you walk into a thrift store, not knowing
exactly what your looking for, but leave with
just that one piece that’s fits YOU perfectly
and you just know will be in your closet for
a long time... until the next lucky kid finds
it while digging through a pile of clothing
that was somehow no longer useful in your
arsenal of hotness.
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a sun-shining gloom
sunny everyday
a weather man’s job is easy
sky,
blasted of every cloud
a wedding veil of smog
startling dry wind
sea salt forgotten
crashing waves churn ocean
butter
cut out the fat
love yourself by loving less
you are nothing
you are special
you are unnoticed in a stew of
diversity
an icy piece of melon
magical droplets of sweat
in a brown summer cove
partly whole and nothing missing
away from sunny gloom I go.
- Mike Chung
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table of contents
something to believe in part 1 & 2
-justin jasper
I.
They came on past the oak tree then, forcing their smiling voices out though the
neighborhood, over the delicately manicured lawns, washing up against the big brick homes
that lined the street. The others hopped like spring birds around her. She moved slowly,
resigned to the fact that no amount of impulsive passion would force her body to break free
of the earth. He smiled to himself watching her slow-steady pace, imagining that she had
already realized the futility of youth and had given up on its heady enthusiasm. Passing the
car in which he sat, she kicked at the autumn leaves and a soft breath of wind lifted her shirt
gently, just enough for him to see the hard curve of leg. She had the legs of a woman, the full
round ass of a woman. Her legs pumped and he watched the jaunty thrust of her ass beneath
the plaid skirt; watched and imagined what that ass would smell like pressing down on his
face, what her sex would taste like against his mouth. As he masturbated, an image took his
mind, the same image that took his mind every day now as he sat in the car, watching her
walk up the street. The image was of the girl’s body, nude and glistening with sweat, perched
on her hands and knees. He shuddered and came as she turned the corner and was gone.
II.
The hours passed slowest on the weekends. Waking up, knowing he would have to
lie back down to sleep without seeing her. But those moments just after he’d park next to
the oak tree and wait, listening for the bell to ring, and upon hearing it ring, listening for the
high, bright voices of her friends, since she herself never laughed or squealed; those moments
every sinew pulled tight, his breathing shallow and hurried, those were the moments he
lived for. The memory and anticipation of those moments carried him easily through the
weekend hours, as he went out to buy groceries, or to wash his clothes, or to run any number
of errands, it was the thought of those moments that pushed him forward, let him live: to see
her, to imagine her naked and glistening, to watch her walk, and yet, when it was done, to
feel shame. Overpowering, maddening shame that tightened his grip on the wheel and forced
him to press down hard on the gas, rocketing the car into the street. Speeding away from
the scene, cursing himself, hating himself for his pathetic perversion. Spitting and cursing
and promising the Good Lord that he would never do it again, begging for strength and focus.
These were the times he felt most lost. His life seemed a meaningless, hopeless sham. He
would return home to stare at the walls, and on the walls he would see faces. Faces that he
knew were caused by simple tricks of light, of shadows in imperfections, and yet he was still
weary of them. Faces that were witness to his lowly, pathetic existence; that watched him
as he crossed the living room each morning, leaving for work; faces that watched as he ate
alone, and in silence; faces that would act as an audience for him. He knew, of course, that
they were not an audience, that they were nothing more than shadows, and yet he could
not help performing for them. Some nights he would return home and drop into the easy
chair with an exaggerated sigh, as if to say “Lord, what a day I’ve had!” He always felt some
measure of control over what the audience could see, and hoped to fool them into thinking
his life had meaning and importance. Though, he never gave into delusion. The time never
came when he didn’t understand that there was not actually an audience watching him, and
yet, still, he couldn’t stop himself from sucking in his stomach when he made his coffee in
the morning, or lying at a certain angle in bed each night so as to look most handsome. He
was in fact more conscious of his appearance at home, alone, than when he was out in the
world, moving through the supermarket or waiting in line at the bank. It was not a matter of
rational though, but more an instinct. Growing up under the eyes of a god he no longer feared,
he felt it impossible to give up the feeling of being watched. And when he sometimes couldn’t
help himself, and so gave in to desire, or self-pity, those same faces saw him sitting in dirty
underwear, or watching pornography. They saw him in his car, jerking off to the little girl. He
knew what they would think of him; he thought the same things about himself.
continued next issue...
Detroit Bar
843 w. 19th street
Costa Mesa CA 92627
949.642.0600
$10 w/ id
Like the east coast and the west
coast coming together, the Root Down
brings together the polar opposites of
trend, LA and Newport Beach/Costa
Mesa area, but leaves behind the
pretentiousness that both wallow in.
The Root Down defies reason and
promotes the opposite of what is
prevalent. Building up its reputation
during the last few years by bringing
actual soul to the two respective cities.
The mix of people packed into the
Little Temple(LA) and Detroit(Newport
Beach/Costa Mesa) alone speaks of
the diverse and down to earth nature
of the Root Down. That just ads to the
flavor whereas the music brings these
people to their feet.
Resident DJ’s Dusk and Danny A,
spin from Salsa and disco to funk and
jazz, however their main focus is the
amazing hip-hop that you sometimes
forget exists. A conversation at the
Root Down may go like this,” What’s
that song? Yo I know it….my brother
used to bump it when I was little. He
had it on a mix tape.” Then after the
brief nostalgia of childhood, your hips
fall in line with the beat and the vibes
keep flowing.
After all, good vibes and beats make
the world go ‘round, so explains
the many guest dj’s and acts that
roll through. You never know who
may show up. Past acts include
the Percussionists, the Crown City
Rockers, Medusa, the Time Machine
and many others. For the list of guest
dj’s you’d have to look at a book of
today’s greats, from the Beat Junkies
to Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark (Jurassic
5).
Little Temple
4519 Santa Monica Blvd. (at Virgil)
Silverlake, CA
root
down
text
and
photo:
glenn
robinson
Check out the soul, the vibe, the ill
spot, the joint that’s been missing, until
now, in LA at the Little Temple every
Thursday and in Newport Beach/
Costa Mesa at Detroit Bar every third
Saturday of the month.
For more information and dates:
www.rootdownclub.com
the Root Line: 818-759-6374
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Sifting through the generic,
money driven radio of
Southern California I hear
the incessant whining of the
poppy punk lead singers to the
basic power chord strum of
the lead guitarists. Even the
independent sound begins to
bore with either a Strokesque
vibe and look, to a solo
guitar acoustic lament. What
happened to expression and
experimentation within music?
Well both elements have
found themselves in the Mae
Shi, an experimental punk
rock band from Los Angeles.
Timothy David Byron, Jeffrey
Joseph Byron, Brad Joseph
Breek, Exra Buxla introduce
something not seen in a while,
putting on a good show for
it’s audience. They fill the
show with intense musical
and sound induced bliss.
From erratic vocal out bursts
from Brad, the drummer, to
Timothy sauntering through the
audience playing melodic punk
chords, these guys make you
realize what you been missing
by listening to everything else
but them. Here are some
questions I sent them:
the
mae
shi
writen
and
photo:
glenn
robinson
o/u: How did you guys meet?
a. in the orphanage.
b. standing in an alphabetically
ordered line (all of
our last names end with the
letter ‘B’)
c. we all have the same meth
dealer.
d. we all have the same
analyst.
e. we all have the same sister.
f. we all have the same
psychic.
o/u: Where does the name
come from?
a. Mae Shi is the name of a
tropical bird indigenous
to only a few small islands off
the coast of thailand.
It is a carnivorous bird known
to be the fastest
and meanest within its
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habitat. a peculiar aspect of the mae
shi in sexual activity is that they do
not discriminate between gender;
it is one of natures few exhibits of
homosexuality/bi-sexuality within a
species. This has littleto do with the
band, though.
b. The Mae-Shi were a sect of
buddhist warrior-monks
located in thailand in the 17th
century. they were
famous for their peculiar style of dress,
which
included skin tight bright pink mumu’s
sandals with 3”
spikes on the soles, gratuitous gold
jewelry, and
cornrows. Mae-shi were warriors in the
service of a
secret society which ruled thailand
from the 16th-18th
centuries. The Mae-Shi used on one
weapon in battle,
called the “Po’Boy”, a kind of helmet
with a 4 foot
long sword attached to it - a very
impractical weapon,
since the person weilding it was
blinded by it’s
inherent functionality.
c. when you type “dear god, what
should we call our
band?”, into babel fish, translated into
esperonto you
get “BA BA BA The Mae-shi, TA TA
TA”.
o/u: How did you decide on the sound
of the band?
a. trial, error, terror, and alchemy.
Stuck: Is the sound an extension of
each members
personality?
a. no, it is an extension of our body
parts.
o/u: So many bands tend to do what
will make them famous, however it
appears that you guys do what you
want and seem to try things others
might be afraid to
do. Thoughts on this?
a. We are in this for eternal glory...is
that the same
thing as fame?
o/u: Are you guys utilizing anything
you learned in
school?
Ezra and brad jeff studied music
composition in
school, they are careful not to use
anything learned
in their studies. tim studied physics in
college; we
are careful not to break any major
physical laws when
performing or writing new songs.
For more info, tour dates, and media
check out:
table of contents
www.mae-shi.com
time
machine
text:
glenn
robinson
photo:
eric
sargeant
Q
ueue jazz loop, smooth ass beat, then unleash the
lyrical prowess. Time Machine, with their debut album,
“Slow Your Roll,” hit the streets with a soundtrack for every
day life. Composed of three, DJ Mekalek, Jaysonic, and
Comel, who bring hints of the east coast to the west.
Revisiting the days of story telling much like that of Slick
Rick and Tribe, Jay and Comel’s lyrical delivery flows
seamlessly with DJ Mekaleks jazz and soul inspired
beats and melodies. With enough scratching to satisfy
my olds-school bones, DJ Mekalek makes it look so easy,
yet lays it out so very dapper. On stage Comel and Jay
don’t disappoint either. During their synchronized twostep, you see that their verbal skill and energy is real, as is
their lyrical focus. Rhyming about every day occurrences
through observations, and yes, even love, the songs are
easily relatable, but never dull, unlike the mainstream “cash
money” hip-hop.
Off stage these cats are as cool as they come. Entrenched
in the hustle and bustle of LA, Jay, Comel, and DJ Mek
are managing to stay so down to earth. Instead of getting
caught up, they simply stay tight friends and do things their
own way.
o/u: Why did you guys move from the East Coast to LA?
Comel: Jay and I both went to school in DC. Jay
went to GW and I went to Howard. DJ Mekalek was in
Providence.
Jay: Mekalek did not want to move to New York and
Comel did not want to move to Providence. We needed
to be in the same location. We did some shows in LA and
the bay area and felt a good vibe. People in LA seam like
they are into listening something new instead of what is
prescribed.
DJ Mekalek: There is less opportunity in Rhode Island. It
is very political, regardless of what you are into, if you are
not buddy buddy with someone you can’t do anything.
o/u: How did you guys meet?
Jay: I lived in providence and went to school with Mek.
We became friends and began to work on stuff together
artistically. I moved to DC for school and met Comel
through mutual friends. We were friends for three years
before recording together.
o/u: Do you notice a difference because you are friends
first?
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Comel: I couldn’t say what it would
be like without being friends, but
while working together you know
each other’s personalities. We all live
together, and at the end of the night
will go most likely go out together.
We live in this compound, it’s like a
brotherhood. I can’t imagine it any
other way. We got each other’s back.
o/u: How did you get started in hip
hop?
DJ Mekalek: When I started listening
I was kind of lost. I was mostly was
listening to talk radio and sports radio.
A buddy had me listen to NWA. I was
like, “Holy Shit!” But What I got was
the scratching, and how it was in the
melody. I wanted to find out how to do
it. I started out and I had the wrong
equipment and was horrible. I stuck
with it though. It sounded like the
scratch was easy, but it was actually
very hard to get it right.
Jay: I grew up in Miami, Florida. We
would go play in the streets and the
older kids would have all the tapes. I
remember Run DMC, Raising Hell, I
listened to that. Then I started writing
lyrics. The first time I performed was
a “say no to drugs” rap contest. That
was thirteen years ago and I have
been progressing ever since.
Comel: I had older brothers and we
would watch Yo MTV Raps. I also
lived in Brooklyn while growing up.
The block parties and jams you heard
about were going on right outside my
window. I couldn’t help but be thrown
into it. My dad also used to play jazz
around the house.
My first serious girlfriend’s brother
introduced me to Diamond D and
Digible Planets. Then while Jay was
recording his album, we were just
hanging out and I randomly spit out
some lyrics and Jay was like,” It fit
perfect.” I had Jay’s tape even before
that. I appreciate Jays music to begin
with.
Jay: We were friends from DC then
I went to the Netherlands, then came
back and just wanted to connect. I
was trying to finish up Block Trouping
and Comel’s lyrics just fit.
o/u: I hear a lot of jazz in the songs.
Is jazz an overall influence?
Jay: I like jazz, I’m not incredibly
knowledgeable, but its influences
are there. Swing, upright base, the
freedom to do what you want within
music. Mek would probably be better
at this one.
Mekalek: Soul and Jazz are the
only types of music that move me. I
believe we all feel similar.
Comel: My dad played soul and
jazz however I listened to the whole
spectrum. Pink Floyd, Simon and
Garfunkle. If it is good music, or has a
good beat, it doesn’t matter what kind
for info, tour dates, and media go to:
www.timemachinesound.com
of music it is.
Jay: People put too many labels on
things. Like it for the notion of good
music.
o/u: What inspired the synchronized
dancing in the live performance?
Jay: The show is built for people with
no attention span. People take time
to come see us and we want to keep
their attention. As a performer your
job is to entertain. You want to make
it worth their while and make the show
appealing to everyone.
o/u: How did you guys come up with
your lyrical style?
Comel: I rarely listen to lyrics. I listen
to the beat and melody of songs. My
lyrics fit the beats and the melodies,
however I make sure I say something
worth while for the people that listen to
the lyrics. I try to write for the people
that listen to the beats, and those that
listen to the lyrics.
Jay: I am more literal. I don’t write to
fill wavelengths or anything. I write
about topics or tell stories. We didn’t
want to just rap about nothing or just
rapping. We talk about something
new or talk about something that has
already been heard in a different way.
We compliment each other’s style as
well.
*answers are paraphrased
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These Geisha girls do
nʼt serve up a nice ther
apeutic cup of green te
up good rock, with a hi
a for your soul. They
nt of the Cure and Hot
serve
Hot Heat, for your ea
and Damian, exhibit th
rs. The trio, Sean, Jo
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voice, reminiscent of Ro
add to Seanʼs singing
bert Smith. The collabo
ration of unadulterate
drum sets created a ve
d guitar with throbbin
nue that was fueled by
g
energy: that of the ba
itʼs spastic Belinda Ca
nd
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and the audience, in
rlisle like motion.
bass chord flutter into quick
The show immediately started with an intense
e in your mind of a geisha
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of
distorted guitar licks, hardly indicative
e angst, each band member
girl. Delving into the minds powerfully destructiv
rmance.
resonates with intensity throughout the perfo
hint of refreshing non-commercial
Their garage band like sound is tinged with a
l pop punk that has become
punk, which thankfully strays from the traditiona
y. An intense experience that
somewhat tiresome and entirely all too trend
the Geisha Girls are quickly
next,
flows continuous from one song to the
s.
band
ier
becoming one of Orange County’s prem
tes, go to:
for info and tour da
ent.com
www.geishamovem
W
hy Santa Ana? I mean there has been a
stereotype of Santa Ana for as long as I
can remember. It’s supposed to be the run
down ghetto part of Orange County. What’s
the sudden attraction? Brian and Robin
Christensen.
Like with many culturally aware peoples,
New York is the preverbal city of God. Robin
was no exception; she felt the urge to go.
However with husband, Brian, finishing
up art school in Laguna Beach, the ties to
stay were binding. Now the necessity for
housing was at hand.
at
1sertys
month
of ev
Loft apartment living is the ultimate in
metropolitan living. There are select areas
throughout Southern California with such
amenities, but with a price. Surprisingly,
downtown Santa Ana seemed to offer
exactly what was wanted.
A substitute for New York? Well, in a
way, yes. The art walk in downtown
keeps Brian and Robin grounded in
Santa Ana. This is the up and coming
Down Town, complete with bacon
wrapped hot dogs and, yes, even
culture. Both have become influential in
this metamorphosis by participating in
the art council and even opening their
loft up to artists and visitors.
Brian, an artist, began to showcase
his artwork in their loft every
month. Because of his and Robin’s
passion for the arts they began
showcasing friends’ work as well.
With a successful turnout, the minor
showcase has become a full on
gallery event.
Now, scouting for artists, Brian
and Robin look for what they like,
a semi-urban very impressionistic
raw artist. Their goal is to attract
a young up and coming crowd
by introducing young up and
coming artists to the world. This
is something that many galleries
just don’t do. However, Brian and
Robin Christensen have created
something amazing that breaks
from the stigma that Santa Ana
has carried for all my life.
ein
artwork by jophen st
210 N. BUSH ST.
SANTA ANA CA, 92701
714.542.5928
www.scribbletheory.com
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text: glenn robinson photo: paul sargeant
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text & photo: glenn rob
Jeana, born in Korea, studied graphic
design there. However it was more
a method for getting a job, than a
method for creativity. She then moved
to California to study animation at Cal
Arts, a change from the object oriented
style of Korea. With such a sweet heart
she is now painting characters that have
the same quirkiness and personality as
herself. This is something Jeana did not
think of doing just years ago.
With her first solo show under her belt,
Jeana is on the rise, quickly becoming one
of LA’s sought after young artists. Still
getting used to the recognition, she keeps
a level head and continues to grow.
o/u: What did you study in school?
Jeana: When I was in Korea I studied graphic
design. When I came here I studied animation,
and now I am doing fine arts.
o/u: Has growing up in Korea affected your
current style and attitude towards life?
Jeana: I’m not really sure. Maybe the fact that
I like small cute objects and characters comes
from asian pop culture, but that’s all I can think
of. I think moving to America was more influential
to me that growing up in Korea. I mean, seeing all
of the different cultures of people in America, and
seeing all the different artists, is important to me.
o/u: Describe how your style has changed from
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seriously. I want to make cute and pretty things to look
at. Sorry.
Korea to Cal Arts to after Cal Arts.
Jeana: When I was studying graphic design in korea I
was being taught technique with the purpose of getting
a job, so creativity wasn’t really part of it. At calarts,
the program allows for lots of freedom to develop and
experiment, so I think I started becoming more loose and
experimenting. Now I am making paintings and “fine art”;
the work I am doing now, I think, is
an extension of the work I was doing at calarts. At calarts I
was doing character animation, now, many of my paintings
are like little, one frame, animated films, for me.
o/u: Why do you use the medium you use?
Jeana: Mostly I use the cheapest acrylic paints because I
can’t afford more expensive paint. I like to use small cheap
wood panels because I get
intimidated by big, expensive panels. I still have to buy
nice brushes, because my paintings are really small and
have lots of detail, so I need precise tools.
o/u: So all these different things?
Jeana: I think I just combine everything.
o/u: Are you going to work on animation still?
Jeana: Yes, but this year I didn’t make anything.
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o/u: What does your art mean to you?
Jeana: It’s something fun to do. I don’t take it really
for more pics and info: www.jeanasohn.com
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