Embrace the Flux

Interview: Purple Monkey Sircus

// January 24th, 2010 // No Comments » // Music

Purple Monkey Sircus is a talented young rap trio hailing from Cleveland Heights, Ohio.  They’ve worked with the likes of DJ Mick Boogie and Wiz Khalifa, their fanbase is growing at a steady rate; to be sure, their unmistakable personality is just getting warmed up.  Catchy, tender, mellow and genuine – PMS educates the listener with passion and flare. To our great fortune, Quinton and Johnny of Purple Monkey Sircus are here with us today to entertain a few of our questions. Their only condition, strangely enough, was a box of jelly doughnuts.

First and foremost, how in the world did you guys come up with the name Purple Monkey Sircus? Doesn’t circus start with the letter C?

On our first tape we made a song called “Purple Monkey Circus.” It tells a story about this dude trapped inside of his own head. The depression from his childhood leads him to think in this crazy way. He lives in an alternate reality but he doesn’t realize it. It’s a real deep story. We changed it from a “C” in the song to an “S” because — it was a song, let’s just say. We named the group Purple Monkey Sircus and just rolled with it.

Longtime friends? Stroke of musical luck? Tell us about the epic birth of Purple Monkey Sircus.

Me and Johnny are brothers. We’re blood brothers. A lot of people don’t know that we’re related. We all went to high school together, Cleveland Heights High School. Mitchell was always makin’ beats and I hit him up one day. He wanted to drop an EP and that’s when we all got together. It was all just complete randomness and chaos. We made the first tape in three days and people thought it was crazy. We made it in somebody’s basement. We did our first concert in June, it sold out and it was ridiculous.

A lot of your songs highlight retro samples with a distinct mellow twist. Where’s the influence here? Can you name any particular artists for us?

I listen to a lot of rap and alternative stuff. Johnny’s more into R&B, rock, Eminem. We like a lot of classic rock. Prince is the shit. Kiss, The Scorpions, The Beatles, The Killers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Flaming Lips, Michael Jackson is cool to me but I’m more of a Prince fan. I’m such a Prince fan. Michael Jackson is a genius, though.

Non-musical hobbies? Don’t be shy.

Smokin’ weed. We like watchin’ UFC, mixed martial arts. We have sex with a lot of girls. We like to draw.

What kind of drawing?

Sketching, watercolors, we do a lot of graphic design, we write songs, photography. We are huge on photography. Portraits, shit like that. We take a lot of pictures. We make people look good.

Your lyrics are, simply put, real. “Demons in My Head” and “Splendiferous Persona Non Grata” immediately come to mind. A refreshing change from the monotonous onslaught of ego trips, diamond necklaces and the like. Words we can all relate to. What’s the PMS motif? Five word limit.

We’re the shit, ‘nuff said.

We really like your song “FuckMyLife.” True story?

Johnny’s story is true. Mine is just some beers I was having. Yea that song, I hope it’s not true. Johnny told Mitch to sample a porno a long time ago and, well, he actually sampled a porno. That’s what you hear in the background. She was moanin’ on beat! But our influence for that was “My Mind is Playing Tricks on Me” by Geto Boys.

Quinton, Mitchell and Johnny. Each of you, no doubt, bring something unique to the table. Who’s who in the group?

I just like smokin’ weed and rapping. But I guess I was the first one to rap before bringing everyone else on. He can rap, you can rap, we can rap — let’s rap! On our latest mixtape we started singing more hooks. For the most part Johnny and I are the rappers and Mitch is our main producer.

You just released a new mixtape, Candyland. This one definitely shows off your flexibility. What was the primary inspiration behind Candyland?

Shit on everybody? [Laughter] Well, one night this past summer we were lying in our beds and talking about genre names. If you take what you already have associated with words used for genre names they start to sound like completely stupid ideas. Rock? Hip hop? Pop? Country?

Do you like ‘nation’ music?

[Laughter] So we were like: “Alright, we’re gonna name this candyland.” We just dropped a bunch of shit out of order.

What’s next for PMS? Any top secret information you can share with our readers here at Embrace the Flux? Well, in that case, I guess it wouldn’t be very top secret.

We’re moving to Atlanta in a week. We have this fan base in Atlanta and we noticed that if you push anything down there it’s going to be so much better than it would be up here. There’s no market for rap in Cleveland. I mean there is, but it’s really hard to make it in Cleveland. Wait, I forgot what the question was…

Top-secret stuff.

Oh, you know those big-ass football players on the walls…

Fatheads?

Yea, fatheads. We’re making fatheads of ourselves. Snapbacks, tee-shirts – we’re doing a lot of merchandising.

Along with music we at Embrace the Flux headquarters are very much into technology, fashion and movies. PC or Mac? Clothing brand of the day? And your favorite films?

Mac.

The Boosters Brand.

I love Quentin Tarantino movies. Pulp Fiction. Reservoir Dogs. Kill Bill: Vol. 2. Inglorious Basterds.

Is that a Quinton/Quentin thing?

You know, I started watching the movies because of that. But I think, even though he had a black wife, I think he’s a little bit racist. He says the “N” word a lot in his movies.

Female Body Inspection. Who’s in the lead? Our readers are curious.

We’re all ladies’ men but Johnny’s probably winning.

Quinton and Johnny, we appreciate you guys taking time out of your busy schedule to talk with us today. We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors and look forward to hearing more from PMS.

Thanks for having us. It’s been fun.

Today marks the release of a new mixtape from Purple Monkey Sircus titled Kush Pack: Vol. 1. Along with Candyland, the inviting new album is available over on our Downloads page. Keep your eyes peeled for these exuberant monkeys. In addition to nonstop music all year, the trio promises a follow-up mixtape in the not-so-distant future. For news, information, downloads and the like, be sure to give their website a visit. PMS might be young but they definitely have big dreams. Who knows? One day they might even be smoking weed on MTV.




For a quick puff of the Sircus, click here. “Blue Moo Cookie Dough” can be found in the Kush Pack.

Gorillaz: Stylo Feat. Mos Def & Bobby Womack

// January 21st, 2010 // No Comments » // Music

It’s been two years since we last heard anything from the one and only cartoon-electro Gorillaz. But do not fret! Your friendly trip-hop weirdos – 2D, Russel, Noodle and Murdoc – won’t be leaving us anytime soon. Plastic Beach is the name of their upcoming album, and they’ve finally given us a little taste. Featuring the likes of Mos Def and Bobby Womack (talk about left field), “Stylo” fuses traditional hardhitting Gorillaz melody with smooth and nostalgic 60′s vocals. But wait, there’s more. Heavy snares from Mos Def and a retro chorus from R&B phenom Bobby Womack (The Valentinos ring any bells?) complete this destined-for-greatness single.

Set to be released in March of 2010, Plastic Beach will feature quite a few artists from a broad spectrum of genres. Snoop Dogg, Gruff Rhys, rock ‘n’ roll legends Lou Reed and Mick Jones, De La Soul, err, the National Orchestra for Arabian Music – Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett are definitely shooting for out-of-this-world this time. Whether you find this downright awesome or a bit scary, we recommend you give “Stylo” a listen. It might just…change your world.

Click here to download.

Star Wars: The Old Republic

// January 20th, 2010 // No Comments » // Technology

If you only knew the power of the Dark Side…

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past thirty years, this is the plea Darth Vader makes to Jedi-son Luke Skywalker before he reveals the famous truth: Luke, I am your father.

Since its debut in 1977, the space opera franchise has arguably produced the largest fandom (Star Trek fans may disagree here) known to man. Books, comic books, television series, video games, geek-ridden conventions abound with Jedi Knights of disconcerting shapes and sizes – it’s definitely possible, though not particularly healthy, to live vicariously through this nonexistent intergalactic universe.

Some of the most critically acclaimed Star Wars games to date are those of the famous Jedi Knight series. Gamers were given the opportunity to step into the virtual shoes of their favorite Jedi Knight/Sith Warrior and duel it out, one-on-one style, with an arch enemy halfway across the galaxy. Pretty cool if you ask me. Unfortunately, subsequent LucasArts games haven’t received much support in the Star Wars fandom. Force Unleashed, in particular, was regrettably dull and unmistakably narrow. But LucasArts no doubt made a considerable chunk of change with the game, and it looks like they’ve finally realized their time and money might be better invested in other online arenas. Enter The Old Republic.

LucasArts – in collaboration with BioWare – is finally bringing us a Star Wars massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG for short). For the first time ever thousands of Star Wars diehards can unite to share their galactic fantasies in one communal server. It’s World of Warcraft for the pomos! This cinematic trailer should give you a nice taste – albeit glorified – of what’s to come.

According to the promo website, you may: “Choose to be a Jedi, a sith, or from a variety of other classic Star Wars roles, and make decisions which define your personal story and determine your path down the light or dark side of the Force.” Sounds like a wet dream for the ‘real life’ Jedi Knights. Or maybe only for the Sith Warriors? Apparently the game takes place during a time when the Sith Empire was preparing a gargantuan attack against the Republic and its infamous Jedi guardians, thousands of years before the age of Darth Vader. Simply put – in this game, at least – it might just pay to be evil. (Don’t get any big ideas, you Sith Warriors.) The question on everyone’s mind is whether or not The Old Republic will rival World of Warcraft in terms of gameplay. Check out these screenshots; they certainly look promising.

Earlier this past week LucasArts revealed the game’s long-awaited release date: Spring of 2011. In the mean time we’ll have to settle for ogling at the various promos available on The Old Republic website. Perhaps, in Spring of 2011, we will finally come to know the power of the dark side. Until that day, may the force be with you all.

Adidas Originals: Star Wars Collection

// January 20th, 2010 // No Comments » // Fashion

Keeping with the Star Wars theme, we’ve stumbled upon a video campaign for the new Adidas Originals Star Wars Collection. Like many other video campaigns this one is in slow motion, it takes place during the night, and it highlights young attractive people partying with a handful of celebrities. You might notice – among Darth Vader and a few Storm Troopers – Snoop Dogg, Daft Punk, and David Beckham. But what stands out in this particular video are the subtle yet powerful Star Wars images and hip-hop themed tracks (the DJ, Neil Armstrong, also makes an appearance.) So if you’re in the mood for break dancing with storm troopers, playing baseball in the dark or foot-racing on a crowded city street (or just walking around), you might find something you like in the 2010 Adidas Originals Star Wars Collection.

Fluxy Five: Pioneering 2010 Software

// January 19th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Technology

Sleek, efficient, easy, original and online. These seem to be the necessary components for most pioneering software schemas nowadays. It has to look good, it has to get the job done, it has to have a specific function, and, of course, it should connect to Facebook or Twitter or something else on the interweb. After a reasonable amount of searching, trying and evaluating, we’ve discovered five up’n’coming applications that seem to pass these criteria with flying colors. Look out for their names in the months to come; we think they’re here to stay.

Instant Messaging: Trillian Astra

Once a little known application driven by a small community of friends (during a time when when multi-client messaging was thought to be excessive), Trillian Astra has grown to be a unique and capable instant messenger. AIM, Windows Live, Google Talk, ICQ, Yahoo, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, E-mail and more – Astra certainly gets the job done. It’s pretty, too. While other messaging clients may win with regard to ease of use (Digsby) or customizability (Miranda), they certainly don’t have Astra’s bring-it-on looks. After four years of development marked by creeping skepticism and all around impatience, the wait is finally over. Head over to trillian.im to get your hands on the beta, it might just make your life a bit easier!

Multimedia Playback: Songbird

Songbird is an appealing iTunes alternative for the technically-adept PC/Mac/Linux user which, with the exception of iPod or iPhone syncing, can do just about anything iTunes can. The application jumps on the black-is-beautiful bandwagon (that way it looks different from iTunes) to bring us, above all, a user interface that is easily accessible (but not very original). To boot, Songbird provides the user with artist connections to YouTube, Flickr, and Last.fm; it notifies the user when his or her favorite bands are playing nearby; and, let’s not forget, it is fully customizable. If you’re one of those consumers who desires a more complete audio experience, Songbird might be the program for you.

Multimedia Conversion: Tunebite

Tunebite’s website says it all: “Need your entertainment in the right format? Tunebite can do that.” That is, if you need to convert those DRM-protected iTunes files into formats that can be copied to a DVD, or if you want to play around with that YouTube video but you don’t have the original file, Tunebite’s down for the cause. Having defined itself by means of a free-rider niche from the very get go, Tunebite’s hallmark has and will remain its amazing ability to (legally) remove copyright protection from multimedia files. Definitely a sleek interface, quick and easy converting, capable of dealing with lots and lots of file formats – Tunebite’s “Platinum” version (the one with all the good stuff) is probably worth the forty dollar cover price. Head over to audials.com to see what we’re talking about.

Social Networking: Fishbowl

Think Facebook already invades your privacy? Fishbowl is an application that transforms Facebook-the-website into a fully functional desktop program. Notwithstanding a potential haven for creepers, Fishbowl is a pretty cool program. It offers a similar user experience to Facebook-the-website (minus games and advertisements) with an avant garde, everything-at-your-fingertips feel. Sadly, Fishbowl by uxlabs@Microsoft is only offered as a trial program (the higher ups over at Microsoft don’t support it, that is), but we imagine that will change soon enough. If you happen to be a Facebook Power User, Fishbowl might just be the best thing that ever happened to you.

Operating Systems: Good OS

Linux based operating systems are beginning to generate curiosity in a growing faction of modern “computer enthusiasts.” Why should netbooks hog all the Linux fun, they say. Good OS (teehee) 3.1 is a prime example. gOS, simply put, proffers Mac based interface with Linux based functionality and Windows based efficiency. For the interface lovers: a Mac-like dock, Google Gadgets, a 3D window switcher and a clean and simple taskbar. For the functionalists we have an Ubuntu based operating system. And for the efficiency lovers: WINE 1.0 (compatibility with Windows software), web-based applications (Mail, Calendar, Picasa and more) and, of course, Open Office. Good OS does in fact seem to be the happy medium of operating systems. But is a happy medium something the average computing consumer wants? Head over to thinkgos.com and give their product a whirl – if you’re feeling adventurous, that is.