Novem Life, Yo! » Life

Mid West Best Vol.3 : DJ Demchuk

novem — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:23:08 +0000

Yo, here is our 3rd release of the MidWest Best mix series, I hope you guys have enjoyed the offerings so far. If you have ever been to a Novem event at the store or somewhere else there’s a good chance you’ve heard a Dj Demchuk set. Resident Dj at our Monthly Grind night at Sub-t Demchuk is a long time Novem supporter, thanks for all the help Dan! If you havent already be sure to check out the Demchuk interview.

Below is Demchuk’s description of the mix along with links to download it. Enjoy!

“This mix was recorded live using actual vinyl. Each piece on this mix was purchased either in Chicago or New York City. Tracks one through three are Chicago House tracks, including a remix of Paul Johnson’s “Get Get Down” by Proper Villains. The following 8 tracks are some of my favorites in Brazilian Funk, with a couple tracks I picked up while in NYC. The final three cuts are from Baltimore. I can say this, with an economic recession still raking its cold dead hands across the US, and online music destroying artist’s careers, I paid for the highest quality sound available, Vinyl, and each track on this mix was chosen because it was well worth every cent I paid, and every moment the artists spent creating.”

Click here to grab to download the mix

Featured Artist Update: Esteban del Valle

novem — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:52:05 +0000

Originally featured on Novemlife in 2007, artist Esteban del Valle has been busy creating since. Stebs spent 2008-9 at RISD, earning an MFA in painting. He discusses his work and inspiration at that time, in the video below.

Currently, Esteban is an artist in residency at the Hub-Bub program in Spartanburg, SC. There, he’s created a silent film titled:The Preemptive Collapse of an Arduous Revolt Against Lunar Aspirations
or That revolt gives life its value.
Enjoy the trailer below.

for more on Esteban del Valle, click here.

En Memoriam: SOLE FTR UAC

novem — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 03:00:30 +0000

“If I ain’t fightin’ the buff, I’m cuffin.”
-Jason Kitchekeg

I met SOLE reletively late in my graffiti career and was immediately suprised by his youth. Having followed his work along the Red Line for a couple years prior to my start in graff, I expected to meet someone significantly older. After learning how close we were in age I thought, “damn, why’d I wait till 14!” But it wasn’t just age that was his youth, SOLE lived the life to which all city kids aspire.

SOLE was Hip-Hop. The man could jump in a freestyle or b-boy cypher naturally, and was always trying have fun. A master in the art of getting over, SOLE wouldn’t hesitate to employ the five-finger discount when necessary (thank you for hooking up the shop with those office supplies Jay). But his first love was aerosol.

When it came to painting- SOLE got up. He epitomized his crew’s mantra, Up And Coming, and continued to push the envelope with spot after spot. The caliber of spots SOLE painted could be characterized as “high risk, high reward.” That tenacity built SOLE a significant rep over the past decade in Uptown and accross Chicago. SOLE’s passing will be felt by the entire Chicago graffiti community. I will miss him.
-Evoke FYM