The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

I've been watching a lot of movies lately.
This is the list of the movies I've been watching this week:
Bourne Identity, The Day After Tomorrow, Santa Clause, Paris (English subs), Dragon Ball Evolution, Laputa (English dubs), Julie and Julia, Gazon Maudit (English subs), Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Legally Blonde, and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

Hard to find a trend here? ^^;

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was a great film, actually.
With a fantastic line-up of incredible actors and actresses, it almost got me into a false assumption that the film is "just" about the "glamorous" casts, and nothing more.
However, I was proved wrong.
I thought the casting and actors were not only brilliant but appropriate.
Although Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell voluntarily showed up in the film to make up for the untimely and unfortunate death of Heath Ledger, it didn't really disrupt the consistency of the film.
The dream worlds that appear ever so often were unique and inspiring too.
I think the design of the balloon that appears in the dream world of the little boy was quite delicious =P
If you are a Vancouverite, you're in for a pleasant surprise at the end.

DAIZO

Seasons Greetings

Merry Christmas!

I hope you are enjoying your holidays and getting ready for New Years!
I'm kind of glad it's not a white Christmas this year.
Not being unromantic or anything.
I hope you know what I mean.

Anyhow, my Christmas this year wasn't really the best.
Despite the fact that my place is in downtown, the streets weren't filled with the jolly feeling of Christmas, nor were the apartments or houses.
No snow (snow is okay as long as it's not the day I'm working^^). Cold. Cloudy. Rainy. Windy.
Work.
Yes, I worked on Christmas Day.... well, I'm getting paid a fair amount so I guess it's alright.

Well to get back on topic again, on Christmas Eve, I spent the night watching my favorite Christmas movie, "Santa Clause," and heading down to Stanley Park to attend "12th Annual Bright Nights in Stanley Park".
The event is pretty much a park full of Christmas lights. It was great to see all the illumination as it finally got me into the Christmas spirit (so they say).
I was actually quite surprised with the traffic.. I guess the fact it was Christmas Eve wasn't helping much. Anyways it was definitely worth the visit.
Admission is by donation only and the parking lot is free so it's good to visit after dinner in downtown.

Happy Holidays!













http://vancouver.ca/parks/events/brightnights/index.htm

DAIZO

"Outbreak"

Hihi ppl! Gigi's here!
Last night I went to a Rock concert "Outbreak" hosted by "EVE". First, I wanna congratulate "EVE" on their successful sold out show. Good jobs guys! 4 bands were playing last night, including our beloved "x:Enders". I was excited to hear what "Re-Frain." would sounds like, and they r GOOD! I'll be looking forward to have u guys in our show someday.^^

How to N.O.T miss performing at a gig on a snowing day by LOCUS

On a snowing day, I would very much like to be a couch potato being roasted by the fireplace with the television on and watching Home Alone 2 and pretend I'm still 10 years old.

But no, not this past Monday night Dec the 14th. Jason, Kelvin and I had a very adventurious day and it felt like we traveled across the Atlantic ocean and back. To make it easier, I have sorted out our very eventful day in a timeline. Our goal was to make it alive and well with all our equipments to the Solace Music Nation show at The Tipper on 2066 Kingsway on the first snowing day this year. To make matters more adventurious, the whole thing started the night before.

Sunday Dec 13th

7:00pm

- It suddenly dawned on us that it will snow on our show night!!!!!!!!We had to figure out how to get to the venue with A.L.L our equipments but without driving in the snow. ( ......we are city people, we don't do snow tires.......)

11:00pm

- Jason and I decided to pack everything ( a car full of guitar, keyboard, stands and . . stuff) and move them to the venue at 8am in the morning, before the snow starts at 4pm in the afternoon.

Monday Dec 14th

6:00am

- Jason got up and packed and double checked we have everything.

- I just got up, and looking very miserable, and raced down hwy 1 to get to Jason's place at 7am

7am

-loaded everything to the car

8am

- unloaded everything at the venue

9am -3pm

- while Jason and Kelvin were working very hard at their job, I hibernated on the couch next to the fireplace

5:00pm

-met Jason and Kelvin in dt by public transit, and began our journey from dt to the venue at the corner of Victoria and Kingsway : The Review Room @ The Tipper 2066 Kingsway, Van.

5:01pm

- it suddenly dawned on us that this is the first time we ever took public transit to perform at a show.......

5:25pm

- arrived at Nanimo skytrain station and pray to God our #25 bus arrives on time because we were in the danger of becoming 3 ice statues as warning to other musicians to not to take public transit on a freezing snowing day. ( We were in our nice performance clothes. . . they tend to be. . thin . . .)

5:30pm

- arrived at the venue safe and sound, just. . couldn't feel all 10 toes, otherwise we were very much alive.

All in all, we had alot of fun performing at The Tipper and got to meet some great musicians like Gina Lily and Owen Lloyd Williams. And I got to try their very delicious Apple pie :) It's definitely all worth it at the end :)

And!!!!! THANK YOU JEREMY FOR PICKING US UP AND SAVING OUR LIVES!!!!!! WE LOVE YOU XOXOXOXOXO!!!!!!!

with love,

Kaila

A trip to EMP

Yes, you've read correctly.

"A trip to EMP".

I was quite surprised myself when I first saw the big banner in the Seattle Center with the letters "EMP". But no, this is not the Epic Marble Project that's been sneaking around in the Vancouver music scene hosting band shows, it's the Experience Music Project! The Experience Music Project is a museum in Seattle dedicated to music. With exhibitions of rare artifacts from legendary rock bands, such as Nirvana or Jimi Hendrix (no surprise, really), booths that allow you to play with different instruments, and an educational component that teaches you the essence of most music genres, EMP is a great location for you to expand your music knowledge.

It seems like you can watch live shows here as well, and collect goods that are only available at EMP, but I guess I will save that for my next trip, as I was only able to look around the museum for a short hour. I really enjoyed the section where you are able to learn how to play the drums, as I cannot play the drums at all. The effector section where you can play around with the effect pedals were nice as well, except I felt that it could be expanded much more as it was limited to 4 effects. Personally, I felt that we should be able to use effectors of various brands, as it would save our time in going to the music shop and testing out various effects ourselves.

If you really enjoy music and feel like you want to learn more about its history, or if you simply want to learn how to jam, EMP is a great location to get you started!

This really falls off topic, but there is something I must mention!
After a walk around the Pike Place Market, picked up a few books from Kinokuniya Bookstore that's located inside the Uwajimaya (a giant Japanese superstore), and strolled around Starbucks, I came across a great Mexican restaurant that I really really really need to write about. It was on the way home from Seattle, and I was really hungry so I decided to pick up something to eat. I didn't have a mood for any particular type of food at that time... I just wanted to stuff myself with anything that I could find so I walked into this random Mexican restaurant by the name Gorditos.

I got myself a wet steak burrito, thinking it would be one of those small burritos you get at those fast food restaurants. But hola! When the food was delivered to our table, I actually thought the waiter mistook the order with lasagna or something.....














It was HUGE!
The burrito was literally stuffed with chopped up beef steak, Mexican rice, beans, and tomatoes. As you can see, it's also topped with cheese and sour cream as well, which really blended in well with the other ingredients in the burrito.
The meal also came with nachos and salsa. I have to admit this is one of the best burritos I've had in my life! XD
Check it out at: http://gorditoshealthymexicanfood.com/


DAIZO

Music Otaku orz...

Hi everyone,

This is Jeremy writing here :)

Reading the previous entry, I feel very honored to have Daizo's recognition. I must point out, however, it is not too hard to follow instructions and do what you're told to do :P Actually, it is extremely difficult to be a leader and get the wheels turning. For that, I honestly believe that Daizo is our true benefactor, and I am very lucky to have the opportunity to work with him.

I must apologize for my recent absence. University has finally taken its toll on me, and I have just learned how "a mountain pile of homework" is not a metaphor, but a physical fact lol. A lot of people have asked me, "so you don't have time for music anymore?", I have to say that's not exactly true. Since I am studying music at school, it is actually quite the opposite. I have a "mountain worth" of music studying and practices to do!

Anyways, it's good to see this blog as a new expansion to our network. I hope to write some more interesting entries in the future. There's just...not much life to a nerd hahaha :P Well~not unless you want to hear about my recent exciting discoveries in music theory!

JEREMY

How it all started...

Every day was a race for us, when EPIC MARBLE PROJECT first came to being, back in the summer of 2008.
It all began from a little conversation on MSN Messenger, while Jeremy and I were discussing the Moo-ve Reunion show.
Ever since I had met Jeremy, I was fascinated by his event hosting skills.
He was not only very coordinated, but he also focused on little details that were necessary in making the shows a success.

At that time, I was the president of a club in Simon Fraser University, but I felt that there were a lot of things I could learn from him.
I felt that the direction he was heading was very similar to mine, and that working with him would be very inspirational.
As a matter of fact, it was.
At our second discussion over dinner, we formulated a plot to host a rock festival here in Vancouver.
This is also the time Jeremy suggested making an event organization team, which is the EPIC MARBLE PROJECT we have here today, and the recruitment of Kaila from LOCUS.

After the three of us got together, we were able to meet and recruit exceptional talents including Gigi, Kaz, Cynthia, Sammy, Dennis, Robin, Horace, Dale, Alex and many others who have supported us.
It's surprising how time passes by so quickly as a year has already passed, and we are working towards our seventh event next year....
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you, and to assure you that our goal is not far. Thanks!

DAIZO

Hitting downtown on a night of all that jazz^^

Imagine on a cozy not too cold, barely rainy Tuesday night, hanging out with friends in Downtown Vancouver Denman street, having a casual dinner at the very modern yet vintage "Legendary Noodles", and then attended a 8:30pm Jazz and casual plug in night at the hip and chic "Central Bistro", drinking martinis and largers and spending the night being at ease . And that was exactly what Jason and I did this Tues, and had tons of fun. Tons :) Who said entertainment has to wait until the weekends ^^

Where:

Central Bistro on Denman Street

Who:

The talented Tara C Taylor, the sweetheart Kacie Wallace, the rocker Hazen Rice, the glamour diva Matthew Presidente & Special Guest, the hearttrob Matthew Mai

What:

Every Tuesday night Ms. Tara C Taylor and her beautiful musician friends Matthew Presidente, Kacie Wallace and Hazen Rice performs both covers and original songs to audiences at Centro Bistro. For more info: http://www.facebook.com/#/group.php?gid=198294909776&ref=mf

KAILA

It Might Get Loud

A documentary closed-up on three guitar virtuosos from three different bands, three different generations, with three different sounds is the catch of the movie - It Might Get Loud.
Featuring guitarists: The Edge, Jack White and Jimmy Page, the movie rolls on with talk sessions, footages of their past, and close-ups on how they developed their sound and why they sound the way they do today.

The concept really appealed to me. As soon as I watched the trailer, I had this urge to see it, so I took some "precious" time off working on my compositions (it's not an excuse! believe me!) and rushing to the nearest theatre. As I was waiting, my anticipation and adrenaline level was elevating like a thermometer dropped in magma, but I tried to keep it cool as the clock ticked away. However, even though it was past showtime, the theatre lights were still low, and the doors were locked shut. A lady behind me lost her patience and called the phone number on the door of the theatre and after several rings, a man (probably the owner) finally picked up.
My mouth gaped wide open when I heard the lady tell us that the reason for the owner's absence was.... well..... because he was caught in traffic.....
Very "rock star"... that's all I can say.

Anyway, the movie was spectacular. It didn't have that dull, geeky feel that some documentaries have (not that I'm against documentaries or anything) because it was easy to understand for those who weren't familiar with their music and it wasn't a collection of old footage. It was also very delightful how they had mini-sessions, because it's not something that happens very often, and it's very unlikely that it will happen again. I was amazed that their sounds didn't clash despite their differences in characteristics, and instead, blended in beautifully. Moreover, it was great when they talked of pedals because that's one of my biggest fascinations =)

The conversations amongst the three were very inspiring; they talked of their philosophies and how they felt about being an artist. Personally, I felt that their comment about "having the music lead themselves" was really interesting. It never really occurred to me to have the compositions compose on their own. This really helped me with my composition.
Thank god. Urr... guitar god.

Ultimately, what I got from this movie was that success is not really the goal of music, but more of a checkpoint. Jimmy Page, Jack White and The Edge were all very hungry about their music and they were really ambitious about developing their sound. It really made sense to me why they continue to play music despite their successes and why they continue to be successful. It's simple.
It's because they're always eager to make something new and not just more cash for their pockets.

It was also very nice to see Jimmy Page. He's STILL really cool.

DAIZO

First Post!

It's great to hear local talents being active in the music scene, and it's certainly my honor to be able to introduce them.

Epic Marble Blog is a journal written by members of Epic Marble Project, which will feature interviews with artists, review discs/lives, and inform on the latest news in the scene.... as well as reviewing favorite restaurants (we all like food), talking about our favorite movies, and writing about funky occurrences in our daily lives....
In other words, it's a blog XD

Anyways, I would like to start our first entry by introducing a sensational pop/electronic band that has been one of the leading bands in the Vancouver music scene - Locus! With their fresh new maxi-single, Shine, the band unveils their new direction by producing the CD entirely by themselves. All tracks are written, recorded and mastered by the band alone, showing their exceptional talents as creators, and not just performers.

The feature track, Shooting Star, is a dramatic and warm ballad that blends the beautiful acoustic sound of the piano and guitar, with the cool and engulfing electronic sound of the keyboard.
Packaged with everything that is Locus, the single is a delightful reward for hardcore fans, and a great sampler for those who have yet to hear their music.
Simply put, Shine is another classic from Locus that cannot be missed.

DAIZO


LOCUS - SHINE
Release Date: November 14, 2009

1. 冰園
2. 流星 (Single Edit)
3. Shine (Mind Over Rapture Remix)
4. 向日葵 (Sunflower)
5. Amber Rain

http://locus.anniegroup.com

Order your copies from locus@anniegroup.com or download from http://www.nimbitmusic.com/locus