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JUGGLING ACT

Max and Ari, the duo behind Oakland Surf Club, have quietly turned OSC into one of the Bay’s most eclectic retail destinations, curating everything from gear and boards, to vinyl and fine art–all while balancing a budding business with a new marriage and a brand new baby girl.

FAR FUCKIN’ OUT

Isis Aquarius remembers her days inside the early 70's spiritual commune known as The Source Family

May 15, 2013 by Max Gibson

The year was 1970. The chaos, freedom, turmoil and liberation of the ‘60s had yet to subside, seeping into a new decade that had yet to be defined. In the midst of war abroad and the struggle for civil rights at home, American society was in flux, with many left searching for answers.

Out of this landscape, The Source Family was born. Founded on a synthesis of spiritual beliefs and ancient religions, the Family was the brainchild of one man; his name was Jim Baker. A World War II veteran, turned martial arts expert, turned restaurant entrepreneur, Jim Baker the man was both famous and infamous. After being acquitted of murder for killing a man with his bare hands after an altercation with a neighbor turned physical, the onetime bodybuilding champion turned to health food, establishing one of Los Angeles’ premier organic, vegetarian dining destinations in the form of The Source Family Restaurant. From the health-conscious ethos that characterized Baker’s eatery, The Source Family was spawned.

Embarking upon a spiritual quest that consumed him for years, Jim Baker immersed himself in the metaphysical world, studying the teachings of any and every known Western and Eastern tradition, secret society, or metaphysical source he could find. After numerous encounters with the known spiritual leader Yogi Bhajan, Jim Baker found a new pursuit that would not only consume him, but transform him forever, into what many considered to be a spiritually enlightened being in human form. Following this transformation, Jim Baker was no more, and in his place was Father Yod. Birthing The Source Family soon after his transformation, he would go on to create his own self-sustaining commune; wholly spiritual, unwaveringly loving, and unimaginably wealthy.

The Source Family grew quickly, attracting those searching for answers while garnering widespread acclaim for their forward thinking restaurant and idiosyncratic leader. One woman at the center of the family was Charlene Peters, better known as Isis Aquarius, who served as the family’s chief historian and archivist. Collecting numerous artifacts from the family’s archives, she remains one of the prevailing individuals still preserving The Source Family’s legacy. As one of Father Yod’s 13 wives, she was intimate with the leader, digesting much of his guidance and teachings. On the heels of the release of The Source Family’s feature length documentary, we spoke with Isis about her experience in the family, shedding light on one of the ’70s most legendary spiritual communes.

• • •

Read our full interview with Isis Aquarius here

May 15, 2013 BY Max Gibson
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THE CONSEQUENCE OF FILTER BUBBLES

How the internet shows us what it thinks we want to see

May 14, 2013 by Max Gibson
THE CONSEQUENCE OF FILTER BUBBLES

Filter Bubbles

It was back in 2011 when Twill first introduced me to the influence of Filter Bubbles. And it was internet activist and web enthusiast Eli Pariser who introduced the idea to him, through a TED talk based on his bestselling book The Filter Bubble. When we first spoke on the topic my pops said it was the most important issue we’ve ever touched on, yet for many, the consequences of Filter Bubbles have yet to be acknowledged.

Although the advent of the internet has provided us with unprecedented access to information, for many, personalized filters placed upon what we see, and don’t see, have changed the internet in a very drastic way. Perhaps we should start with Google, or shall I say, God. The all-knowing, omnipotent entity that I go to for nearly any question I have about the world. While we’re led to believe that the search results we receive for any topic are the same, no matter who, or where we are, this unfortunately couldn’t be further from the truth.

May 14, 2013 BY Max Gibson
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SEE AS YOU SEE

Photographer Alexis Vasilikos separates ego out of his art, and lets the images speak for themselves

May 13, 2013 by Will Bundy

Alexis Vasilikos

“There is a seeing which doesn’t see objects. It doesn’t see thisness and thatness. It is pure. It doesn’t come from thought or intention. This is why it has the power to bypass the mind, and speak directly into the heart of being.”

It’s not every photographer I’ve interviewed that elects to send over a collection of personal, philosophical meditations with his work. The longest of the bunch is above, but most of the brief notes Alexis Vasilikos supplied were no longer than a line or two, taking on the air of a tossed-off poetic observation, and yet gesturing toward the kind of question you could sit and contemplate for years. His photography can feel the same way. Alexis’ images capture these subtly serendipitous moments, fragmentary glimpses of everyday life that seem to hint at something bigger: a funny juxtaposition, an expression, maybe just the way a shadow strikes an object.

There’s something very deliberate in Alexis’ presentation too. His website consists of ten collections, pristinely laid out and accompanied only by vague, open-ended titles like swimming in the wind or back to nothing. No artist bio, no background info, nothing to take in but the images themselves. It’s that sense of mystery that gives the photographs so much power. Free from outside context, Alexis’ work allows your imagination to wander, to ruminate on whatever feeling you pull out of the image itself, rather than searching for something external to it. Later on, Alexis gave me a bit more context–about places he’d been, and things he’d learned in his seventeen years behind the lens. Whether the context is necessary is still up for debate, and given what you know already, I’d suggest digging in to Alex’s archives here first. At the very least though, our conversation offered a chance to dig a bit beyond the surface of those gorgeous shots.

May 13, 2013 BY Will Bundy
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WELCOME TO WILDCAT

Kahlil Joseph's FlyLo-scored short film explores a little known pocket of American culture

May 10, 2013 by Will Bundy
WELCOME TO WILDCAT

Wildcat

“Wildcat is a state of mind; an experiment inspired by the composition and performance of jazz music. The characters that populate this world are actual–cowboys; and envisioned–angels. The town they all inhabit is real–Grayson, Oklahoma.”

It seems like there are still a precious few places in America where it feels like time stands still. I haven’t been to too many of them, but it’s an eerie feeling when you find one. And somehow, those lively urban centers where I’ve spent most of my days don’t always feel quite so full of possibility. It gives me this real sense of wonder about those isolated pockets of culture –that feeling of mystery that used to be such an essential feature of exploring unfamiliar parts of the country.

For Wildcat, Kahlil Joseph zeroes in on a subculture not often documented. Grayson, Oklahoma (known once upon a time as Wildcat), boasted a population of 134 at the time of the last census, and is home to a time-honored black rodeo tradition. Following the pattern of his short film work with Shabazz Palaces and Flying Lotus, Wildcat is steeped in surrealist beauty, pairing documentary footage with a gorgeous, dreamlike soundtrack from FlyLo himself. The seven-minute short is the latest in a string of phenomenal, meditative work from Joseph, and another reminder of his promising vision. Simply put, Joseph’s films take you somewhere else.

May 10, 2013 BY Will Bundy
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Fuck Yeah Namio Harukawa

Some feelings about rape and "femdom erotica"

May 9, 2013 by Danielle Schnur

Namio Harukawa

First of all, fuck rape. I feel like rape cases have been getting a lot of press lately. So fuck the controversy but seriously, fuck the concept. Fuck the fact that somewhere down the line, man realized that they could physically dominate and sexually force themselves upon their own kind. Fuck the systems in play, be they familial or otherwise, that don’t have the mechanisms or strategies to teach our young men to respect others, or young women to respect themselves. Fuck power-tripping neighbors, uncles, and teachers. Fuck that all my friends have to carry pepper spray. Fuck creepers at the gym. Fuck it all. And fuck that I can’t do anything about it. But, fortunately, because I’m so damn self realized, and don’t just stick my dick into any passed out shit at a frat party because I feel insecure, I take this anger and use it productively. I use it to feel proud of being a woman. I use it to love women, love sex, and love myself, fervently and as best I can.

Now, I don’t know if that’s what Namio Harukawa has in mind when he creates his pieces, but that’s how they make me feel. The Japanese “femdom erotica” artist is best known for his drawings of thick ass women dominating the fuck out of small ass dudes. Harukawa’s images feature consensual sexual acts in which he typically depicts large women sitting on the faces of their petite male counterparts, looking incredibly indifferent. Though Harukawa illustrates women of all races, his subjects are predominantly Asian as represented through their facial features and physical props. And I don’t know if this is his intention either, but I love the fact that Harukawa is seriously flipping the female Asian stereotype on its head here. Where Asian women, too often unfairly and grossly characterized by small frames and a docile nature, are devouring dudes with their massive cakes. Harukawa’s work depicts men in submissive roles as subjects of dominatrix play, and therefore I don’t find that the pieces evoke a sentiment of rape. And I also don’t feel that the injustices of the world would be righted if things were just reversed. Simply put, seeing an image of a huge woman getting her ass ate with the utmost devotion while she apathetically smokes a cigarette just soothes my angry heart. Maybe you’ll disagree. Take a look.

May 9, 2013 BY Danielle Schnur
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THUNDERCAT – “OH SHIET IT’S X”

An unreasonably groovy ode to having fun synthetically

May 9, 2013 by Will Bundy
THUNDERCAT – “OH SHIET IT’S X”

Thundercat

I think I sweat through everything I had on the first time I saw Thundercat. I know I accidentally knocked D Nash on her ass on the way in. Okay, so I was faded, but that shit was groovy. Like a magic in the air, this feels important kind of night. When Steven Bruner, now known across the indie universe as Thundercat, strolled out of The Echo–decked out in skintight, glossy gold pants and his trademark headdress–he looked a litte dazed, overwhelmed even. It was, after all, one of his first solo gigs–an album release party-turned-mindfucking, complete with Badu and FlyLo DJ sets, insane bass noodling, and a healthy dose of space age funk.

A year and a half later, The Golden Age of Apocalypse has long sinced graduated to mainstay status in my collection, soundtracking both contemplative moments and all out jam seshes. In the meantime, though, TC’s had time to craft his Brainfeeder followup, due out . If lead single “Heartbreaks + Setbacks” falls into the former category, “Oh Shiet It’s X”, is likely to fall into the latter, chronicling a night spent ingesting, and promptly rolling balls. “X” is vintage, squelchy funk turned ravey, a kaleidoscopic trip built firmly on irresistable groove. Pop a pill to it. Don’t. Dance yourself clean. Do what you want. But do hit play, and see what happens to your seratonin levels.


Download: Thundercat – “Oh Sheit It’s X”

May 9, 2013 BY Will Bundy
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HUNTING HONEY

Eric Valli travels to Nepal to capture honey hunters 15,000 feet into the air

May 8, 2013 by Max Gibson

Eric Valli Honey Hunters
Photography by Eric Valli

In 1987, French photographer and cultural documentarian Eric Valli traveled to the cliffs of the Himalayas to capture the Himalayan Gurung men’s harrowing journey to gather honey. Nestled high up in the foothills of this mountain locale lies the habitat of the rarified Himalayan honey bee, the world’s largest bee, and the producer of Asia’s most highly sought-after honey. Building their nests anywhere from 8,200 to 15,000 feet into the air, each nest can contain as much as 130 pounds of honey, with different types available at varying altitudes.

Making use of rope ladders and baskets, the men climb into the cliffs to gather honey that sells for five times the amount of other honeys throughout Asia. The hunters then secure ladders at the top of the cliff, before dropping down ropes to a lower base where a fire is lit to smoke the bees out of their nests. Once deserted, the hunters descend upon the nests, cutting away the honeycomb in chunks. Capturing a time-honored tradition in Nepal, Eric’s photographs offer a fascinating glimpse of a practice that’s supported Nepalese communities for generations.

May 8, 2013 BY Max Gibson
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Chance the Rapper – “Chain Smoker”

Chicago's youthful rap landscape finds another promising voice

May 7, 2013 by Ben D-L
Chance the Rapper – “Chain Smoker”

Chicago has been in the news quite a lot in the past year. A year ago, folks all over the country were simultaneously fascinated and horrified by a 16 year-old rapper, whose intensely violent music reflected the realities of a city in which 508 people were murdered in 2012, and teenagers find themselves stuck at the center of the violence. But out of all that negative press and glorification, Chicago’s seemingly endless pool of talented rappers have managed to create a scene full of opportunities. Chief Keef and GBE have all signed deals, vets like King Louie are finally getting the recognition they deserve, and rappers on the more alternative side of things like Tree and Chance the Rapper now have the internet buzzing.

Chance’s first project, 10 Day, inspired by a ten day suspension from high school, found the then-18 year-old rapping about typical teenage preoccupations like drugs, school, and girls with remarkable virtuosity and maturity. His latest effort, Acid Rap, has made the Southside Chicago native nearly impossible to ignore. With off-kilter vocal inflections and a sing-songy delivery, the Kendrick Lamar comparisons are kind of inevitable. Like Kendrick, Chance seems to have found that difficult balance between substance and slap, managing to slip effortlessly between classic boom-bap and 808 slappers without sacrificing any lyricism. With that being said, it’s hard not to come off a little corny at times when you’re making music geared to appeal to such a wide variety of people–or, say, trying to bridge the gap between shoutouts to trap kings like Chief Keef and Fat Trel, and Childish Gambino features over the course of a few songs. But it’s somewhere between tracks like “Cocoa Butter Kisses”, and the one featured below when you realize that it’s hardly just internet hype; Chance is a seriously talented dude.


Download: Chance the Rapper – “Chain Smoker”

May 7, 2013 BY Ben D-L
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JUGGLING ACT

A budding business, a new marriage, and a baby girl: short work for Max and Ari of Oakland Surf Club

May 6, 2013 by Max Gibson
LCrewWine&Bowties001

Oakland Surf Club
Photography By Lauren Crew

Starting a business isn’t easy. Raising a child isn’t either. The first words I heard inside the doors of Oakland Surf Club were barely audible. They came from the voice of Coco, the glowing creation of shop owners Max Klineman and Ari Serrano-Embree, and the OSC’s beloved shop baby. From Coco’s blue stripped blouse and polka dot leggings, to the vibrant array of men’s and womenswear pieces lining the walls of their Downtown Oakland boutique, the couple’s aesthetic synergy is constantly on display.

The first floor of OSC boasts an eclectic selection of the things Max and Ari love–from Mara Hoffman swimwear and Tepsic magazines, to art books, Madlib vinyl and skin care products from Baxter. Meanwhile, the second floor functions as a gallery space, playing host to a number of local artists, most recently Paul Solis. Through those two outlets, OSC has managed to celebrate art, culture and commerce while cultivating their own community of like-minded and creative individuals. It’s really something to be seen, especially considering the fact that the couple met, got married, opened a store and had a baby in the span of four years.

Passing the seven-month-old Coco back and forth, while taking turns answering questions, Max and Ari took some time to touch on the origins of Oakland Surf Club. Opening up about their approach to retail, the benefits of brick and mortar, and the importance of family, among other things, our conversation shed light upon one shop at the forefront of revitalizing Oakland’s retail landscape.

• • •

Read our full interview with Max and Ari here

May 6, 2013 BY Max Gibson
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