I can't stop using doodlekids

Last night I found myself up at 2am obsessively making pictures using a combination of photoshop, pokemon and doodlekids. my wrists were hurting from using the keyboard and I was falling asleep. Why? I think I have an addiction to doodlekids.
Doodlekids is an app on the iphone which paints a different shape with every touch. if you hold your finger down and paint you get scattered lines of the same shape, in different colours. It's just a perfect combination of pretty and unpredictable to keep you experimenting. Here are some of my early doodles.

Then I discovered that you can doodle over photos. So this opened up a world of possibilities. First I had a go at using the stills from a Stan Brackhage animation that I had already saved for backgrounds etc.

Then I had a go at combining it with screenshots of other apps, my favourites are from combining it with 'ps mobile' 'planets' app and with 'ibeams lite'.

After that I started trying out putting the images into photoshop at different stages and combining them with underwater screenshots from my pokemon sapphire game on the VBA. Here is a progression of a few things I tried with this image.

And here I used one of the earlier photos, cutting lots of holes in the layers to let the shapes show through

Finally here's my favourite, combining the opening of pokemon sapphire, a photo of me at a festival and of course doodlekids. I call it 'step into laptopland'!

Connan Mockasin

This is Important at The Camp, Old Street.

I got to the gig quite late so I caught about half of what must have been Blue on Blue's set. The first thing I noticed was it was bloody loud, but the music was alright. the bassist had a really ridiculous haircut which was the most amusing thing. After I sneaked my beer outside past the knob of a bouncer and waited for connan to play.
The only disappointing aspect of connan's set was that it finished too soon. I can't remember all the songs but forever dolphin love was there, and Egon - which has a new arrangement that I really enjoyed. There was a bit of feedback which he got upset about but it didn't matter at all. Also the bassist was apparently a last minute replacement but you really couldn't tell.

For anyone who hasn't heard of him before Connan Mockasin is a small new zealander with a blonde mop of hair (which is surprisingly soft) whose music is described as alternative / japanese pop / showtunes but I think thats a little misleading. he's also totally adorable and super friendly.
his songs seem to be mostly about private jokes, or his cat, or stuff that generally doesn't make much sense. he also does lots of drawings and paintings which are usually disturbing. That's a really bad summary so just watch this for a better idea.




Connan's sound has really changed over the past 2 years that i've been listening, originally it had a brighter, more raw sorta sound and he used to use a sqeaky singing voice. Check out sneaky sneaky dogfriend to see what I mean




Nowadays there's these waves of basslines and percussion and cowbells that makes it way more psychedelic. Its more professional sounding to be honest. I couldn't say which style I prefered although I think his new style live is fantastic because you get all the bass-y vibrations. Here's megumi the milky way above



I think if he'd gone on for longer we'd have got some of his trademark audience involvement; he'd have got off the stage and had a walk around while singing or told us all to sit on the floor like he did at his album launch.

The art projections were kind of interesting, there was one of a woman in heels walking over and over some material, and ping pong onto van gogh pictures, and something else..

I've been to a gig by myself before but for some reason this time was way more awkward, I may put it down to the layout of the club - the audience also make up the only route to the bar so its harder to mind your own business. but the seating area is good, some proper sofas.
Anyway I missed the DJ bits wandering around looking for people, but we went back to their place and met some really interesting people and played that game where you draw parts of a person and fold it over. there was some pretty hilarious dancing going on. i also got some free pants so all in all a good evening.

Lois and I walked to hoxton station at 6 in the pouring rain but it was sort of refreshing, then some guy asked us to take a picture of him naked which I thought was an imaginative way of being creepy
SO basically the point is connans great and you should all go see him and/or spend all your money on his album.
One last thing, this is probably my favourite song but he doesn't play it any more.
OVER AND OUT