Miami’s Hidden Art Cave

I got to the Margulies warehouse and walked through the artworks in silence, taking everything in. A blown up, Willem de Kooning sculpture greeted you by the entrance. In a corner, hidden behind a staircase, stood perhaps the loudest of the works featured in the collection. However, this noise was not sonic, but visual. It transmitted nothing short of an underground club vibe, with light coming out through the slits of the staircase. The whole space was lit by neon pink light. Dazzled, I noticed that in addition to the neon lights, there were ceramic figures of donkeys on the shelves. I later found out that there were exactly sixty-nine. If sexual innuendos could be materialized into a three-dimensional figure, they would come to life in this sculpture.

Moreover, possibly the best experience I had and what I will remember the most of the collection was the outdoor installation by Olafur Eliasson, “Your now is my surroundings”, since it invited all of the class to participate and be a part of the work. A narrow space covered with mirrors, it generated an effect of endless reflections. By raising your hands, you could see thousands of replicas in the background. Everyone was involved in the work and, through it, we became a part of each other’s surroundings.

The Margulies collection at the WAREhOUSE is located at 591 NW 27th St, Miami, FL 33127.

On the Spotlight // JAWS

JAWS is an English up-and-coming indie band with pop, synth and alternative rock vibes. Although they may still be lacking a defined musical identity, they have definitely matured both musically and lyrically since their previous album, Be Slowly. Stay In was a good introduction into JAWS, but I would recommend listening first to Think Too Much, Feel Too Little. Its smooth bass lines take centerfield and Schofield’s vocals inflict a sort of nostalgia and longing that will nevertheless keep you coming back for more.

PROFILE:

Artist: JAWS

Hometown: Birmingham, England

Genre: Indiepop

Band Members:

Connor Schofield (Vocals)

Alex Hudson (Guitars)

Eddy Geach (Drums)

Jake Cooper (Bass)

Latest Album: Simplicity

MY TOP 5:

1. Think Too Much, Feel Too Little
2. Stay In
3. Right in Front of Me
4. Gold
5. What We Haven’t Got Yet

 

Courtesy of Wikipedia.com

 

Le Parc Through the Looking Glass

Visiting Julio Le Parc’s Form into Action exhibition at the PAMM once was not enough, which is why I enjoyed viewing it again two more times. Le Parc hit close to home. An influential figure in kinetic art, some of the artworks reminded me of Jesus Soto’s works. When I was younger, every time I would go through the Francisco Fajardo highway in Caracas, I would see Soto’s “La Esfera” and my parents would tell my brother and me about the kinetic art movement. Soto also has “Penetrable BBL Blue 2/8” installed outside which, much like Le Parc’s art, invites viewers to step in and become a part of the work.

That was, perhaps, what I liked the most of Le Parc’s art. It encourages, or even obliges, the viewer to participate and engage in the piece, thus becoming a part of the art. Although I visited the exhibition more than once, it was never the same experience or appreciation of the works. The works aren’t static; they change with time, their surrounding environment and the viewer. They are a challenge to the preconceptions of what art should be. Le Parc empowers the viewer and, in the process, breaks down the barriers between art and spectator.

The collection features over 100 works produced by Le Parc between 1958 and 2013, which vary in medium, shapes and sizes.

Le Parc: Form into Action is exhibited at the Perez Art Museum Miami in Miami, FL from Nov. 18 2016 until March 19, 2017.

 

On the Spotlight // Manganas Garden

Manganas Garden is an up-and-coming band that I stumbled into one night on Youtube. “Slow It Down”, the first song of theirs I heard, had me floored. It introduced me to the rest of their songs on Solar Satisfaction, which continued to charm me. The Gothenburg natives produce music that blends disco-funk with indie-pop to create a modern funk groove that does not seem retrospective, like much of disco music nowadays. Instead, it brings to the table an element of soul that is unique to Manganas Garden and that differentiates them from the rest of the bands attempting to join the modern disco wave.

PROFILE

Artist: Manganas Garden

Hometown: Gothenburg, Sweden

Genre: Discofunk – Indiepop

Band Members: Tom Serner (Vocals)
Axel Agervi (Guitar/Piano/Vocals)
Melker Petterson (Guitar)
Oliver Ganslandt (Bass/Vocals)
Gustav Hyllstam (Drums/Vocals)

Latest Album: Solar Satisfaction

MY TOP 5:

1. Day by Day
2. Slow It Down
3. Electricity
4. Get You Up
5. In The Mood

Courtesy of nudiscoyourdisco.com

March ’17 Favs

March has apparently been a month that has centered a lot on funk vibes and jam-session alternatives (i.e. Covered in Rain). Although the songs on this list are never in any particular order, the first one is always the one that I have listened to the most.

1. John Mayer – Still Feel Like Your Man

The quintessential breakup song revamped. John Mayer returns to the music scene after a four-year hiatus with a distinct sound that is more similar to his earlier Continuum years than to his previous album, Paradise Valley. Still Feel Like Your Man incorporates Mayer’s traditional blues guitar style mixed in with some pop sounds. This song, along with Moving On and Getting Over seems to be a perfect example of the artist’s new pop-funk style, and his effortless guitar riffs have earned him a spot on the Great Guitarists train.

2. Calvin Harris ft. Frank Ocean, Migos – Slide
3. John Mayer – Covered in Rain
4. Ruby Empress – Deluca
5. John Mayer – Moving On and Getting Over
6. Milky Chance ft. Izzy Bizu – Bad Things
7. Manganas Garden – Get You Up
8. Kings of Leon – Over
9. Milky Chance – Clouds
10. Young the Giant – Silvertongue
11. Coldplay – Hypnotised
12. Foals – Birch Tree
13. The Magic Beans – As You Like It
14. JAWS – Think Too Much Feel Too Little

 

W e l c o m e

Music is magic in its purest form

Welcome! By now, you’ve stumbled into OVRHYPD, a music hub that celebrates up and coming musicians as well as more established artists. This is the place where you’ll be able to discover alternatives to the mainstream songs that invade our radio stations 24/7, so that your musical taste and library can continue to grow and hone. You’ll be the person with the new songs that nobody has ever heard about before.

I wanted to do this because of my love for music, and my constant need to be on the know for new releases and the rediscovering of old-timers. That is why you’ll find a little bit of everything in here. However, I did not want to limit this outlet only to music, which is why you’ll occasionally find posts on other stuff. You’ll see them soon.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Ella x