I AM A LASER!

Kraddy :: Android Porn Remixes

Double You — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:45:38 +0000

If glitched out electronic music had a top 40, Kraddy’s “Android Porn” would be one of its chart toppers. But, since no system like that exits (and if it did, no one would pay attention to it because we’re rebels after all), the Android Porn Remixes EP, available now through Equinox Records, gives a “Grammy” like nod to this classic track five times over with the talents of Si Beg, Mochipet, Fulgeance, Playpad, Geste at the helm. Check it.

[See post to listen to audio -yes thatz right! -go to http://iamalaser.com]

Mimosa :: Psychedelic Stereo

Double You — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:07:00 +0000

This guy knows how to rock! See him live and you will catch the buzz. Until then, Mimosa treats us to another EP released through Muti Music. Get it now on Addictech or everywhere March 16th, 2010. Thought I’d give this enjoyable four track adventure a review below. Dose your personal sound system with Psychedelic Stereo!

Psychedelic Stereo

[See post to listen to audio -yes thatz right! -go to http://iamalaser.com]
What a nice little sonic ecosystem we have here. Almost accordion like melodies bouncing about and then the warning klaxon sounds –slap bang, you got a jungle of bass throbbing in place. Pick up your feet, Mimosa’s got your Psychedelic Stereo treat!

Pandora

Fat melodic rocking bass beats are his signature, but that dang klaxon, so synonymous with dub based music, makes it’s appearance here again. But it’s Mimosa music, so pay attention. Ignition keys to your hover craft jeep, beep beep!

Keys to the City

[See post to listen to audio -yes thatz right! -go to http://iamalaser.com]
There is something so mid 90’s Ibiza for me about this track, could be the crackle of the record in the background –but I LOVE IT! Special sweeping pad sounds that color the sky pink with intelligent awareness. Come on “get your freak on” human animals. Dance about with a stick of incense in your mouth!

Julia’s Labyrinth

Again, I feel old Europe here. Birds sing in the trees along a Parisian sidewalk landscape. Sip your absinthe and enjoy some abstract impressionism with this one. Bouncy!

Live March 11th @Club Nokia

Double You — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:07:04 +0000

It gets better and better every time. Wild animals, live artists, crazy videos, dope beats and You! I AM A LASER, together with The Service Company (Destroy LA), is LIVE again on MARCH 11th 2010 with its fifth “Night of Future Culture” held at Club Nokia’s Mezzanine Bar in downtown Los Angeles! This music driven showcase happens every second Thursday of the month in conjunction with the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk event.

$5 With RSVP – $10 Without :: Email rsvp@iamalaser.com to get your ass on the list. Please give us full names and the full names of any guests you wish to include.

Performing LIVE March 11th:

Ruckazoid x Diamond Zoidal

myspace.com/ruckazoid
myspace.com/diamondzoidal

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St Andrew

myspace.com/0standrew0

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Teebs

myspace.com/teeeb

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L.Croskey

lcroskeyart.com

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LIVE ARTWORK

As a continuation of the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk we will have the fabulous and talented artists Steven Lopez and John Park of Cannibal Flower along with Radhika Hersey from Temple of Visions doing live painting throughout the evening.
Steven Lopez: http://ikeepmoving.com/
Radhika Hersey: http://www.myspace.com/radhikahersey
Cannibal Flower: http://www.cannibalflower.com/
Downtown LA Art Walk: http://downtownartwalk.com/

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Roving photography and random documentation by Curious Josh. See past party photos here: http://www.curiousjosh.com/g1/iamalaser-i-am-a-laser-february

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CLUB NOKIA LOCATION & PARKING

Entrance to I AM A LASER @ Club Nokia is $10 and is 21+. Club Nokia is located in downtown Los Angeles at 800 W. Olympic Street; enter on Figueroa Street across from the Holiday Inn

Click here for parking information: http://clubnokia.com/parking.php

Alice & The White Hair

Double You — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 01:29:24 +0000

Here, sit down, watch this. A film produced by Wyatt Deny -Alice & The White Hair -The wildest interpretation of Alice in Wonderland you are going to ever see. Yep – even beats that one coming to a theater near you. Soundtrack by Damon Harris with a special track supplied by Adam Freeland.

Eprom + Eskmo 12″ split on Warp

Double You — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:42:00 +0000

A taste of San Francisco’s finest, this double-A side 12” is split between two of the west coast’s most-watched producers. Emerging from the reputably close-knit SF electronic music scene, EPROM and Eskmo are gaining international renown fostered by the likes of Mary Anne Hobbs and Flying Lotus.

Purchase it now as a Digital Download or 12″ Vinyl on Bleep.com

[See post to listen to audio -yes thatz right! -go to http://iamalaser.com]
EPROM’s ‘Hendt’ is a dancefloor monster in his trademark ‘psyphy’ style – a lazer-tinged gangster-lean pulse that speaks to both the codeine-sipping and the all-night raver contingent alike.

[See post to listen to audio -yes thatz right! -go to http://iamalaser.com]
Eskmo’s ‘Land and Bones’ is a lurching, soulful dubstep clatter rich in lyrical melody and artfully crowned with Swan’s icy vocals; forward for the dancefloor, layered for the headphones – braincandy that moves feet. For Swan, this track marks the first of two really exciting releases to start off 2010. Listen for her sultry tones this spring on a certain Glitch Mob release. -Can’t wait for more!

TAPETRONIC

Double You — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:48:28 +0000

Tapetronic blends a weird assortment of circuit bent (sort of… not really?) tape decks and pre recorded audio cassettes. If the apocalypse happens (if?) this is what we’ll all be listening to around a camp fire on an abandoned city street with zombies lurking in the shadows. Ok! Love this retrofit of “old” media and technology to mimic modern day drum machines, vinyl scratching and techno influences. Here, just watch these youtubes.

NOCANDO :: Two Track Mind ft. BUSDRIVER

Double You — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:46:44 +0000

Nocando, resident MC at the world renowned Low End Theory, has recently dropped his 2nd music video, “Two Track Mind” ft. Busdriver, from his upcoming debut album, Jimmy the Lock (Alpha Pup Records January 26th, 2010). His initial single “Hurry Up and Wait” has garnered raving reviews from widespread locales and boasts beats from the top of the Los Angeles underground: Nosaj Thing, Nobody, Daedelus, Thavius Beck, Free the Robots, Maestroe, Th’ Corn Gang and with scratching by Gaslamp Killer. The MC has also released a myriad of collaborations with artists such as Subtitle, Aceyalone, Murs, Luckyiam, Busdriver, Abstract Rude, 2mex, and many others.

Audiotool :: Yesteryear Gear Now Here

Double You — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:33:56 +0000

What is the future of electronic music? Well, that depends on how it’s made, where it’s made and with whom. With whom is an inserting topic… I’ll get to that sometime soon; but for now let’s take a look at an interesting how and where I just found the other day.

Increasingly there has been a push to move software off of the computer and onto what is known as the “cloud.” One such tool is Audiotool (created by Hobnox, an online entertainment and publishing platform based in Germany).

Audiotool is an online studio filled with just two classic Roland drum machines, an array of guitar sound processing stomp-boxes, a TB-303, a Yamaha Tenori-On like sequencer, a set of signal mixers with the ability to add as many of each component as you need. Drag and drop the units all about a large blank canvass and connect them together with good old 1/4” cables. To capture your mad beats, there’s a cassette tape recorder that gives you 5 minute runs of “tape.” Save and send.

In order to craft a distinct sound you have to get creative with the stomp-boxes and as each drum machine has separate outputs for each instrument of the kit, along with added signal splitting tools, you can go “hog wild” in making a unique DIY drum set. Though not an “end all” song writing solution, it does offer a grungy “hands on” sound generating creative solution –one that is based in the world of the early 80’s. So embrace the power of limitations and make us all a beat!

Now here’s where it gets deep!

A couple of questions I’ve been asking recently have further come about by seeing Audiotool’s interface. Do new or young musicians, growing up in a laptop based production world, need real world references in the their music making software to technologies and terminologies to that were once used but are no longer present? Say tape recorders and cassettes, guitar stomp boxes, an audio mixer with all its faders, knobs on an analog synthesizer –or, can new interfaces and ways of generating sound be created?

Why do we try to replicates the physical world online when online can be a completely new frontier that leaves the physical equipment that spawned it way behind?

If an artist has never seen or used a mixer with her hands, why is it in her software? Well, what do you think? Let’s get some answers going in the comments below.

Die Antwoord :: Jou Ma Se Poes in a Fish Paste Jar

Double You — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:40:07 +0000

Amid the wild internet storm that is Die Antwoord, they have managed to ressurect the lost body of their third team mate, DJ Hi-Tek, to pump out this track, “JOU MA SE POES IN A FISH PASTE” (which roughly translates to “YOUR MUMMY’S PRIVATE PARTS IN A FISH PASTE JAR”), for the fans worldwide. Lick it up baby, the fish paste has been served!

[See post to listen to audio -yes thatz right! -go to http://iamalaser.com]
Download file directly here:

Post image by Sean Metelerkamp :: Check his site for more band photos.

Daedelus “Righteous Fists of Harmony”

Double You — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:25:49 +0000

Looks like the Edwardian maestro Daedelus has just made the announcement of an upcoming new album to be released on Flying Lotus’s indie label, Brainfeeder (March 23, 2010 on Heavy Weight Vinyl / Digital). To kick it off, a dreamy new video, directed by Clay Lipsky of Destroy Rock Music, has been launched into our eyeballs! Yep.

Die Antwoord :: Zef Rap Rave!

Double You — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:39:44 +0000

Making art, or “next level beats” in this case, is sometimes a privilege –especially in most areas of the technology blessed USA. And sometimes making art is a matter of life and death. In fact, I don’t think its even called art at that point. It’s called a warrior scream, a declaration amongst all the noise of the big machine as it crashes to the ground. A human need to belong to something. A shining beacon in the dark night of humanity casting light on a distant shore called relief.

In America, we most hear that style of call from urban artists needing to escape the economic depressions of the inner cities; the daily struggle to stay alive and do your thing. Now, through the magic interconnected power of the internet, we have been blessed to recently discover the sounds of the South African Rap Rave band Die Antwoord. Actually, I don’t even want to call them a band. I want to call them a kick murder relief squad from all that is safe that you can dance to.

So do your duty, get inspired and read on up on this holy trinity of Ninja, Yolandi Visser, and DJ Hi-Tek and the stories they tell from the landscape of Cape Town, taxi’s pumping rap rave mega mixes, and the cross pollination of all that comprises Afrikaan modern culture. The word is Die Antwoord!

More to come real soon ! ! ! …..
Post image by Sean Metelerkamp :: Check his site for more band photos.

Chip Chop :: Launch Blank EP

Double You — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:08:20 +0000

I like music that is present, upfront and taking you there. I feel presence like that in this music. It’s clear to me that the dynamic duo of Chip Chop (Portland based producer Graintable and Lake Tahoe based producer/drummer AD/AM) know what they want to tell you on their latest release, Launch Blank EP (Run Riot Records), and make sure the audio bandwidth is clear to do so.

The tracks on this album fuse at times sweet but slightly dirtied guitar lines and stereo hand claps that sound like wet rainforest drips. Tunes such as “Launch Blank” feel like the space shuttle is about to take off and I start to envision a new sound track to Miami Vice. If only Tubs and Crocket could be riding to these beats.

You can feel the good vibes in these tracks coupled with solid song writing without any gimmicky or confusing cheap production techniques. Glorious sunshine cloud parting light beams make my day on “Solid Gold Nunchucks” and computadora blip sequences on “FPFTF” let me know I got the code and the bass coordinates have been set. Overall the Launch Blank EP by Chip Chop is filled with punchy melody lines that slap you in the face like cool aftershave. Get it!

It’s yours now for the right price through Run Riot Records.

Taste a cut from the Launch Blank EP with the same titled track: “Launch Blank” [See post to listen to audio -yes thatz right! -go to http://iamalaser.com] Or download it for free here

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Post Entry: This just added -Full set of Launch Blank EP as posted on Chip Chop’s Soundcloud page. Now you too can live the dream!

We want you -to be our intern!

Double You — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:59:06 +0000

I’ll say this quickly -we need an intern -maybe three! Do you love this strange and whacky culture of music, art and fashion producers -the freaky cutting edge ones? Do you want to share what this “underground” culture does with the rest of the world? Do you love writing posts in a witty tounge-n-cheek format so people get it?

I AM A LASER needs the following team positions filled asap!

Music Reviewer:

I AM A LASER is increasingly becoming the online venue for musical artists to debut their newest tracks, EP’s and albums on. We need a dedicated human to review materials sent to us and to write up insightful reviews of the ones we want to post.

Artists Profiler:

There are a ton of visual artists out there who’s visual works are an extension of the culture of booming bass. From graffiti, to visionary, to modern, to folk, to digital and film -we need it all covered. Looking to have someone on board to reach out to the artists and galleries we are networked with and to write up posts, conduct interviews and create galleries of images.

Fashion Editorialist:

Similar to the art curation position above, we are looking to have someone on board to reach out to the fashion designers and labels we are networked with and to write up posts, conduct interviews and create galleries of images. This would may also included creating some original editorial pieces.

Requirements:

So who are you? Let us know what position you’re interested in playing and why. Would like to know if you have a background in creative writing or journalism and if you can point us to any pieces (blog posts, articles, or word docs) you have written -Or if you are just a fanatic and know everything about something we need to post and can type it out. Not looking for novels here, just a paragraph or two that lets us know you have intelligence, perspective on why something is of craftsmanship or relevance to the genera it comes from, and a dash of snarky/witty flavor. Bonus points if you know how to use the wordpress blog engine and can crop images in Photoshop. Big bonus actually. Bonus points 2.0 go to you if you live in the Los Angeles area; but it’s not necessary as we all live on the internet.

I AM A LASER serves as a quality filter for all that is out there online and in the world. In a time starved society, the delivery of good, concise content needs to match that speed.

Send all inquiry to this email: media@iamalaser.com. This is not a paid position; but over time as this endeavor grows, we get more advertisers/sponsors, and your articles drive traffic to the site, you never know how it may all turn out. Quite well I hope!

Look forward to hearing from you!

Cheers, Double You.

Live at Club Nokia February 11TH!

Double You — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:34:45 +0000

I AM A LASER, together with The Service Company (Destroy LA), is LIVE on FEBRUARY 11th 2010 with its fourth “Night of Future Culture” held at Club Nokia’s Mezzanine Bar in downtown Los Angeles! We’ve got a Valentines weekend ramp up like no other. This lady luscious filled showcase includes live music by Govinda + Tokimonsta + Ora N Gina + Shee! This music driven showcase happens every second Thursday of the month in conjunction with the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk event.

These events set out to merge several West Coast music scenes into one experience seamlessly; a unified culture of cutting-edge sound, vision, and style. Every month we combine various amounts of bass heavy glitch, dubstep, electro, urban hip hop, indie, and gypsy for your pleasure along with live art painting, digital media, and who knows what else. Peep the “deets” below and come to the show!

$5 With RSVP – $10 Without :: Email rsvp@iamalaser.com to get your ass on the list. Please give us full names and the full names of any guests you wish to include.

Performing LIVE February 11th:

GOVINDA

Artist Website: govindamusic.com
Artist Myspace: myspace.com/govindamusic

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TOKIMONSTA

Brainfeeder
Artist Myspace: myspace.com/tokibeats

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ORA N GINA

Chicks with Decks
Artists Facebook: facebook.com/group.php?gid=308634780570

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SHEE

Artist Website: whoisshee.com/

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LIVE ARTWORK

As a continuation of the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk we will have the fabulous and talented ladies Yuki Miyazaki of Cannibal Flower and Ashley Bowers doing live painting throughout the evening.
Ashley Bowers: http://ashleybowers.net
Cannibal Flower: http://www.cannibalflower.com/
Downtown LA Art Walk: http://downtownartwalk.com/

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Roving photography and random documentation by Curious Josh
http://www.curiousJosh.com. See past party photos here: http://www.curiousjosh.com/g1/i_am_a_laser_december_2009

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CLUB NOKIA LOCATION & PARKING

Entrance to I AM A LASER @ Club Nokia is $10 and is 21+. Club Nokia is located in downtown Los Angeles at 800 W. Olympic Street; enter on Figueroa Street across from the Holiday Inn

Click here for parking information: http://clubnokia.com/parking.php

Bassobese: 49 Nights of Twilight

andrea_whitten — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:00:21 +0000

Bassobese’s debut album “49 Nights of Twilight” (Muti Music) could not be more appropriately titled. As I wandered through its auditory landscape, I felt as though I was caught in a time glitch…uncertain of whether darkness is giving way to light, or the opposite. The sound has a familiar bassy, grimy element, but is thoughtfully interwoven with ethereal sounds that seem to come out of the speakers and whisper in your ear, reminding you to relax, and that dubstep does not have to make you furrow your brow and grind your teeth.

I will be putting on this album late into the nights that I have spent dancing until I couldn’t anymore, as light creeps back up from the east, and I know the journey will end in a fantastic dreamscape treat.

Preview some of the tracks from “49 Nights Of Twilight” in this megamix here:

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Available online now through Addictech.

Magical Properties Tour -For all of February

Double You — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:16:53 +0000

A whole cavalcade of electronic warriors have come together to caravan across this great continent for the month of February! Daedelus’s new label, Magical Properties, launches its first tour across the US with some of Los Angeles’s top acts including Nosaj Thing and Jogger.

To kick it off right, Daedelus has slapped together a tour-centric mini mix for you to enjoy along with a video preview of the tour. Get Magical!

[See post to listen to audio -yes thatz right! -go to http://iamalaser.com]

Tour dates Include:
Feb 4th – Space 120 – Palm Springs, California
Feb 5 – Echoplex – Los Angeles, California
Feb 6 – Mighty – San Francisco, California
Feb 7 – Jambalaya – Arcata, California
Feb 8 – Rotture – Portland, Oregon
Feb 9 – Fortune Sound Club – Vancouver, British Columbia
Feb 10 – Neumos – Seattle, Washington
Feb 12 – Hodi’s Half Note – Fort Collins, Colorado
Feb 13 – Gothic Theater – Englewood, Colorado
Feb 14 – Mad Planet – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Feb 15 – Majestic Theater – Madison, Wisconsin
Feb 16 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, Illinois
Feb 17 – Grog Shop – Cleveland, Ohio
Feb 18 – Wrong Bar – Toronto, Ontario
Feb 19 – Le Belmont – Montreal, Quebec
Feb 20 – Le Poisson Rouge – New York, New York
Feb 22 – Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Feb 23 – Bourbon Street – Baltimore, Maryland
Feb 24 – Xscape Lounge – Richmond, Virginia
Feb 25 – 90 Proof- knoxville, TN
Feb 26 – Club 828 – Asheville, North Carolina
Feb 27 – New Earth Music Hall – Athens, GA

Live At Club Nokia January 14th!

Double You — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 23:27:52 +0000

I AM A LASER, together with The Service Company (Destroy LA), is LIVE on January 14th 2010 with its third “Night of Future Culture” held at Club Nokia’s Mezzanine Bar in downtown Los Angeles! This music driven showcase happens every second Thursday of the month in conjunction with the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk event.

$5 With RSVP – $10 Without :: Email rsvp@iamalaser.com to get your ass on the list. Please give us full names and the full names of any guests you wish to include.

Performing LIVE January 14th:

Daedelus

This is rich deep dance music; kinda like the past 300 years slammed into one hour!

Artist Myspace: myspace.com/daedelusdarling

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Gaslamp Killer

He is crazy…. and will rock your body non stop!

Artist Myspace: myspace.com/thegaslampkiller

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Strangeloop & Timeboy

Next level sounds plus next level visuals equals tomorrow in your face!

Artist Myspace: myspace.com/strangelooptv

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Live Artwork

As a continuation of the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk we will have John Park of Cannibal Flower doing live painting throughout the evening.

AND!!! Live Digital animation by Dr.Strangleoop of the Brainfeeder Sessions.

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Club Nokia Location & Parking

Entrance to I AM A LASER @ Club Nokia is free before 10PM, $10 after and is 21+. Club Nokia is located in downtown Los Angeles at 800 W. Olympic Street; enter on Figueroa Street across from the Holiday Inn, and click here for parking information.

Saqi-Quest Signal

Double You — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 03:03:28 +0000

Got another musical sandwich coming out of the eco friendly micro city of Portland Oregon. This time it’s saQi –the trumpet infused dance floor beat happy makings of one Luke Solman and his Quest Signal mix; a sweet chocolate box clocking in just under 40 minutes that will leave you smiling. It’s bouncy, eclectic, and most certainly a ride.

saQi is a classically trained composer, producer and trumpet player. Drawing his name from the Sufi title for a mystic muse, saQi creates eclectic electronica that maintains a balance between organic and synthetic sound. Life is a quest, hear its signal! Listen below or direct download here.

Saqi-Quest Signal

The Duende Elegies

Double You — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:28:03 +0000

Just got sent this great mix from the NW city of Portland, OR: The Duende Elegies- a new mix of 50’s sci-fi inspired bone rattlers, breaks and beasts- featuring unreleased, original work by PlumbLyne (Jeremy Plumb).

It’s good original work, with a great sensibility of space that goes beyond the slew of overtly club bangin IDM tracks that we’ve been receiving lately (not that we don’t like bangin!). PlumbLyne is also the production half of Coyote Beat, joined by singer Ana G, who intend to release their first album by summer 2010, following up from their 2009 summer EP.

Listen and download the The Duende Elegies mix below or go to PlumbLyne’s Bandcamp page here to receive it in multiple formats. I’m gonna go eat some toast now.

PlumbLyne: The Duende Elegies

Post Addendum: PlumbLyne has a ton of tracks up on his SoundCloud page -Check ‘em!

I AM A LASER Pack No.2

Double You — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:19:58 +0000

Two things… actually three. One: Last Thursday’s I AM A LASER monthly showcase was off the hook and uber juicy with Ana Sia, Deru, and L. Croskey punching the bass-bins into overdrive. As bodies collided, we had the talented and live painterly skills of Xavi, John Parks of Cannibal Flower, and Michael Pukac of Think Space Gallery capturing the mood and committing it all to canvass.

Two: For all of you who were there, and for those of you who weren’t, we have a free download for you! Laser Pack No.2 includes tracks from our December 10th headliners along with a digital poster of the flyer. Get it here (or right click to “Save As”).

Three: Peep the awesome video below as captured and edited by our pal Smitty; And……. get your buns to the next I AM A LASER showcase happening January 14th 2010! Big names to be announced soon!

I AM A LASER PRESENTS ANA SIA AND DERU from Matthew F. Smith on Vimeo.