ELY - smART GROUPware

Chapter 3: Birth of “Eurasian Laboratory’’,its essence and aims

2011-11-28T07:55:00.001-08:00

We decide to publish few chapters from Esma Berikishvili's book "Eurasian Laboratory:Poetry,Prose and Music in Georgia" - socio-anthropologic research about earlier activities of our smArt Groupware.

the book will introduce you to the brief history of Georgian cultural field and state ideology, 80-90s underground art and contemporary art-practice by smART-GROUPware ELY -- through the prism of Bourdieu's field theory and Cohen's theory of Symbolic communities.

the whole pre-version of the book you can read here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/73821690/Esma-Berikishvili-Eurasian-Laboratory-Poetry-Prose-Music-and-Politics-in-Georgia

you can purchase the book here:

http://www.amazon.com/ELY-GROUPware-Eurasian-Laboratory-Politics/dp/3639310322/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293795996&sr=8-1

---------

Chapter3: “Eurasian Laboratory”

Inthe following chapter I will discuss the emergence of “EurasianLaboratory”. I will show how

theart collaboration was formed, the priorities and goals that they tryto archive, how the

“alternative”community is constructed and how it establishes the “alternative”social and

culturalspace for performing without any symbolic violence. I will be lookingat different

projectsthat “Laboratory” runs and illustrate how they produce knowledgewhich is an

alternativeto the State discourse. I will also demonstrate the externalinfluences on

“Laboratory’s”art and expose how this particular art group struggles forlegitimation: “for the

rightto monopolize the exercise of “symbolic violence” (Swartz1997:123).

3.1Georgian Underground in 1980-1990

Itis important to examine how underground movements emerged in the1980s in order to

theorizethe state of arts at that time and also to follow the appearance of“Eurasian Laboratory”.

Inthis part of the chapter I will look at how underground movementswere formed in Georgia in

the1980s and show how with the rise of the nationalistic movements theart scene and creation

wassomehow stopped in 1990. At the same time I will demonstrate how newartistic movements

emergedfrom the historical context and how in 2006 “Laboratory” wasestablished.

In1980, before the national movements were established, the Georgianunderground started a

newera in its development. The most important aspect of 80’s scene wasthat Georgian artists

andespecially musicians started to create their art in Georgianlanguage. The culture that was

presentin Georgia in the 1980’s was characterized by a strong social loadand it had significant

elementsof protest. It can be argued that in the 1990’s Georgianunderground culture

experiencedhighest level of development. For that time there were a significantnumber of

individualartists and collectives who did not suit the established clichés ofCommunist culture.

Themost important was the musical scene and its sufficient element rock.During this period

variousbands were performing not only in the capital of Georgia – Tbilisi,but also in Kutaisi,

Batumi,Gori, Rustavi, Telavi and many other small towns. Most of thealternative music was

performedin Georgian. From the late 80’s there were several important artgroups performing in

theunderground scene: Lado Burduli and his band “Recepti”, DadaDadiani first with “Taxi”

andlater “Children’s Medicine”, Kisho Glunchadze and the band“Kisho and Inteligencia”, band

“Outsideri”with the leader Robi Kukhianidze. A bit later Irakli Charkvianistarted the individual

career.The art that was created by these outstanding artists was not only apure art; it had a clear

messageof social protest. As it is acknowledged “rock is a politicalphenomenon both because

rockartists sometimes take positions on controversial issues (or on theelites themselves) in their

songsand because political elites may use legislative or coercive force tosuppress, inhabit or

regulaterock performers, regardless of the political intent or content oftheir songs” (Ramet

1994:102),and the same was true for Georgian rock scene.

Thepolitical and social situation that emerged in 1991 had a greatinfluence on the later

developmentof the art scene in Georgia. The circumstances made those bands tofall apart, most

ofthem went abroad and others who were still in Georgia had no chancesto work. However,

whencivil war started artists who were still in the country did not stopartistic work, but their

performanceslost their scale and after the war, the rock and underground scenewere facing the

destruction,as nearly everything in Georgia. And still in 1996 the big festival“Margarita-96”

washeld where newly emerged artists were present; nevertheless their artlost that social and

politicalaspect which was the main characteristic of 1990’s art (LashaGabunia).

Asit is obvious from this small description, Georgian art and mostimportantly subversive or

undergroundart lost its ‘soul’ from the 1990’s, moreover the process ofcultural development

wasin a significant stagnation as a result of hard political, social andeconomic conditions that

warbrought in Georgia. Irakli Charkviani’s words are a cleardemonstration of this process:

“Thereis no culture in Georgia against which the counter culture orunderground art should be

directed”.However, as I showed earlier, new transformations of the nation andthe state after the

RoseRevolution in 2003 made it possible to think about culture, and thestate even designed the

culturalpolicy. The new political situation brought new problems and issuesfor Georgian

societyand accordingly new art groups were established, whose art wasdirected at the protest

againstthe new political “regime”. One of the most significant movementsor art collaborations

thatemerged in 2006 is “Eurasian Laboratory”, which is the focus ofthis thesis and will be

discussedin the following parts.

3.2Birth of “Eurasian Laboratory’’

Thegroup of Georgian artists known as “Laboratory” is an alternativemovement which was

establishedin 2006. “Laboratory” is a collaboration of artists AnaTabatadze, Beso

Kapchelashvili,Misha Bajhsoliani, Tazo Liparteliaini, Zura Jishkariani, MK-ULTRA,Paata

Shamugia,Leo Nafta and Acorn Guy. The official definition of art group thatcan be found on

theirblog reads as following:

"ELY"[Eurasian Laboratory] is experimental post-art movement from theghetto of the

thirdworld. Dreamhacking, Art Experiments (audio, video, visual...),Theatre of the

NuclearSunrises. ELY is ever changing, think tank collective of artists,writers,

musicians,programmers, psychonauts, dream hackers, scientists and justexperimentlover-

party-people(eurasianlaboratory.blogspot.com)

Throughoutthe interviews with the members of the art group it became obviousthat

“Laboratory”started as “tusovka” (party) of people who shared the same ideasand values;

however,after a short period it was already established as a collaboration ofartists.

Notwithstandingthe fact that members of “Laboratory” refuse to define themselvesin terms of

artisticcollaboration, I still argue that all characteristics of the grouplead us to acknowledge this

projectas the art group.

Judgingfrom my interviews, all members of art group agree that “Laboratory”is a life style. The

rootsof “Laboratory” can be found in Acorn Guy’s apartment where ashe explained different

peoplewere meeting for years, talking about art, drinking etc and accordingto him it was

tusovka(party), many people where coming and going and those who stayedfinally understood

laterthat they are in the role of observers and decided to createsomething out of these multiple

experiences.

“Laboratoryis the life style. When it was established there was no idea of artgroup. We,

peoplewho formed “Laboratory” in the beginning we were living togetherand were

drunkfor almost one year. It happened so that everybody had some problems,personal

ones,from childhood and everybody was taking the psychotropic pills and Irealized that

itwas a “Laboratory”, there was a medical aesthetic everywhere. Atthe same time, there

weredemonstrations, wars, the revolution and I got the feeling thatCaucasus was the big

laboratorywhere they make experiments to create a mutant and I discovered thatwe are

allmutants. We are not Europeans for Europeans and we are not Asians forAsians, we

areabsolutely different species, we have mixed consciousness”. (ZuraJishkariani

interview)

Ifwe look at “Laboratory’s” art it is easy to identify elementsof avant-garde, alternative culture

andother subversive forms of art and yet “Laboratory” according toits members is out of any

clichécategories. In order to identify, or if you like stigmatize, or onthe contrary to argue that

“Laboratory”is or is not an avant-garde or alternative art, it is essential tolook at how avantgarde

andalternative movements were formed and theorized later on.

Theavant-garde and alternative movements brought a significant change inthe concept of art

andculture in a broader sense. The term avant-garde can be dated back to1825; however for that

periodavant-garde served not only as a term referred to art, but to thepolitical radicalism as

well.From Saint Simon the avant-garde was characterized by a balancebetween art and politics,

butfrom 1930 the ways of these two notions separated and as Huyssenasserts “the avant-garde

haslost its cultural and political explosiveness and has itself become atool of legitimation”

(Huyssen1986b:221).

However,before Huyssen suggested this interpretation of avant-garde, therewere different

attemptsto define what is avant-garde and how it works in society. Evennaming the scholars

workingon this issue would surpass the capacity of this work. The verybeginning of the works

concernedwith avant-garde was Renato Poggioli’s 1962 book TheTheory of the Avant-Garde

(Poggioli1968) and Peter Burger’s (1974) Theoryof the Avant-Garde (Burger1984). They

definedavant-garde as non-conformist art and argued that avant-gardistsquestion current trends

andideals. Consequently, avant-garde artists are often estranged fromsociety; moreover they are

onthe margins of society. The concept of avant-garde refers entirely tomarginalized artists,

writers,composers and thinkers whose work is not only opposed to mainstreamcommercial

values,but often has an uncompromising social or political edge. The ideasof these two

academicswere different to some extent, but it is not the subject of thispaper. One of the most

influentialworks in addressing the matter of avant-garde was Clement Greenberg’s(1939) essay

“Avant-gardeand Kitsch”, where the author showed that historically avant-gardewas opposed to

“mainstream”and “high” culture and argued that it was contradiction to massculture as well, a

culturewhich was produced with industrialization (Greenberg 1939).Avant-garde movements in

artsuch as Dada, Surrealism, Futurism, Constructivism and Productivismattempted to overcome

theart/life dichotomy. However, Huyssen (Huyssen 1986b) argues thatthese avant-garde

movements,later marked as historical avant-garde, tried to challenge bourgeois“institution art”

andthis process largely depended on the transformation of bourgeoissociety itself, and

accordingto him, since this transformation did not happen these movementsfailed. After the

technologicalrevolution new avant-garde emerged, which was again concerned withovercoming

theart/life dichotomy; however for this time the new technologies playeda significant, even

crucialrole in defining what is avant-garde.

Theavant-garde movements varied from county to country. For instance,Russian avant-garde

aimedto create a socialist mass culture using the technical opportunitiesof the 20thcentury.And

itwas visible that technology helped to some extent to instigate theavant-garde artwork and its

breakwith traditional art and values, but later on it “deprived theavant-garde of its necessary

livingspace in everyday life” (Huyssen 1986a:227). As opposed to theavant-garde, the cultural

industryor mass culture succeeded in overcoming the art/life dichotomy and inchanging

everydaylife in twentieth century.

Notwithstandingthe fact that historical avant-garde failed to some extent, today inthe world of

massculture and production there can be observed differentneo-avant-garde movements

radicallyshaped by internet communication and different advanced softwareprograms, which

hada significant effect on all kinds of communication and forms of lifeand to a large extent on

the“art world”. It can be argued that art created in twenty firstcentury is characterized by the

useof internet and working on the global level.

Ifone looks at “Laboratory’s” art it becomes apparent that itsuits the characteristics of

alternativeand avant-garde art and, at the same time they, are pushed to themargins of society

andare opposed to the mainstream values; however, it is hard to arguethat they are alternative or

avant-gardeartists, but it is possible to suggest that they suit more theneo-avant-garde

movements.It is obvious that “Laboratory” is not a mainstream art, but ishard to claim that they

arealternative since the members define themselves in absolutelydifferent terms, moreover

someprojects of laboratory fell exactly in the category of mainstream,and for instance Tazo

explainsthat one of their projects “Kung Fu Junkie” is precisely directedtowards the pop scene.

Thispractice can also be viewed as one of the strategies that laboratoryworks with in order to

spreadthe subversive viruses in the society. It is important to see howthey ‘classify’ themselves

andby ‘classifying’ themselves how they ‘classify’ others(Bourdieu 1992). For Zura Jishkariani

laboratoryis an “experimental post-art movement from the ghetto of the thirdworld” and as he

toldme during the interview, this art collaboration is a “new worlddisorder”.

AcornGuy makes it clear:

Ifwe look at famousness of laboratory in Georgia then yes it is ofcourse underground.

Butif we look at the things from the artistic perspective I think thatwe are not neither

undergroundnor pop culture. We do different things, we create not onlyunderground or

alternativestyle but we have many pop projects, using hip hop etc, everything isour

instrument.We are not standing on any side (Acorn Guy)

Thisline is continued by Paata Shamugia, according to whom in the beggingthey were called

the“underground project”:

Inthe begging it was seen as an alternative and then we moved tocounterculture, since

werealized that what we were doing was not an alternative culture.Alternative culture

meansthat you as an artist are still in harmonic relationship with“official” art. It

appearedthat we were not practicing that, moreover we are sharply opposed tothe

officialart discourse. It happened not because we were “cool”, butbecause our creation

wasnot acceptable for society and for artists as well. We wanted toprovoke society and

wedid, but we somehow overdosed and that is why we were marginalized.We were

teenagerswhen we were already marginals

Asfor Leo-Nafta, he also agrees that in the beginning they wereunderground, but he also adds

thatat some point they left the underground “since being and fixedthere is not an art”. Leo-Nafta

alsohas more radical claims about being alternative, counter culture orany other categorization

“eventhough we are still called alternative I would ask you: for what arewe alternative, where is

theculture”. (Leo-Nafta)

Thereason why we cannot claim that “Laboratory” is underground is,as explained by Zura

Jishkariani,that even though in the very beginning they were underground this wasthe period

whenthey were not officially performing, they were somewhere in thesuburbs and were not in

anykind of field. “We were not even offline; we were online, butonline that nobody needs”

(ZuraJishkariani interview). After giving some performances they enteredthe field and as Zura

claimsthey are now the parallel culture. “Maybe for this culture it is asubculture, but I would

rathercall it parallel culture, it exists as a parallel, it is againsteverything and yet we cannot call

itcounter culture since at same point we realized that as banal as itis to be the counterculture, it

alsotroughs you in a such field where you are left alone and you cannottake any action. That is

whywe chose another strategy”. The other strategy can be understood asfollowing, some

membersof laboratory are at the same time in so called mainstream cultureand are working in

thatenvironment. They enter that field and function as a mechanism tospread laboratory’s

“viruses”,in that field they do “Laboratorial” things. Zura claims thatthis is a new cultural

strategy“you do and say absolutely opposite things and yet you are in thatculture”. Eco,

relativelynew member of art collaboration is totally against any kind ofdefinitions and as he

saysin his interview “Why underground? I am undersky”.

Overall,even though one can easily identify aspects of alternative oravant-garde art in

“Laboratory’s”art we cannot claim that they fall in these categories, since themembers of the

grouprefuse to acknowledge any kind of categories.

3.2.1“Laboratory”: its essence and aims

Accordingto different definitions the word “Laboratory” means the facilitythat provides

controlledconditions in which experiments, scientific research and measurementscan be carried

out.In a similar manner the credo of “Laboratory’s” art is freecreation and unlimited

experiments.According to its members, “Laboratory” is interested inschizophrenia, autism,

atomicdawns, cosmic migration, the perspectives of cyberspace, and theresistance of the third

world,embryonic dreams, coma, totalitarism, and the post biologicalopportunities of humans,

conspiracyand paranoid theories. Media art group “Laboratory” is working ondifferent projects,

whichincludes but is not limited to eight musical projects, translation ofvarious literatures, the

projectof internet television, painting and producing poetry and prose.

Theidentity of “Laboratory” is characterized by claims that theylive in the country which is in

theworld’s underground (meaning Georgia). They are just 20-22 yearsold and have already

experienced“war, fear, darkness, cold, drug addiction, alcoholism, dead (lost)relatives and three

unsuccessfulattempts to build the state. Consequently, they have enoughabhorrence, mistrust

andyearning for warmth to dance on the ruins” (Zura Jishkariani).Theseabove mentioned

aspectsof lives of “Laboratory” members are crucial for defining theiridentities. They are

heavilyinfluenced by the instability of the state and the enormous number ofdifferent wars in

Georgia.They are children of war.

Onthe other hand “Laboratory” is inclined towards Timothy Leary’sideas and this can be seen

intheir activities and art. They claim that human mind can be seen as abiocomputer, where

differentpractices of human life are accumulated and the individual can reset,delete, change and

releaseanything from those programs that are installed in his/her brain.They refer to Leary who

startedto investigate the possibilities of programming the human mind seenas a biocomputer.

“Laboratory”has an ambition to be global and they argue that with their art theyare talking to

thewhole planet not only to Georgia. However, as it can be seen in theirart, for this level they

aremore concerned with local problems and fight against localstereotypes. They call in question

thevalues of traditional society and struggle against the tyranny ofauthorities.

“Laboratory”has different aims: lots of demonstrations, concerts and diffusion ofcreated mediaviruses

(demonstrationfor supporting the first unborn Georgian Cosmonaut) psycho-geographic

campaigns,creation of alternative informational stream- magazines, journals,forums, recording

studios,radio etc. The projects which are already realized are psychotropicpoetry of Zura

Jishkariani(patient number 0), imperativism of Paata Shamugia (patient number13) and

fragmentaryprose of Aryis Bichi (patient number minus infinity). Art group“Laboratory” aims

experimentson the ontological basis of civilization, experiments on the basiccodes of culture

suchas: classical physics, family, moral, economy, taboo, art, religion,law. They have and

ambitionto be total. As Zura Jishkariani, one of the founders, explains“Laboratory is Antonin

Artaud’sthe theater of cruelty (for more details about the theater of crueltysee Antonin Artaud

“TheTheater and Its Double” 1958), it is the vagina where progressivemutations are born,

Laboratorydoes not care about government (and Vano Merabishvili - Interiorminister of

Georgia),Laboratory asks for legalization” (Zura Jishkariani 20062).

“Laboratory”addresses their art to different types of audience. Their audienceincludes the

inhabitantsof huge, post-industrial and small, anonymous towns, empty flats,self-made

laboratories,inhabitants of ghettos and soviet electrification underground. Thesynthesizers of

probingdrugs, stripteaser beginner writers, feminist gays, triple pilledlesbians, desperate

housewives,young penniless chemists, aliens dressed as a neighbors of sleepinghumans,

constantlyunavailable abonents of all networks, ozone logs of the system,proletariats who are

motivatedwith new ideas of beauty, viruses of elite, the teachers of geographywith strange

habitsand cocaine in globe, melancholic’s with post-apocalypticinstincts, children of forgotten

wars,cheaply sparkling queens of spoilt ghettos, retired secret generalsand astrophysics,

cyberneticshamans with ugly eyeglasses, failed self-murderers, researchers ofdreams and

anonymouspainters of town walls from communal settlements, documented citizens(Zura

Jishkariani2006). However, the current audience of art collaboration is not thatwide. As

membersof art group explained in their interviews, in the beginning theiraudience was limited

totheir friends and a very small circle of people, but today theaudience is growing and this

tendencycan be mainly observed on their concerts. As Acorn Guy explains inhis interview,

eventhough their audience is not that wide, the most important is thatpeople who come to their

performancesleave the place with slight changes in attitudes and start thinkingin another ways:

“thisis the highest satisfaction for us as artists” (Acorn Guyinterview).

2Thetexts by the members of Art Media “Laboratory” are translated bythe author

Itcan be argued that “Laboratory” is industrial since it is basedon five elements of industrial

culturalcollective established by Jon Savage in the introduction to“Industrial Culture

Handbook”(Savage 1983). These elements are: organizational autonomy, theprocessing of

information,the usage of electronic and alternative music, the usage ofextra-musical elements

(elementswhich are out of “musical borders” and choking tactic). Artisticcollaboration

“Laboratory”can be addressed in the same terms and viewed as cultural collectivethat is

industrialsince they are successfully using the above mentioned aspects.

“Laboratory”uses different strategies to legitimize itself. They are often givingperformances in

publicplaces, for instance, parks, cafes, famous rock clubs. They publishjournal “Sindromi”

(Syndrome),where one can find their prose, poetry CD’s etc. “Laboratory”is an active user of

differentweb cities (www.myspace.com.www.blogspot.comwww.facebook.com

www.wordpress.comwww.linkedin.com www.livejournal.com andmany other social networks,

blogsand web 3.0) and at the same time every member has his/her personalblog. They are quite

famousin Georgian art-space; however they still manage not to assimilatewith mainstream

cultureand are devoted to their “unique” art code."

Esma Berikishvili

to be Continued..

Software for Reincarnation - Art of the Mind Uploading

2011-11-28T07:29:00.001-08:00

Journal "Ckheli Shokoladi"["Hot Chocolate"] publishd an essey by ELYen Next Dila.

"App for Reincarnation or the Art of Mind Uploading"

in the article
Next Dila presented his concept of "Futurenaut" - Transgressive, Alchemical child of altruist gene Sharing combined with constructed false data of unknown personality,
the concept was presented earrlier as a performance at festival "Artisterium 2010 - Imagine the Future".

and as a seminar "the Art of Mind Uploading" at "Contemporary Art Centre - Tbilisi":

Lo-Tek videopresentation. text by Next, video by Vinda Folio:

you can read about it in our earlier blogpost:
http://eurasianlaboratory.blogspot.com/2010/09/futurenaut-30-ely-ens-at-artisterium.html

--
the next important topic in the article is the presentation of Next's new project.
Virtual Pantheon -- 3D chat-bots, mind-clone softwares of dead or alive writers - as a PsychoActive literature with educational purposes for girlz and boyz from Georgian ghetto schools.

also, mind-clone softwares can be used by artists as a Cut-Up machine of their own digitized unconsciousness -- which can manufacture ideas and words as if they are the same author.

plus, this softwares can be used as an interactive installations on the graves.

blog about the article by next [in Georgian]:
http://nextdreamhacker.blogspot.com/2011/11/app-preview.html

KFj -- Single "Yoshiwara Bitch"+perofmance @Night Office

2011-11-28T06:55:00.001-08:00

KFJ appeared on a cover of georgian art-magazine "Tabula Art"
with a demand of Total Legalisation

+ KFj published first Single "Yoshiwara Bitch"

1) Yoshiwara Bitch
2) Yoshiwara Bitch (Extended version)
3) Yoshiwara Bitch (Instrumental)
4) In Da Yoshiwara Club
5) Go Boyz! (Bonus track)

Videos from the Presentation:

Tv-interview [the day before the performance, pranks with journalists]

Lo-Tek video-advert for performance[made by Vidna Folio - director, philosopher and guitarist of KFJ]:

CHINESE GIRL - live at Night Office

YOSHIWARA BITCH - live at Night Office

The ending of performance @Night Office

---
you can find KFJ's photosessions for the journal:
HERE #3

HERE -Gagarin

HERE - Synagogue

photos from photosession are made by Khatuna Khutsishvili

--------

other photos from performance:

KFJ - "DANCE 2 CHANGE" [support lesbi/bi/transgender women]

2011-11-28T06:33:00.001-08:00

25th of november, 2011.
KFJ and Women's Fund in Georgia.
"Dance to Change".

Tv-interview + Acoustic, improvisational Version of "Био-ROBOT"

journal "Tskheli Shokoladi"'s ["Hot Chocolate"] video-blog from event:

"Music-Box" about the event:

net-journal "Netgazeti" - report about event:
http://netgazeti.ge/GE/81/culture/7116/.htm#.TtDsPKPpKjU.facebook

Georgian LGBT journal "Identity" - report about event:
http://www.idmag.info/2451

--------------
some photos:

KFJ @TabulaArt presentation [june 2011]

2011-11-28T06:26:00.001-08:00

live videos from the event:

GO BOYZ!

FLOWERZ IN MY BRAIN

TRIP UP

Био-ROBOT

DANCE TO THE NIGHT [soft version of the "Dance to the Light"]

SCI_FI

some photos:

KUNG FU JUNKIE – DANCE 2 THE LIGHT INCL. GARE MAT K + REMIXES [PGZ113]

2011-06-01T02:25:00.000-07:00

SOKOMUZIKA is happy to announce

Release by Kung Fu Junkie "Dance 2 the Light"

on Progrezo Records

Click to Read blog by PROGREZO RECORDS

Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, Kung Fu Junkie was formed by Earth Coincidence Control Office as a musical performance group for synthesis Pop-oriented electro music with underground theatre esthetics, space program, alternative literature etc.

Since that time KFJ was formed as a pop-electronic circus of happy-sad chinese robots, urban shaolin monks, red lipsticks and smart drugs.

We Make Pop-Music.

We Dance to the Light.

We Dance or Die!

Progrezo Records 113 installment, comes from Tbilisi live-act band KUNG FU JUNKIE, featuring a pop-electronic precious vocal original track entitled DANCE 2 THE LIGHT, including two upfront versions from GARE MAT K, next to great remixes from Vako, Solar Eclipse and The Forest.

To the ones who loves Royksopp, Zeigeist, Ladytron and Gus Gus, here you have a fresh and new sound!

KUNG FU JUNKIE - DANCE 2 THE LIGHT [PGZ113]

- Original

- Gare Mat K Forest-Speaker Vocal Remix

- Gare Mat K Instrumental Remix

- Vako

- The Forest

- Solar Eclipse

- Porn Mix - Dance 2 The Night

Get your copy on the following link:

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/376353/Dance%202%20The%20Light

For more info visit:

http://www.progrezorecords.com/

------------

you can listen to KFJ's other tracks here:

http://soundcloud.com/kung-fu-junkie

Latest tracks by Kung Fu Junkie

more about Progrezo Records here:

"Progrezo Records is one of the leading record labels especialized in avant-garde electronic music.
Established in 2006, PGZ publishes upfront releases in Vinyl, Compilation CD and Digital Download, featuring the most finest within the electronic music movement around the world, next to tomorrows best talents."

http://www.residentadvisor.net/record-label.aspx?id=5919

seminars and live performances for May-June 2011

2011-05-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

07.05.2011
"THE ART OF MIND UPLOADING" by Next
at "Contemporary Art Center - Tbilisi"

[ http://www.dila.artisterium.org/ ]

10.05.2011
Discussion on theme "New Art" [Bio, Transgenic..] by Next

11.05.2011

Progrezo Records will release Single "Dance 2 the Light"[+remixes] By Kung Fu Junkie

14.05.2011.

Kung Fu Junkie will perform at Georgian Innovative Music Awards "Electronauts 2010/2011"

you can see the Line Up for Electronauts here:

http://komunamedia.blogspot.com/2011/05/line-up-for-electronaut-20102011.html

--------

the end of may - beggining of June

Kung Fu Junkie - Radio Live

Kung Fu Junkie - acoustic concert

in the beggining of June Kung Fu Junkie will perform at the presentation of "Tabula Art" magazine and put one track "Go Boyz" on magazine's summer compilation CD.

check for Updates!

Kung Fu Junkie - the FOOL Party + New Track

2011-05-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

REPOSTED from SOKOMUZIKA

KFJ performed at Wakanda club Tbilisi, Georgia

at 09.04.2011

with a FOOL party.

here are few photos, videos will come soon.

-----------------------------

You can check KFJ's new track "Go Boyz" for "Tabula Art" magazine's CD compilation

here:

Go Boyz!!! by Kung Fu Junkie

and here:

---------

in nearest future KFJ will make a release at Progrezo Records, will perform at Georgian innovative pop-music festival "Electronauts" and

and the Tabula Art magazine's presentation and mini-fest of Summer Compilation artists.

keep watching for new updates!

Parallel Culture Programming,illegal Cosmonautics and other smArt Concepts from the depths of the 2nd World

2011-01-14T02:30:00.000-08:00

early PDF version[work for master diploma \Sociology] of new book by Esma Berikishvili:

“Eurasian Laboratory”: Poetry, Prose, Music and Politics in Georgia

description/introduction by Esma Berikishvili:
"This paper examines the emergence of the ‘alternative’ culture in Georgia in 2006 and maps the
structure of the artistic field.

I focus my study on artistic collaboration “Eurasian Laboratory”
and I argue, by using Anthony Cohen’s theory of symbolic construction of community, that they
create an ‘alternative’ community through art as a social activity.Using Pierre Bourdieu’s theory
of field and practice, I show how the artistic field is formed and influenced by several political
happenings in Georgia from 1917 till 2003.

I expose the issue of cultural policy in order to understand the priorities of the State in cultural field and to examine how the State apparatus by providing the dominant symbolic system, excludes ‘alternative’ cultural forms, forms that do not fit in State’s understanding of culture. Following this lines, I trace how artists engage in struggle for legitimation over proper/improper modes of expression.

I will also demonstrate how “Eurasian Laboratory” with using subversive cultural forms produces an alternative space for creating music, prose and poetry, which is free from any kind of aesthetic and political restrictions. In addition, I analyze how Georgian context as well as external forces affects formation of the community and art, by looking at the deeper levels of “Laboratory’s” art works."

you can freedownload it here[link updated]:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/wwi6v2

information on book [updated] version:
http://eurasianlaboratory.blogspot.com/2010/12/book-of-ely.html

"he said:

Why Underground? i'm UNDERSKY"

the Book of ELY [!]

2010-12-31T04:55:00.000-08:00

new book by
Esma Berikishvili --
ELY - smART GROUPware:
"Eurasian Laboratory": Poetry, Prose, Music and Politics in Georgia

description of book:
<The artistic wonderland of Georgia - full of passion, breeze of Chernobyl, five floors Khrushovka's, professor grandfathers and drug addict fathers, black sea and mains of Chiatura, beautiful girls and boys, abandoned industrial buildings and dreams about Georgian Cosmonavtica - seen through theoretical prism. The book takes you to the world of Georgian artists who in their twenties experienced war, fear, darkness, cold, drug addiction, alcoholism, three unsuccessful attempts to build the state and consequently became abhorrent enough to "dance on the ruins". Follow the book and let new artistic viruses in.>

------
published by VDM Publishing house

You can order book here:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/ELY-GROUPware-Eurasian-Laboratory-Politics/dp/3639310322/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293795996&sr=8-1

Binlandia: http://www.bilandia.de/ELY-smART-GROUPware/buecher/bu/9783639310320

the book will introduce to you the brief history of Georgian cultural field and state ideology, 80-90s underground art and contemporary art-practice by smART-GROUPware ELY -- through the prism of Bourdieu's field theory and Cohen's theory of Symbolic communities.

any1 interested in topics like Sociology, Social Anthropology, Contemporary Art, Ontological Anarchism, Post Soviet Cultures, Contemporary Georgian Culture,DIY Cosmonautics, Second Hand Techno, Third World..
Enjoy!
and share your thought with us

Kung Fu Junkie Up-Coming Performances for November 2010

2010-11-09T11:39:00.000-08:00

SOKOMUZIKA calls for Party!

---

21:30. 13th November. 2010.

Kung Fu Junkie performs @Pur-Pur

facebook event: KFJ @ Pur-Pur

--------------

November 20.

Kung Fu Junkie @ Contemporary Electronic Music and Visual Art Festival - "Second Life 2010"

Chiatura, Georgia.

facebook event: Second Life 2010

----------
Check for Kung Fu Junkie

@ Reverbnation

Facebook

Soundcloud

Dance or Die!

R'Lyeh Warriors in action

2010-11-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

Kutaisi. Georgia.

"R'Lyeh" -- the Club of the Archaic Games.

project by Igroig.

Read more about the club of the Archaic games here : R'Lyeh

futurenaut dila: some photos and video

2010-10-04T06:22:00.000-07:00

Video projection at the doors of our "Center of Body Sharing".

synthesis of -- VHS glitches, "sect" semantics and third-world-english.

text by - Next.

video by - Temo Ezugbaia [On-Off Project]

some photos by another "candidate body" - Erekle Sologashvili.

You can see the Gallery of Candidate Futurenauts here:

http://www.dila.artisterium.org/gallery.html

web album generator

certificate of Futurenaut with individual registrating number was given to each candidate, who decide to share her/his body:

Futurenaut 3.0. ELY-ens at Artisterium 2010

2010-09-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

ARTISTERIUM 2010 - "Imagine the Future".

3rd Tbilisi International Contemporary Art Exhibition and Art Events. October 2-10, 2010.

ELY-en Next participates at Artisterium 2010, with a project called "FUTURENAUT 3.0".

project Futurenaut is a symbolic, interactive exploration in the fields of Digital immortality and Body[gene] sharing and containts 2 main actions:

1. constructing "false" personality, which never existed. making the memories, dreams, aims and ideas of New Personality, called DILA as a multimedia data for novel character. Uploading the data to preserve it Forever, or to the nearest Future through the Internet.

2. Searching the Body, Flesh [genome] for created Person, through the Live Process at Artisterium 2010.

" — 23 empty flasks and tubes for saving bio-materials for the future body of Dila. people will be asked and be free to share their saliva, sperm and blood within the exhibition of Dila’s deconstructed consciousness. futuristic bio-altruism for artificial, written mind-file."

for general concept please check the web-site:

http://www.dila.artisterium.org/

Participate, SHARE your flesh, preserve your body,

collaborate with Unknown Consciousness

Now and in the Future,become FUTURENAUT

and get a Certificate!

17:00 – Imagine the Future, Artisterium 2010, opening, Georgian National Museum, Tbilisi History Museum Karvasla;

short list of ELY activities from July till October, 2010

2010-07-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

Frozen Moments: Architecture Speaks Back

July 22–25, 2010, Tbilisi, Georgia

A project by Joanna Warsza

Vicki Lee and Next of ELY present muSick-performance by Accidental Lover Boyz

"Any cybernetic System with a program of “Free will” inside of it – is a STRATEGY.

Sokomuzika is a system. Accidental Lover Boyz is a free will. The Sound is a STRATEGY.

Any building is an organism. Organism that uses free will as a battery for it's own existence is an

ARCHITECTURE.

Join our battery Sound inside the dying organism on the 23d day of the month."

--------------------------------------------------------------

7-8 august -- BATUMI NEW WAVE ROCK FESTIVAL 2010

ELY will present pop-electronic performance by Kung Fu Junkie

Kung Fu Junkie was nominated as the Best Group of the Batumi International Rock Fest New Wave 2009
http://www.georgiatoday.ge/article_details.php?id=7145

-------------------------------------------------------

ELY presents DREAM WEEK in the end of the September, 2010

within the Project of DREAM REGISTRATION.

Opening of the Dream Database, Dream Map and dream artworks of the City

and other happenings.

detailed information will come soon.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

for the

International Art-Festival "ARTISTERIUM 2010: Imageine the Future"

at 2-3 of October, 2010

Next Dreamhacker of ELY presents

project "Futurenaut 3.0"

http://www.dila.artisterium.org/

[web-site coming soon]

"The Future is an unstable chaotic system, the vast territory of unknown and the great subject for study and hacking.

Project “Futurenaut 3.0” is dedicated to futuristic exploration of possibilities of affecting nonmaterial future using nonmaterial[digital] tools within art process.

If I can use an internet as a digital time machine, then –

Can I affect the future through the internet? Can I send the wrong data, manipulate with concrete possibilities of my present activity?

Is it possible to make a hypothetically alive organism as an art project, which can be fully completed and presented ONLY in the future, where it couldn’t be an art project at all?

—

Her name is Dila. She was born in the Future. She is a Futurenaut version 3.0"

ALB performs at "Words" Exhibition

2010-06-30T02:24:00.000-07:00

Re-Post from SOKOmusick:

Tomorrow, 1 of july, 2010.

at the museum of Literature.

digital orchestra "Accidental Lover Boyz" performs at exhibition "Words"

organised by CGCCA.

----

ხვალ პირველ ივლისს,ლიტერატურის მუზეუმში

CGCCA-ს მიერ ორგანიზებულ გამოფენა "Words"-ის ფარგლებში

დაუკრავს პროექტი "Accidental Lover Boyz"

Accidental Lover Boyz -- Leave and Fly by SOKOMUZIKA

"You can't take words into space"

Irakli Shonia - Noises and Overloads [2010]

2010-05-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

smART-GROUP ELY

presents

new SOKOMUZIKA release:

meet Irakli Shonia, young artist, from Batumi, west-side, Georgia.

release is full of Eurasian overloads.

you'll swim through the sea of a tv noise, walknig through the industrial silence of the small city.

Sokomuzika feels happy to present

sweet brainwaves and deep sound from Irakli Shonia.

DOWNLOAD

one track for tasting:

http://soundcloud.com/sokomuzika/irakli-shonia-plus-three

Feel FREE to download,

feel FREE to share.

ENJOY!

Dream registration in Tbilisi. may 23- september 23

2010-05-25T02:11:00.000-07:00

ELY calls for CitiZen Dreamers

WWDW [World Wide Dream Web] is art research in the fields of psychogeography and dreams.

1. cities are living organisms, pixels on the map of the planet, so the roads and buildings, people and dreams are the cells of this 'organism'.we want to know all the dreams and nightmares of your city, we want to tell this dreams to everyone.

2. we think that the Art of Dream Sharing is a lost art. dreams are gift, Open source bio-internet with the free access and amazing possibilities, we think that the low role of dreams in ones life is a cultural bug.
we want to bring the dreams back to the life.
----

Dream Registration

creating online surveys, temporary street theaters, meetings and seminars - our goal is to make world wide art archive of current dreams of the cities.

through the nonstop local dream registrations
we are migrating from city to city
collecting current dreams of people.

the final step of local dream registration processes is
the analysis of local city's current dream archive, and based on this information the making of city's Dream Map and Dream Exhibition working with local artists, musicians, programmers etc.
-------

Dream Potlatch

the team of WWDW dream workers try to practice Dream Potlatch.
to every new city - we bring the dreams of the previous city as a free gift.

TELL US IF YOU WANT TO SEE US IN YOUR CITY!

----

Dream Registration started at 23 of may

in Tbilisi, Georgia

-----

temporary home:

http://urbandreamz.freeiz.com/

[English version, FAQ and dreamBlog will come soon]

page on facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/WWDW-World-Wide-Dream-Web/113186895391886?v=info

Live!

2010-05-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

Date:	Saturday, May 29, 2010
Time:	8:00am - 12:00pm
Location:	Vakis Parki, 33a
City/Town:	Tbilisi, Georgia

dance or die!

the Club of the Archaic Games - the city in the city

2010-04-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

the Club of the Archaic Games "R'Lyeh" is a social experiment+ art project + small,private business :]]

by ELYen Igroig Giorgi [MkUltra], based in Kutaisi, west Georgia.

R'lyeh is TAZ[temporary autonomous zone] of Gaming for the little children,

full of spirit of really old PCs and old classic PC games such as Doom II, Diablo, Mortal Combat, Alien Trilogy etc.

The club is an experimental learning space for his owner - Igroig, who calls it - "the city".

in the beggining of the project he wrote

"Declaration for the Existence and Rights of Psychogeographic entity" [avaible in georgian]

where he made clear the reasons of the "city", main goals and how he sees the process of existence of the city.

we will visit R'lyeh soon and show you the city from the inside + interview with it's constructor.

http://o-rlyeh.blogspot.com/

Psychonaut ELY at Electronauts 09

2010-04-19T14:18:00.000-07:00

16.04.2010

ELY's pop-gun, flying circus of SokoMuZikA ,

Kung Fu Junkie

performed their new track "Sci-Fi" [from upcoming album]

at Electronauts-09 [Georgian electronic, inovvative muSick awards]

initiated by Komuna Media [Sergi Gvardjaladze]

check some photos,

video will come soon.

special thanx to:

Temo Ezugbaia

for making a background video for this performance.

Tbilisi Kung Fu School Masters

for their martial arts performance in live.

photos by: Niko Tarielashvili, Nastasia and Alexander bagrationi-Davidoff

Paris Lee at Tbilisi Altervision/Newcomers

2010-03-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

ELYen Paris Lee aka Chring feat The Forest

"Magic Mushrooms"

performed at Tbilisi Open Air - NEWCOMERS (AlterVision)

Transilvania and Electronauts

2010-03-02T02:04:00.000-08:00

ELY goes to Transilvania (Ro.)

temporary sub-part of smART group ELY is preparing for

UNDERGROUND THEATRE FESTIVAL at Romania, Arad.

May 2010.

http://www.undergroundfestival.ro/

ELY will make 2 performances:

1. Virtual Boidy Building [meta: body, virtuality, objects, representation, dance]

2. Call of the Rain [meta: science fiction theatre, telephone, loneliness, rain]

for more info, photos and details of our preparation period, check this page, specially made for

Romanian trip by Lado Oniani:

http://www.ely.wanderingphantom.com/

Transilvania, Here we goooo!!

------------------

ELY at Electronauts

soft-propaganda project of ELY -

electro-pop band Kung Fu Junkie

will perform at Electronauts [Georgian Electronic Music Awards]

16 april, 2010. "Guru" Club.

Next District

2010-01-19T23:48:00.000-08:00

one of the districts where ELY formed in 2006

photoZ by BIOhazard.

Transfromations of Khinkala Man

2010-01-19T23:33:00.000-08:00

photos from Boil Performance

music by Chring aka Paris Lee

concept and performance by NikoloZ

“Eurasian Laboratory”: Poetry, Prose, Music and Politics in Georgia

2009-12-20T07:35:00.000-08:00

essey about ELY by Esma Berikishvili for Master diploma :)

“Eurasian Laboratory”: Poetry, Prose, Music and Politics in Georgia Summary:

Esma Berikishvili
Central European University
80 pgs; P. 2009
This paper examines the emergence of the ‘alternative’ culture in Georgia in 2006 and maps the
structure of the artistic field. I focus my study on artistic collaboration “Eurasian Laboratory”
and I argue, by using Anthony Cohen’s theory of symbolic construction of community, that they
create an ‘alternative’ community through art as a social activity. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s theory
of field and practice, I show how the artistic field is formed and influenced by several political
happenings in Georgia from 1917 till 2003. I expose the issue of cultural policy in order to
understand the priorities of the State in cultural field and to examine how the State apparatus by
providing the dominant symbolic system, excludes ‘alternative’ cultural forms, forms that do not
fit in State’s understanding of culture. Following this lines, I trace how artists engage in struggle
for legitimation over proper/improper modes of expression. I will also demonstrate how
“Eurasian Laboratory” with using subversive cultural forms produces an alternative space for
creating music, prose and poetry, which is free from any kind of aesthetic and political
restrictions. In addition, I analyze how Georgian context as well as external forces affects
formation of the community and art, by looking at the deeper levels of “Laboratory’s” art works.

http://ebook30.com/personality/social-sciences/139428/eurasian-laboratory-poetry-prose-music-and-politics-in-georgia.html

YOU can download it HERE

Note:

ELY is not an eurasionist. the sentence that ELY is interested in russian left eurasionism was taken from Nextdreamhacker's old blog post. we were interested in it, but we don't support any kind of rusian eurasionism or any imperial phylosophy.

we have different view on Eurasian geopolitics, we see it like multicultural space, which must overcome the totalitarian systems and bring back it's multicultural chaotick magic.

image from "samizdata net"

Boil

2009-12-19T09:27:00.000-08:00

20 december. @ New Art Cafe
performance by Nikoloz (aka Khinkala)
sound by Paris lee aka Chring

KFJ never on sunday everyone is a star

2009-12-06T12:27:00.000-08:00

photos from KFJ performance at "Tbilisi Never on Sunday"

"EVERY MAN & EVERY WOMAN IS A STAR".

photos by Magda Guruli.

article about the performance

by Shota Gagarin @ Blogs of "Tskheli Shokoladi" magazine,

here. (georgian)

KFJ "never on Sunday"

2009-12-02T14:39:00.000-08:00

3 December.

Kung fu Junkie

Performance @ New Art Cafe, Tbilisi.

part of the

"Tbilisi 6. Never On Sunday"

program.

http://www.tbilisi6.com/#

live set by Accidental Lover BoyZ

2009-11-26T07:19:00.000-08:00

27 november. @ "PurPur"
SOKOmusician Paris Lee aka Baby NewZ aka Grinch re-presents the new type of his experimental project: Accidental Lover BoyZ .
come and check second hand teKno set.

for more information and photos from the event check
our SOKOMUZIKa blog.

3 october - KFJ is on the stage

2009-09-25T05:42:00.000-07:00

SokoMuZiK-A
presents:
3 october. 2009.
Dance or Die with KFJ at Movement Theatre

"SokoMuZiKA" at Batumi NeW Wave Rock Festival 2009

2009-08-13T06:54:00.001-07:00

Posted from SOKOMUZIKA blog:
http://sokomuzik.blogspot.com/

---------
2 of SOKOMUZIKA bands was participate on BNWR Festival 2009 in Batumi, Georgia.

SOKOMUZIKA presented it's most interesting electro-experimental bands on this fest:
Spandera & komparty (electronic post punk, 16 bit)
and

Kung Fu Junkie (electro-pop, hip-hop, second hand techno)

Kung Fu Junkie was named as the Best band of " Batumi New Wave Rock Festival 2009"

article from 'Georgia today'; 'Batumi New Wave Festival: A complete success' (click to read it)

Spandera & KompParty

Kung Fu Junkie

Bialystzuk Festival. Poland. "Prosta Injinerya"

2009-06-27T06:05:00.000-07:00

ELY team of Ana Tabatadze and Nextdreamhacker perform their performance "Simple Engineering" in Poland, Bialystok city at "Bialystzuk kolkhida 2009" at 25 of june.

official Białysztuk "kolkhida 2009" page:

http://kompaniadoomsday.pl/kategorie,148.html

Ana Zombie (Tibilisi/Gruzja)

"Ana i Zombie to dwójka artystów zaangażowanych we współczesna komunikację internetową (blogging, facebook, myspace, ect.). Regularnie publikują swoje wiersze i rysunki w sieci. Zombie to poeta, piosenkarz i performer, aktywny na scenie i odpowiedzialny za emocjonalny przekaz improwizowanego spektaklu. Ana wywodzi się ze świata sztuk wizualnych i odpowiada za plastyczną oprawę spektakli."

-----------

we have only one photo from performance and others from our Bialystok flat and rehearsal time

.

this photo was made at the performance in real time

-------------

Thank you Bialystzuk and whole team of the Great Nice People we met there.
We Love You. Prosche :))

SokoMuzikA 2. Second Hand Techno. 30.06.2009

2009-06-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

art-group ELY.
Sector of Audio-Visual researches.

label "SOKO" presents

SokomuZikA 2

Soko Muzik/ELY second hand techno event

Tuesday, 30 June 2009

Time: 20:00

Rock Club, rustaveli ave. # 26, Tbilisi, GE

Spandera da Kompartia, Baby Newz, Nothing FM - live @ rock club....

Dance or Die!!!

contemporary georgian angry Urban acoustic Folk

2009-06-23T04:14:00.000-07:00

today in Tiflis City.
Tumanishvili Theater.

more info at SokoMuzik.

http://sokomuzik.blogspot.com/2009/06/contemporary-georgian-angry-urban.html

Secret Internet provider. Berlin. Schaubude theater

2009-06-22T04:37:00.000-07:00

How your VIRTUAL BODY looks like?

concept: Ana Tabatadze, Nextdreamhacker (z0mb)
music: Nextdreamhacker (strange 16bit using some tibetian and classical composers)

lil' part of performance (video):

--------
Special ThanX 2:
Sophia Tabatadze,
Laurence Barbasetti,
Frau Silvia,
theatre technicians.
:)

2009.30.05. SOKOmuZik-A gig. PICS

2009-05-31T03:52:00.000-07:00

check yesterday event pics here:

SOKOmuZIk-A blog:

http://sokomuzik.blogspot.com/2009/05/sokomuzik-some-pics-from-yesterday.html

http://sokomuzik.blogspot.com/

2009.30.05. SOKOmuZik-A gig.

2009-05-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

2009.
30 may.
Tbilisi.
shardeni street 1.
club "NumBar ONE"

art-group ELY and indiependent label SOKO
presents:

Second hand, Eurasian electronic event

participants:

Spandera and Kompartya

Baby NewZ

feat

Nextdreamhacker

and

MC Cutkill

check out SOKOMUZIKA blog:
http://sokomuzik.blogspot.com/2009/05/200930-may-new-sikomuzik-event-baby.html