The Black Blog

Steampunk Artwork: Tess Fowler

2009-05-27T06:29:00.000-07:00

A lovely lass by the name of Tess Fowler has been working away on some rather well done and ever so devilish pieces of steampunk erotica.

Adding to that she, and her writing partner, are in the middle of a graphic novel.

Go and have a peer at tessfowler.com.

The PB Crew approves!

Antipodean Steampunk Flavoured Tunes: Juke Baritone & The Swamp Dogs

2009-05-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

Image © Juke Baritone & The Swamp Dogs

Some of you may already know about these gents, but what the hell we're excited.

Juke Baritone & The Swamp Dogs is a six piece from Sydney, AUS utilising twelve instruments and fronted by the Juke himself. They're not comfortable with labels as a whole, their brand of music tends to defy classification, but one thing we can say is that its damned good.

Sounds like: Tom Waites and Nick Cave got drunk, smoked too much then had a fist fight before falling into a pile of instruments in a dingy vaudeville bar. It's raw, no bullshit and highly addictive.

AMRAP currently have them as a featured artist where you can listen to an interview with the Juke.

On independant release through their own record label, Bag Lady Records, the band have one self titled release and have finished a second album. However, being self funded as they are, money is tight and they could use a hand to help them in their plans for world domination. Pre-Orders are being taken and the call has gone out for major investors and donations.

Click here to make a donation.
Click here to Pre-order a signed copy of the second album.

Or, if you've got the cold hard cash to make a major investment email Juke Baritone to work out the fiddly bits and own a piece of something wonderful.

They're about to embark on a tour through the UK and Europe but not before playing:

Garbage Cabaret at The Vanguard in Newtown NSW on May 31st.

The Joynt in South Brisbane QLD on June 20th, and

Swanfest in Ipswich QLD on July 4th.

Be sure to check them out live to wish them Bon Voyage and foist money on their persons for further megalomanic pursuits of the aural kind.

--
Kisses,

Talisa

Prometheus Bound: Liner Notes 16.05.09

2009-05-17T05:05:00.000-07:00

It's currently 4.12AM and we've all returned to our various abodes, de-corseted, brassed and removed various bits and pieces from our hair and everywhere else. So we feel comfortable saying this now. What a fucking fantastic night.

This thank you list is in no particular order:

Royg: You drove us around for half the day, cracked jokes, got pissed and bolstered our mile-a-second squishy brains. Thank you.

Liam: Zero notice to come in as our sound tech when the one's we lined up had to pull out. You are quite the awesome man.

Jon: Roadie of Doom! Provider of Cabling and fantabulous leopard print hats. You are made of win.

cAt: One fine ass and sassy door bitch if ever there was one. Another of the fantastic people who stepped up to the plate when our regular couldn't make it. Thank you.

Our beloved DJs, Tink, Alpha & Josh: Quickest changeover in history! Great tunes, bountiful senses of humour and fearsome multi-tasking abilities. We loves you.

p0m: We're not going to even go into how much you've done for us. Just know you are awesome.

Miss .Nel. - For the Cause! Beautiful and sparkly just like the pieces you create. Danke.

Tash & Wolves Horde: The Shiny is gooood. Sleep deprived or not. Thank you.

Mark Greenmantle - You really are quite good at your profession, thank you for coming down to our little club.

Lisa & Her Drooguettes: Loved it. Thank you for being part of the show.

The Wretched Villains: What can we say? Absolutely brilliant doesn't cover it but is a good start. Thank you for your music, time, humour and professionalism.

The staff at Club 320. Absolutely brilliant. Thank you.

And finally to every single wonderful, beautiful person who ventured out. The effort you all put in to look so good astounds us every time. We could not do this if it weren't for all of you. We are excited every time to see what you will come out with next. Thank you.

It's quite nippy and there is a warm bed calling. Count down to PromBound Episode IV starts now. We go again in July.

-- Talisa & Kali
Black Productions/Prometheus Bound

Media Whores Part III

2009-05-14T14:47:00.000-07:00

Jeebus,

Yes. We're in something again.

Kali, Myself and our favourite pixie featured Black Productions Staffer, Josh have just completed a steampunk flavoured photo shoot for MX Magazine at the 4ZzZ Studios.

It goes to print for collection Friday afternoon (15.05.09) from the various hawkers and racks around Brisbane city. Get a copy to see us in our finery.

It's not available online so we will be nice and scan a copy in once we get our grubby hands on it.

Edit 15.05.09 - We're on page 2! Right in the fecking middle. It's not a half bad photo either. Scan coming as soon as we can beat our scanner into submission.

Media Whores Part II

2009-05-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

Our beloved Kali gives steampunk pointers for the uninitiated in this weeks issue of Rave Magazine.

Pick up a copy from the usual suspects or read online here.

Media Whores Part I

2009-05-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

Our lovely flyer designed by yours truly is in the very first issue of Underground United. As well as some banner artwork I did for local band, Mythology. But that would just be plugging ...

The 'zine is produced by the team at Switch Entertainment and having said first copy in my hot little hands, it's headed for iconic status already. Something those of us in the Brisbane scene are good at. Great feature articles on local music and art events that show an edgy, no bullshit sense of humour along with gig pics, gig guide and even a recipe. We're chuffed to be in it, even if it's only a flyer.

Links below:

Underground United Brisbane
Switch Entertainment
Mythology

So if in Brisneyland I would suggest you grab a copy while you can, at last check they've gone into yet another reprint. The usual outlets stock them as well as 4ZzZ Studios.

Kisses,

Talisa

2009-04-25T23:32:00.000-07:00

Steampunk Awesome

2009-04-22T05:59:00.000-07:00

Meet the Mechtorians ...

Image is linked

Aren't they just darling?

Click on the picture and read about Retropolis.

Prometheus Bound is Back!

2009-04-13T08:57:00.000-07:00

Review of Prometheus Bound

2009-03-19T05:19:00.000-07:00

Josh Guinan from 4ZzZ's Dark Essence Radio has reviewed us!

Prometheus Bound: Not your usual Brisbane club ...
By Josh Guinan

Steampunk; essentially it’s an emerging subculture based on speculative fiction fusing today’s technology and culture with a late Victorian-era aesthetic. A number of bands, communities and nightclubs are springing up within the Steampunk community, one of which is Brisbane’s Prometheus Bound nightclub. Emerging on the local club circuit in November of 2008 the debut Prometheus Bound attracted a cross-section of folk to the upper level of Spring Hill’s St Pauls on Leichardt; everyone from diehard steampunk fans to the curious and intrigued. Prometheus Bound ran again in February 2009 at the same venue.

Entertainment for the first evening was provided by a selection of DJs, an experimental noise performance courtesy of local two-piece HistoriOnyx, bellydancing by Saahirah Rayvn plus vendors in the second room. The second installment in February 2009 featured local hard-rockers Mythology, a different selection of DJs plus vendors. Being an emerging subculture the genre of steampunk is still largely undefined thus a wide range of music is covered from industrial to neo-classical, deathrock to experimental, neo-folk to heavy etc. Many clubs fall into the trap of spinning the same dancefloor "favourites" week after week (hey look, they're playing Covenant's 'Dead Stars' again!)..... it was personally refreshing to see a club steer away from that train of thought and tapping into some fresh talent plus more underground cuts which are rarely heard in a Brisbane club.

Visually I have not attended a club quite like Prometheus Bound; the majority of attendees dress up extravagantly for the occasion making the event something more special than “just another club night”. Neck braces, costumes that light up, that rotate; definitely not you usual club attire.

Thanks to Josh for the awesome review. This makes us happy little bunnies.

Prometheus Bound in Steampunk Magazine

2009-03-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

There we are, in the same article as Cory Fucking Doctorow. How chuffed are we? Extremely.

Be sure to check out his article Love the Machine, Hate the Factory (which is also the motto of Steampunk Magazine) in the latest issue of MAKE, it is a compelling read into the ethos of steampunk and one that we at Black Productions heartily agree with.

Both of these publications are fantastic so take some time to go through them, you won't be dissappointed.

Kisses,

Talisa
save

The Curious Tale of Black Productions

2009-03-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was a girl who had an epiphany of sorts. This epiphany came after years of gentle nudging and outright arse kicking by those near and dear to her.

They said, "You should be a band manager or a promoter or something. Run a club! You'd be good at it."

The girl laughed them off. Yes she loved music, and had a good business head about her but a band manager? Run a club? Surely not. So she dithered away in the corporate world, always keeping up with happenings in the music industry while the seeds that had been sown took root deep in her brain and flourished, slowly changing her outlook on life. One day she met another girl, a redhead just like her with similar tastes and personality but the other girl was the other side of the coin. Complementary.

During a conversation about bands, clubs and the local music scene the seeds that had been gathering strength quietly in the back of the first girl's mind burst forth in a tumult of ideas and strategies all wrapped up in bubbling excitement and rapidly flailing hand gestures. The epiphany struck both of them simultaneously. Before long they were jibbering at eachother, a notebook had been produced, a plan hammered out and thus Black Productions was born.

Those girls were Talisa & Kali Black. Kali the Mad Scientist with a penchant for hot pink, Hello Kitty and good music and Talisa the reformed corporate drone turned Musicologist with her love of cheesy Sci-Fi, anything the colour red and also, funnily enough, good music.

With their mutual adoration of the growing phenomena of Steampunk they went on to produce Australia's first regular steampunk club, Prometheus Bound, which has featured local artists such as HistoriOnyx, Saahirah Ravyn and Mythology. PB continues to build its fanbase and has received inclusion in the venerable Steampunk Magazine as well as endorsement from a steampunk icon, one Dr. Steel.

With the success of their first two clubs, Black Productions has opened its books to band management and has plans for a number of events in and around Brisbane that will showcase, not only the bounty of musical talent that Queensland has to offer, but interstate and international talent as well.

Presently, Talisa and Kali are building their team of hard working and passionate individuals to help make Black Productions a force in the industry.

Want to get involved? Drop them a line at black.productions.au@gmail.com with a resume or compelling argument as to why you are awesome.

Coachella 2009

2009-03-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

Goddamn this is one good lineup.

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Information lifted whole from Coachella's Official site. If you get the chance: GO TO IT!

Black Productions Online

2009-03-11T03:36:00.000-07:00

Below are links to our various web presences for news, updates and hilarity:

Black Productions Music & Entertainment

Prometheus Bound: The Neoapocalyptic Army

Electro Circus - A Neon Hallucination