New York: Magnum Edition

by Karen Day

Here's your chance to show just how much you heart New York (and stunning photography of it). The classic photography book "New York" is being published by Gloria Luxury in limited edition form, with only 25 copies available worldwide. Each massive book will include an estate-stamped gelatin silver print by Leonard Freed (pictured right, click for detail), who was of the league of photographers who never editioned their work. Freed never sold many of his prints and never had exclusive gallery representation, making this book a true collectible.

The book hosts 1500 images, 756 pages, weighs 26 pounds and is housed in case designed to look like a skyscraper. Included among the 28 featured photographers are Annie Leibovitz, Helmut Newton, Patrick Demarchelier and David Baily, exhibiting some of the most iconic images of New York alongside chapters written by such literary talents like EB White, Tom Wolfe, Anthony DeCurtis and Ric Burns, among others.

Magnum has reserved one of these 25 treasures for a CH reader to purchase. To make it yours, contact jennifer [at] magnumphotos [dot] com by 4 November 2008. The price is $4,000.

More images after the jump.

The Invisible: Monster's Waltz

by Leonora Oppenheim

The Invisible are a hotly tipped trio of talented musicians who, after several years of highly acclaimed individual appearances on the U.K. music scene, have now come together as one band to form a unique and inimitable sound. Their pedigree is impeccable, with Dave Okumu featuring in the mighty Matthew Herbert's regular line-up, Leo Taylor currently drumming for Hot Chip and Tom Herbert being one fifth of Mercury Prize nominated Polar Bear.

This week saw the release of their second single "Monster's Waltz" on Accidental Records. It happily coincides with the spirit of Halloween showing off a dark funky beat that contrasts with delicate electro effects, some beautifully smooth vocals from Dave Okumu and a rocking chorus. The band have described their music as black metal/melodramatic popular song. Whatever genre label you want to slap on it, you can be sure you won't have heard anything like it before.

The Invisible have been lauded by music industry insiders such as DJ Zane Lowe who dubbed Monster's Waltz his “Hottest Record In The World”. Look out for their eponymous debut album, produced by none other that Mr. Matthew Herbert himself, on digital release in a few weeks. The Invisible support Hot Chip at Brixton Academy in London on 6 November 2008.

Daze: South Bronx to Naples

by CH Contributor

by Ariston Anderson

Daze is no stranger to Italy and come November, he's back in full force with a multimedia show in Naples. His latest solo show opens next month at Entropy Art and the city will also be treated to one of his singular public murals.

He's featuring several large paintings at the show with varied subject matter "like 'The big Bosses,' which is a play both on the corporate bigwigs and politicians that have a stranglehold on the average citizen," Daze tells CH. "And paintings like 'Blue Monday' in which a stylization of my name is the subject matter."

We love when Daze brings his graffiti-influenced strokes onto canvas, building an urban landscape within a gallery. The show will also feature smaller sketchbook paintings, made from hand drawn images collaged onto canvas. And what we're most excited about, a series of photos from the late '70s of Daze and friends running around Bronx train yards and painting graffiti . "They are a testament to what life in New York was like then," says Daze.

This expansive show of new work and historic photos is not to be missed. Alberto Polo is producing a catalog and DVD interview of his studio as part of the show.

Click flyer for detail.

South Bronx to Naples
Opening reception: 5 November 2008, 6:30pm
5-30 November 2008
Entropy Art
via San Pasquale a Chiaia, 53
Naples, Italy map
tel. + 39 335 80 92 771

Pivot

by Lost At E Minor

Lost At E Minor featured Pivot's Secret Playlist recently and now they have an awesome new album out. With members scattered across the globe (though with roots firmly planted in Sydney), Pivot create lushly ominous electronic music that seeps through your soul, steals your heart and renders you immobile. For a good ten minutes at least, as their latest album O Soundtrack My Heart (which we have five copies of to give away) proves. We interviewed Richard Pike, guitarist and producer from the group, asking him whether the making of the making of O Soundtrack was a stressful or chilled experience?

It was stressful at the start as the old band was falling apart. When that business got out of the way, it was a pretty easy affair. We were all focused and ready to make something great.

How does the geographic location of the members affect the sound or the ability of the band to function as a band?
Well, we've been together for most of this year, mostly out of suitcases touring Europe, and we're functioning quite well. We've played more gigs in the last six months than we ever have before. By the end of the year it will be somewhere between 80 and 100 shows. The old band played about 12 when we released our first record.

When we recorded, we did initial sessions in a studio then spent the rest of the time sending files back and forth between London and Sydney. Then we all came together again when it came time to release it and tour. We had to re-learn a lot of the songs and decide how to play them live.

Given that you guys are now signed with Warp, have you been a long time fan of the Warp roster and who are your favorite acts off it? Yes of course. Name one and I'll probably like it. Autechre and Boards of Canada will always be classic. Out of the new acts I love Grizzly Bear and Born Ruffians.

Alfred Kubin: Graphic Works 1897-1910

by Doug Black

Marked by eerie, nightmarish imagery, the work of Alfred Kubin seems awfully appropriate on Halloween. The Austrian artist mined the depths of the human subconscious to craft some of the most enduringly spectral drawings, watercolors and lithographs. The recently-released monograph "Graphic Works 1897-1910" accompanies the retrospective by the same name that is currently on display at the Neue Galerie New York, which focuses on his earliest works drawn at the turn of the century.

In addition to the illustration of his own dream worlds, he interpreted the more macabre works by the likes of Edgar Allen Poe, as well as Balzac, Gogol and Dostoevsky, to name a few. The book spends 212 pages exploring the genesis and significance of his work with 100 color illustrations that, judging by Kubin's monochromatic palette, might as well have been black-and-white. A full 50 years after his death, Kubin's early work still exudes the creepy, hypnotic weirdness that made him a household name in the German-speaking world.

The text is provided by Annegret Hoberg, a curator at Munich's Lenbachhaus and author of numerous art books. "Graphic Works 1897-1910" is available through Prestel, as well as Amazon.