Shintaro Kago X Flying Lotus: You're Dead! Illustrations (NSFW)

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Last month, electronic music maestro Steven Ellison (AKA Flying Lotus) announced that his forthcoming fifth album comically titled You're Dead! would be released this October. Normally, this alone would be enough to send me pacing frantically in giddy circles of impatient anticipation. But there's more: Flylo has enlisted the peculiar talents of Japanese body-horror artist Shintaro Kago to illustrate his album cover as well as a series of tarot cards depicting each of the 19 tracks on You're Dead! These illustrations are proof-positive that a collaboration between Lotus' mind-bending electronica and Kago's macabre artwork is a match made in Heaven(?)

Shintaro Kago is a Japanese guro horror artist and self-proclaimed kisou mangaka ("bizarre manga artist"). Born in 1969, Kago has contributed over 30 publications since his debut in 1988. Check out more of the series after the break, though tread lightly where you click. We're entering firm NSFW territory here.

Jérémie Périn Returns With "Fantastic Capote And Wonder Capote" (NSFW)

I have to say, French animator Jérémie Périn really tends to outdo himself in the NSFW meter with every animated short he puts out (With the exception of his amazing retro homage Starr Mazer). While his realm of specialty has typically been centered around more musical affairs, this latest animated promo is more in the PSA arena, promoting safe sex via 'capote' (condom) usage.

The idea seems pretty straight forward, but in the typical Jérémie Périn style he found a way to make it as unintentionally disturbing as possible. In a city inhabited by a whole slew of genitals, two heroes make it their mission to protect the populace from various nasty bugs with their message of 'play it safe.' If you're curious to check out some more of Périn's even more noteworth work, check out his incredible (And incredibly NSFW) music video for DYE's Fantasy.

Joywave - "Tongues Ft. Kopps" (NSFW)

If you're familiar with the work of Hot Chip, you'll definitely enjoy Joywave's Tongues, a brilliant layered music video featuring with plenty of layered synth throughout. The premise of the retro styled music video is probably one of the funniest parts, featuring a group of hunters tracking down a large pack of nudists with their clothing guns. Yet much to their surprise, they fail to realize that the nudists have a few tricks up their sleeves too.

Believe it or not, the ending takes a little page from Akira, and it's absolutely hilarious. The track is taken from Joywave's newest EP, titled 'How Do You Feel,' available now via cultco Music.

Dye - "She's Bad" (NSFW)

Juan de Guillebon aka Dye enlisted the help of outlandish filmmaking duo Dent de Cuir to execute this cautionary tale about the dangers of dealing with a femme fatale. By using some creative visual masking we're made to realize just what kind of intentions lurk under the surface of this predatory seductress versus her prey, portrayed as an innocent lamb.

Dye's distinct brand of electro pop is front and center in She's Bad, with plenty of distorted synth that goes perfectly with the rather messed up finale of the track. Enjoy.

Edmond Was A Donkey (NSFW)

Finally released online following a very successful two year international festival stint, Franck Dion's animated tale about an individual who never quite fit in is finally online for us to check out. Despite the fact that he did nothing wrong other than being born different, these differences ultimately attract a negative reaction from those around him who opt to tease him incessantly. Be it out of jealousy, spite or a combination of both we're made to witness a dark transformation in Edmond after some people go too far. Edmond Was A Donkey offers some great lessons into the long lasting damage that bullying and abuse can have on any individual, delivered in a truly unique, highly stylized CG tale.

Edmond is not like everybody else. A small, quiet man, Edmond has a wife who loves him and a job that he does extraordinarily well. He is, however, very aware that he is different. When his co-workers tease him by crowning him with a pair of donkey ears, he suddenly discovers his true nature. And though he comes to enjoy his new identity, an ever-widening chasm opens up between himself and others.

Anatomy Of Desire (NSFW)

Claire Dejoe's Anatomie du Désir (Anatomy of Desire) goes into the dilemma of a voluptuous vixen, who finds herself spoiled for choice amid a sea of hapless men. Dejoe employed a really cool low-poly look alongside an animation style resembling crude stop motion, and the result is pretty intriguing to look at. The end result is pretty hilarious.

My first short film, directed alone in six months, during my 4th year at Supinfocom/Valenciennes!
Barbie & Ken are made for each other... Unfortunately, this eternal love depends only on the fact that there's only one Barbie and one Ken. And if we multiply Ken, things become complicated.

Denmark Gets All Grindhouse For It's Elections With "Voteman" (NSFW)

The folks at Akee just unveiled their latest promotional campaign for encouraging young people to vote in Denmark with Voteman, and it's nothing short of mind blowing. Featuring a rather intense Danish badass as the spokesperson, this little animated advert warns against the dangers of not voting and having an impact on various important issues. Problem is, the cartoon is already banned in it's native country despite having been thought up by Denmark's own Folketinget (Parliament) with a purported budget of $30,000. Following it's release last week the short was removed a day after it's release following the massive backlash that ensued.

Go figure, but I appreciate that parliament's sense of humor. Bans aside the end result is an animated short that feels like a fine blend of part Robert Rodriguez (Planet Terror, Machete) and part Adult Swim. So to our friends in Denmark, please vote on the 25th or else you might end up getting headbutted by a bondage gear wearing dolphin. We wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Tobacco's "Streaker" Is A Bathsalt Trip In Music Video Form Thanks To The Madness of Eric Wareheim (NSFW)

For those familiar with the psychedelic sounds of Black Moth Super Rainbow you've come to expect nothing but absolute insanity from their music videos. With band member TOBACCO releasing a new solo album this May, we've been "treated" with a new music video by the fantastic Eric Wareheim of Tim & Eric fame.

Honestly, this music video is absolutely f*cked  in a strangely hypnotic way. The song's crunchy beats and heavy drums really pushes this into feeling like a drugged experience. There's plenty of nudity to push this into highly NSFW territory, with some of the visuals becoming absolutely insane. Once you get past the initial shock of flopping body parts and glitched out visuals the overall tone of the music fits incredibly well with the songs progression.

TOBACCO's solo work has always included less altered vocals (with the likes of Beck making an appearance on previous albums), and this newest track is no different featuring the vocals of Notrabel. While I love me some Black Moth Super Rainbow, it's tracks like this that really shows TOBACCO's willingness to experiment with his sound.

Ultima II Massage releases May 13th with a super groovy limited edition vinyl around the 20th.

Concorde - "Sons" (NSFW)

Well, that was one of the darkest music videos I've seen in a while. The Alexis Beaumont & Rémi Godin (They also animated Stuck In The Sounds memorable Let's Go) directed video for Concorde's latest synthpop track isn't memorable for it's action scenes and over the top animation, but for the fact that it deals with themes of insecurity. In 4 minutes we are presented with 2 portraits, a young girl with a less than ideal self image, and that same girl years later with a complex, attempting to connect with the same person. While the lack of confidence ruined things the first time, her dramatic change ultimately delivers some unexpected results. The sense of frustration is palpable.

A sample of Negron's work from his Tumblr.

The unique style of Sons was inspired by the art of up and coming Puerto Rican comic artist Jonny Negron, who's pulpy style mixes elements of Japanese anime and western comic books. The music video is interesting for the fact that it ultimately mixes social commentary with an unendorsed tribute to an artists unique style, something we haven't really seen before here on AwesomeRobo.

Meat (NSFW)

MEAT has the distinction of being one of the most first installations I've heard of based off the events of a real crime. Walking a fine line between performance piece, a reconstruction of real events and musical video, this project by Swedish actor/set designer Thomas Bo Nilsson is bound to be a rather unsettling endeavor.

The 240-hour-long performance is exploring the sexual identities of its characters, online and offline. The theater performance is initially based on the story of Luka Magnotta, Canadian adult actor and model accused of killing and dismembering another man. He was eventually caught in a Berlin Internet café in 2012, which is the setting of MEAT's initial promo video. We are offered a glimpse into a truly seedy underbelly filled with some truly deviant personalities, each with their own story to tell.

While the promo seems cut straight out of one of Darren Aronofsky's upcoming films, the actual performance will take place at the Schaubühne theater in Berlin. And with it's lengthy running time, I'm really curious as to how they will approach retelling this rather twisted series of events.

"Our Robocop Remake" - The Crowdsourced Tribute In It's Full Glory

Just like Star Wars Uncut and various other scene-by-scene fan remakes, the people behind Our Robocop Remake decided to pay tribute to Paul Verhoeven's classic dystopic 1987 feature rife with satirical social commentary. And they timed it just right, releasing it just a few days before the reboot premieries, which from what we're hearing, is already getting slammed with negative reviews and people walking out from screenings. While it's not a shot by shot remake, it definitely follows a scene by scene retelling structure. For a full list of everyone that contributed, see the list here.

Fatal Farm's scene contribution will make you cross your legs and cringe pretty hard.

Our RoboCop Remake is a crowd-sourced film project based on the 1987 Paul Verhoeven classic. We are a group of filmmakers and RoboCop fans who have split the original film into 60 pieces and have remade the movie ourselves. Because if anyone is going to ruin RoboCop, it's us.

Chrysalis (NSFW)

Chrys·a·lis - A protecting covering :  a sheltered state or stage of being or growth.

French director Stephan Kots's eye candy piece revolves around the emergence of a new entity from it's coating. Mainly focused on a fine tuned blend of cinematography and music, it's a fun piece that delivers from a visual standpoint.

Meg Myers - "Desire" (NSFW)

Directed by Jordan Bahat, Desire is an unsettling portrait of corrupted innocence, showcased by Meg Myers herself in an unsettling bedroom. We're presented with lyrics that show someone completely conflicted yet unable to escape, accepting and revulsed at the same time by the events that unfolded inside this dank, cold house.

An invisible figure symbolizes the events that unfolded in this apartment, while we're presented with contrasting, innocent imagery on a TV which breaks down over time. The haunting track is from her upcoming Make a Shadow EP, which will be dropping February 14th. Amazing. 

Arcade (NSFW)

An unrelenting barrage of tantalizing imagery awaits you in Arcade, which much to our surprise turned out to be an avant garde promo for an up and coming jewelry line by the same name. The company, called Kirsten Goss specializes in unorthodox jewelry and it seems like that applies to their marketing as well, which I really liked.

The retro feeling reel (Perhaps the abundance of monochromatic imagery) is a strangely unsettling display, which differentiated itself via it's insistence on not emphasizing the product every step of the way. Directed by Clive Will, it's a concentrated shot of eye candy waiting to be consumed.

Studies on Hysteria (Very NSFW)

Adam is a young man living in a small, quaint, remote village. In this village, all of the inhabitants are constantly nude, as clothes do no exist. One day he goes on his merry way, just like any other day (Can I just say I really wanted to started singing "Little Town" from Beauty and the Beast? Anyways...).

Except on this day, he happens onto something that will change the course of his life. Based on the psychological theory of hysteria, and in turn mass hysteria (also known as moral panic).  Definitely NSFW based on reasons stated in the beginning. Duh.

See more from the team behind the film here!

Trusts and Estates (NSFW)

Based on an overhead conversation a few years ago, Trusts and Estates is a pen and ink animated short by recent CalArts graduate Jeanette Bonds.  Four lawyers sit around boozing it up and shooting the sh*t after a long day of work.  What starts off as some casual banter turns into a full vulgarity fest.  A one-up contest of a rather graphic nature, this is a conversation I really would have loved to hear in real life. NSFW for language, the visuals are G-rated.

The Pulpy Art Of Rockin' Jellybean (NSFW)

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Babes, monsters, cars and mexican wrestler masks - The signature ingredients of Japanese illustrator Rockin' Jellybean, who's art beckons from a more colorful decade which was rife with pulpy exploitation. RJB was hugely influenced by American pop culture while growing up, and it came to be part of his artistic DNA, mixed with a little zen art, like Ukiyo-e.



I'd like to call his style more 'poster art' oriented, replicating styles present in promotional materials for concerts and movies in the late 60's and 70's, with splashes of brash, in your face color and material in tune with the shock-factor tone that dominated cinema and music in that era. His artwork has been well received back home, being exhibited in BAPE (Bathing Ape) galleries as well as being sold at a Rockin' Jellybean store called Erostika in Harajuku. Always clad in a luchador mask, Jellybean continues to bring his wild visions to fruition on a daily basis.

Fidlar - "Cocaine" (NSFW)

It's a moment we have all probably dreamed of. Well, maybe not to this degree (but I won't judge...), but that moment of just pure 'F*ck it!' just kinda falls on us. Nick Offerman plays a man who really, really plays out this fantasy as a man recently fired. Fired through text message, no less. Ouch. It's a music video for Fidlar's track Cocaine, and Offerman, with the help of a near-convincing prosthetic, decides to tell the world just what he thinks of it. Very, very NSFW!

The Day I Killed My Best Friend (NSFW)

Antonio J. Busto Algarin, who goes by the monicker of 'Busto' just recently released his visually striking short film, dealing with some rather risqué issues executed in an absolutely demented, experimental visual style. Animated using a mix of live action and truly abstract, straight ahead animation, the entire feel of this short really brings me back to the work of David O' Reilly, who accomplished a similar effect in the 3D realm with The External World. Synopsis below, followed by a potentially even more disturbing making of, which isn't what it seems either.

Regla is a nine-year-old girl, whose only friend is imaginary. Regla hates bath time and always has to be ordered to do it. However, she usually gets rid of her bath water without her mother knowing. One day Regla and her indulgent imaginary friend are forced to confront the sudden arrival of her first menstruation and the problems that come with it.

Die Antwoord - "Cookie Thumper" (NSFW)

The South African rap-rave group continues their descent into madness with their latest narrative, starring vocalist Yolandi Visser as an orphan approaching her crush, a recently freed 'Ugly Americans' (A real gang in S. Africa) gangster called Anies and inviting him back to her orphanage. What ensues is a surprise ending bound to draw some interesting reactions from fans of Die Antwoord and critics alike.

The track features the typical groups signature take on the South African Zef counterculture, which embraces trash fashion, and the entire culture of glorifying living above your means to look like you're better off than you actually are. You're poor, but you rock that faux glam aesthetic however you can. The term has it's equivalent elsewhere- See also Bogans in Australia, Chavs in the UK, Hipsters in the US, an so forth. The track is from their upcoming 'Donker Mag' album, which is set to release in February 2014.