Category Archives: Japanese Culture

Robert Stark interviews Rich Houck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark talks to Rich Houck about urbanism, aesthetics, and the need for social capital. Rich is a recent law school grad and you can check out his blog on Patreon and his Twitter account.

Topics:

Rich’s interest in photography
Rich’s patronage of independent artists
Interest in both traditional and Retro-Futurist aesthetics
Neon nationalism: reclaiming the future we should have had
80s nostalgia: the 80s as a going away party
The Last Mall Rat OR The Decline and Transformation of The American Mall
The importance of communal spaces, whether it’s Interior Urbanism or a traditional village space
How urban planning models and density relate to social cohesion
Does Diversity Create Distrust?
Crime prevention through environmental design and A New Way of Understanding ‘Eyes on the Street‘ 
Impression of San Francisco, how it could have been an American Paris with a uniquely American European aesthetic
The spring COVID-19 took from me
How the pandemic is exposing a wide range of problems from open borders to factory farming
Robert’s novel Journey to Vapor Island’s lesson about taking the best from all sides
Symbolism of the Neon-Raccoon

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook pageTwitterInstagram, Stark Truth TV, and novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark interviews Artist Tim Biskup

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and Francis Nally talk to artist Tim Biskup.(Video of  interview on Stark Truth TV) Check out Tim Biskup’s work on Instagram. Music in video is Living Folklore by Brandon Adamson.

Topics:

Inspiration from watching cartoons and growing up around the remnants of modernism
Mid-Century Modern design
Tim’s music
Tim’s background in animation working on the show Time Squad
How big bureaucratic systems destroy art
Style of “Baroque Modernism,” modernism without minimalism
Japanese Monster Toys
Influences including the artist Roberto Matta
Current project for an artist and residence space
Art book coming out in October
Advice for artists

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook pageTwitterInstagram, Stark Truth TV, and novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark talks to Ashley Messinger about Roger Blackstone & The Politics of AESTHETICS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roger Blackstone is a fictional presidential candidate in Robert Stark’s novel Journey to Vapor Island.

Topics:

Ashley’s article Roger Blackstone: The Politics of Aesthetics
Roger Blackstone’s ideology as a psychedelic futurist form of social nationalism
Roger Blackstone utilizing capitalism as a real estate mogul to rise to power
Roger Blackstone’s Utopian visions in contrast with Trump who has been a major disappointment
Roger Blackstone’s campaign commercial
“Advancing civilization and furthering human progress” implies a rejection of the NRx reading of history (inverted Whig view) and assumes that some forms of progress are actually meaningful
Basing political ideology on aesthetic values
New Urbanism and the necessity of creating aesthetically pleasant living spaces
The idea that simple libertarianism is just not enough and we need to create intentional communities for every possible group
The 1980’s Retro Futuristic theme; “Neon Nationalism”
Roger Blackstone’s idea of making humans, rather than just art and architecture, the subject of aesthetic concern
Roger’s Blackstone’s economic views and support for a basic income
The power to completely re-engineer the human genome to enhance human potential(Transhumanism)
The book The Chemical Muse about the prevalence of drugs(especially entheogens) in pre-modern societies, and the importance of drug use to a lot of artists and anti-conformists
Roger Blackstone’s father Alistair and his manifesto “Why The True Aristocrat Must Rule”
The notion of a natural aristocracy(ex. Ralph Waldo Emerson and HL Mencken)
The term “Aristocratic Radicalism” pops up, which has been used to describe Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy
Similarities to Alistair Crowley’s concept of “Aristocratic Communism,” where society is geared towards empowering those who are naturally non-conformists, artists, and intellectuals
There is some evidence that Alistair is sympathetic to distributive economic philosophies, because capitalism has this stifling effect on the creative class
The mock presidential debate scene where Noam has to represent Roger Blackstone against the Democrat, Republican, and Libertarian
The growing trend of political fusionism
The importance of using fiction to influence political discourse

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings and his novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark talks to Francis Nally about his book A Manifesto About Stalking Patrick Hyland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark talks to Francis Nally about his new book A Manifesto About Stalking Patrick Hyland. Francis blogs at www.pilleater.com and is also the author of Trip and Almond Eyes, Baby Face. Check out his music label Phteven Universe.

Topics:

Intro song: Asian Girlfriend
Quotes by Adam Parfrey, Sam Hyde, Chris Corda, James Nulick, and Brandon Adamson who wrote the forward
The book’s cover art by Shelby Criswell
The book as Francis’s manifesto and collection of his essays
Eurasian Futurism
Introducing a conceptual “bicultural” world after the fall of globalism and multiculturalism
Future City States
Chinese vs. Japanese Culture
The Alt-Right being stuck in a right wing ghetto and the need to be both left wing and right wing
The Alt Left and it’s key principles of friends, family, and freedom
Andrew Yang for President who is proposing a basic income
Rejecting Normie values
The Artist as the natural elite
Avant Garde Art and resurrecting Apocalypse Culture
Sexual Mores
The Cult of the Extroverts
The Asian feminist fallacy
Queer Culture & Homo-Nationalism
Fashwave Sectarianism vs. Vaporwave Hegemony
Francis’s upcoming performance under the label Phteven Universe on May 5th at the Sound Hole in Philadelphia

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings and his novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark interviews Rodney Alan Greenblat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Francis Nally talk to Rodney Alan Greenblat. Rodney is well known for his visual artwork that includes paintings, constructions and illustration. He is the character and world designer for the iconic 1990’s Playstation game “Parappa The Rapper”. Electronic music is another one of his passions. For more info visit whimsyload.com

Topics:

Intro: Warm Oatmeal Starship
“Parappa The Rapper” which was both a video game and an anime
The art behind “Parappa The Rapper”
Artistic influences ranging  from Dr. Seuss to animation to modernist art
The popularity of Rodney’s work in Japan
Rodney’s book Dharma Delight: A Visionary Post Pop Comic Guide to Buddhism and Zen
The philosophy of Rodney’s work; “Thoughtful fun”
Rodney’s comic Thunder Bunny
Rodney’s electronic Music
Designing the set for the band Puffy
THE RODNEY SHOP in Catskill NY

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings and his novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark interviews Vaporwave Artist Spear 槍

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Francis Nally talk to Vaporwave artist Spear 槍. He is a musician and DJ who attends Pennsylvania State University. Check out his music on FacebookSoundCloud, and Bandcamp.

Topics:

Intro: 名誉
The Vaporwave genre
Slowed down compressed 80’s music
Lo-Fi Trip Hot
The revival of cassettes and VHS
Adult Swim
Vaporwave as a surreal idealized consumerism
Mallsoft
The visual art for the videos
The Vapor Room show
Saudade; a Portuguese term to describe the longing for and memories of good times
Hypnagogia; the state between being awake and being asleep where you can’t distinguish between what is real and what is not
Vaporwave Literature(Robert Stark’s Journey to Vapor Island)

Click Here to download!

This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings and his novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark interviews Musician Jody Coombes of Star Noir

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark, Sam Kevorkian, and J.G. Michael talk to Illustrator, Photographer, Video Game Designer, and Musician Jody Coombes. Check out his music under the label Star Noir on Facebook and bandcamp, and his photography and illustrations on Flickr.

Topic:

Working on video games including Call of Duty and Need for Speed
Cyberpunk games such as Shadowrun and Beneath a Steel Sky
The New Retro Wave and Darkwave genres
The  Cyberpunk genre
How To Make Synthwave Retrowave with Timecop 1983 in FL Studio
The visual component in making Synth music
Jody’s first EP Psycho City
Jody’s first-ever gig in London at the Retro Future Fest
Jody’s illustrations and 80’s Retro-Futurist aesthetics
80’s Action and Horror films
80’s Video Game Arcades; London Trocadero
The new series Stranger Things and the film Drive
Jody’s photography of locations including the UK, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Nova Scotia
Sinofuturism
“Design is not art….. Design is an exercise in psychology”
Robert Stark’s Paintings which fuse Retro Futurist genres
Transhumanism, Automation, and the Basic Income
The Pilot project “Lost Future” about a man who lost his future
Upcoming projects and performances

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings!




Robert Stark interviews Manga Artist Toshio Maeda 前田俊夫

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark, Sam Kevorkian, and Joshua Zeidner talk to manga artist “Tentacle Master” Toshio Maeda(前田俊夫)

Topics:

How Toshio learned how to draw manga and his inspiration from American cartoons and comic strips
How Toshio pioneered the tentacle erotic manga genre in the 1980’s
Tentacle manga as a reaction to censorship
Toshio’s groundbreaking manga series “Urotsuki Doji”
Traditional Shunga erotic art and “The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife” which depicts an Octopus
How Japan’s culture became more socially conservative during the Meiji period
The origins of manga in Japan; rental manga in the 1960’s
Adult themed manga as a way to express political and cultural themes
Why Toshio is opposed to pedophile themed manga
How Toshio has done a wide variety of work including educational manga and ladies manga
Horror themed Manga and how horror reveals ones truths
How Toshio learned English from American TV
Otaku which is a person obsessed with a particular topic and the Hikikomori /NEET Phenomenon
Upcoming appearances at SacAnime in Sacramento and Anime Weekend Atlanta and special gifts for Stark Truth listeners

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings!




 

Robert Stark interviews Italian Musician and Artist Dino Olivieri

Robert Stark and co-host Pilleater spoke to Musician, Artist, and Web Designer Dino Olivieri from Turin, Italy.

Dino Olivieri has been known for producing some of the most technologically advanced websites. Her creativity is always on display when she’s at work, proving to her clients that she is the very best. These days, she tends to outsource this work and sends it over to an SEO Company Chester. But her music is at the very heart of what she does.

His website is Onyrix and you can check out his work on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, and Youtube.

Uploading content to these social media platforms is a great way for Olivieri to get his music heard from people all over the world and with just a click of a button. His next step should be to consider uploading his songs to music streaming sites like Spotify, and he may want to have a look at getfans.io/buy-spotify-plays to see how he can get more people to listen to his music. The more people that are aware of his music, the more likely he will be at getting discovered, resulting in his career taking off.

Topics:

Intro: Beyond Human
Early artistic inspirations, figure drawing, and aesthetic interest ranging from Italian Renaissance Art to Anime, Vaporwave, and Cyberpunk
Interest in anime, especially the giant robots created by Go-Nagai and Matsumoto’s work such as Captain Harlock
Italian Design
Dino’s Photography of the Italian Alps on Flickr
Early musical influences; early 80’s New Wave and Italo Disco
Influences from and use of classical music in his work
Japanese Composers Joe Hisaishi, Kenji Kawai, Kento Masuda, and Sakamoto
The new Singularity Album which is for a theatrical show created by Director Raffaele Lamorte
Movie Soundtracks; Vangelis’s Soundtrack for Blade Runner
The Singularity album cover; posters for the films Neon Demon and Stanley Kubrick’s Clockwork Orange
Dino’s upcoming album which has influences from Synthwave, Retrowave, and 90’s Dance Music
Dino’s illustrated novel “Di Undici Foglie” and his upcoming novel “Legend of the Starlight”
Dino’s video game Over The Net from 1991; comparisons to Leisure Suit Larry
Outro: Sex Surrogates and Jealousy


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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings!




Robert Stark talks to Count Isidor Fosco about creating New Retro Futurist Sub Cultures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Pilleater talk to returning guest Count Isidor Fosco.

Topics:

Retro-Futurism and it’s sub-genres
Whether Retro-Futurism and fusing past genres can evolve organically or end up being a “cut and paste”
Merging an Aristocratic or Traditional Genre into a Futuristic one
How fusing genres is most effective when there is a distance in eras(ex. Art Deco and Cyberpunk, Baroque and 80’s Retro-Futurism)
How futurism overlaps with the archaic in architecture(ex.Arcology)
Steampunk; Victorian era Train Stations in London, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan, and shopping centers inspired by European shopping arcades
The Toronto Eaton Centre in contrast with the Underground City in Montreal, which is more Retro-Futuristic
Why “Decopunk” Deserves to Be Bigger than Steampunk
The Art Deco revival during the New Wave Age
Batman: The Animated SeriesBatman & Architecture, and Anton Furst’s visions for the Aesthetic Of Gotham City(1989)
Alicia Silverstone in Batman & Robin and playing piano in the film The Crush
The aesthetics of Mishima: a Life in Four Chapters and the manga Kaze to Ki no Uta
New Retro Wave, Italo Disco, Falco, and Alphaville’s Forever Young and Big In Japan
The “Vaporwave” Babylon Club from Scarface which was featured in Miami Nights 1984’s Early Summer
How we are in post-post modernism and must rebuild cultures from scratch
Subcultures based on ethnic and cultural identity; cultural and ethnic fusionism(ex.Asian Aryanism)
How the future will either be mass global homogenization or forming new cultures from scratch but there is no returning to the past
Asian and Israeli Aryanism as memes
Count Fosco’s hierarchy of fetishes

Click Here to download!
This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings!